The Storied Life of AJ Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

Rating 5 out of 5
Publisher: Algonquin Books (December 2, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1616204516
ISBN-13: 978-1616204518

Summary

On the faded Island Books sign hanging over the porch of the Victorian cottage is the motto "No Man Is an Island; Every Book Is a World." A. J. Fikry, the irascible owner, is about to discover just what that truly means. A. J. Fikry's life is not at all what he expected it to be. His wife has died, his bookstore is experiencing the worst sales in its history, and now his prized possession, a rare collection of Poe poems, has been stolen. Slowly but surely, he is isolating himself from all the people of Alice Island-from Lambiase, the well-intentioned police officer who's always felt kindly toward Fikry; from Ismay, his sister-in-law who is hell-bent on saving him from his dreary self; from Amelia, the lovely and idealistic (if eccentric) Knightley Press sales rep who keeps on taking the ferry over to Alice Island, refusing to be deterred by A.J.'s bad attitude. Even the books in his store have stopped holding pleasure for him. These days, A.J. can only see them as a sign of a world that is changing too rapidly. And then a mysterious package appears at the bookstore. It's a small package, but large in weight. It's that unexpected arrival that gives A. J. Fikry the opportunity to make his life over, the ability to see everything anew. It doesn't take long for the locals to notice the change overcoming A.J.; or for that determined sales rep, Amelia, to see her curmudgeonly client in a new light; or for the wisdom of all those books to become again the lifeblood of A.J.'s world; or for everything to twist again into a version of his life that he didn't see coming. 

You have probably heard the buzz around this book and the words "must read, amazing, best book ever" thrown around. People love this book, people were raving about this book. I was suspicious but I am pleased to say that I also enjoyed this book and it deserved most of its praise.

This is a slow paced novel that builds slowly. The writing is beautiful and you are immersed in this mans world so easily and you feel like you are right there with him as we travel through his life in the book.

You will be taken on an emotional journy without even realising it. You will feel happiness and sadness while reading this book. The ending is just right for this story and leaves you feeling satisfied.

Fikry is a wonderful character to read about and go through the journey with. His view on the world is funny and unusual. But most avid book readers I suspect would have found themselves nodding to a lot of his wisdom.

“You know everything you need to know about a person from the answer to the question, What is your favorite book?” ― Gabrielle Zevin, The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry

It really is just a feel good novel.

The author Zevin, has written a beautiful story that is really well worth the read.

If you like feel good books and well books about books then give this one a try.

Helen of Sparta by Amalia Carosella

Rating 3 out of 5
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing (April 1, 2015)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B00NAJZDI2
ISBN-10: 1477821384
ISBN-13: 978-1477821381

Summary:

Long before she ran away with Paris to Troy, Helen of Sparta was haunted by nightmares of a burning city under siege. These dreams foretold impending war—a war that only Helen has the power to avert. To do so, she must defy her family and betray her betrothed by fleeing the palace in the dead of night. In need of protection, she finds shelter and comfort in the arms of Theseus, son of Poseidon. With Theseus at her side, she believes she can escape her destiny. But at every turn, new dangers—violence, betrayal, extortion, threat of war—thwart Helen’s plans and bar her path. Still, she refuses to bend to the will of the gods. A new take on an ancient myth, Helen of Sparta is the story of one woman determined to decide her own fate.

I enjoyed reading the Helen of Troy story from Helen's point of view. Historically it is told from a male point of view and makes Helen out to be a femme fatal or a simpering idiot. This book sets out to make her a more realistic character and more then just an object of men's affections.

Which is hard to do when all the stories regarding Helen tell pretty much that story, that she is beautiful and men went crazy over her to posses her. While she does spend a decent part of the book dealing with male advances and hiding, the author has done a good job at making Helen a real person/demi god.

I admit to not being a huge fan of Helen's story nor do I really know much about it beyond the whole "Helen was kidnapped and an epic war was fought- oh there was a wooden pony too" thing. So I was surprised to learn Helen was from Sparta. Which makes me frustrated with her story because at that time in history women of Sparta were pretty bad ass with many freedoms we take for granted in the Western world today.

The book covers Helen's life with Theseus the first kind rumoured to have either kidnapped Helen or Had a genuine romance with Helen. The author went with the true love and Theseus saving the damsel Helen. Theseus was a very likeable character as the older, wiser hero and man. 

The story itself was more focused on the romance side of their life together and took on a Romeo and Juliet doomness feel. Indeed even though Helen was  Queen she pretty much never left the palace and we hardly ever saw her being well Queeny. This could be in part due to the Athenian court but it seemed that no one at court or in Athens seemed concerned the Queen was practically a hermit which was odd.

I enjoyed the history and mythology that went into the story. The author has clearly done a fair bit of research and knew the era and characters quite well. The thin line between mythology and history was well walked. You also didn't need to know much about mythology to read this book as the author does well at explaining the difference between Gods,mortals, and demi gods along with who is who, and you never feel like you have been given a lot of information at once.

The book  did end suddenly. So I can only assume more books are planned as the ending seemed an odd way to end a stand alone book. The whole book did have a "beginning" of the story sort of feel. This probably led to the book being slower paced and more focused on drama and romance then action. I would be interested to read the next books to see how Helen acts when the fur is flying after she is kidnapped by Paris.

Finally it should be noted that the book deals with the issue/topic of rape and infanticide which could be upsetting to some.

This book didn't quite win me over however I would read a second book and I would recomend it to anyone interested in Helen's story or Greek Mythology. Also I think this is a very promising start to a new historical writers career and hopefully she will continue to write more on this period.

Plain Truth by Jodi Piccoult

Rating 1 out of 5

I don’t know what it was about this book but I just could not get into it. I pretty much struggled to half way through and then threw in the towel.

The story its self was interesting. An Amish girl accused of neonaticide and protests her innocence, plus the lawyer her defends her who is struggling with a mid life crises of her own.
This story was really slow going. By the middle of the book the trial had not yet even started. I didn’t care much for the characters either and Elli the lawyer I found downright annoying.

The most interesting thing going for the book and the reason I kept reading even after I began the dreaded thoughts “I should stop”, was the detail that did go into the Amish life. It is clear Jodi Piccoult did very thorough homework. It was great having that insight into the Amish community.

I will try another Jodi Piccoult book. Even her fans have hinted that perhaps this is not her best.

The Zookeeper's War by Steven Contes

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

"In Berlin‚ who can you trust?

A story of passion and sacrifice in a city battered by war ...

It is 1943 and each night in a bomb shelter beneath the Berlin Zoo an Australian woman‚ Vera‚ shelters with her German husband‚ Axel‚ the zoo′s director.

Together‚ they struggle to look after the animals through the air raids and food shortages. When the zoo′s staff is drafted into the army‚ forced labourers are sent in as replacements. At first‚ Vera finds the idea abhorrent‚ but gradually she realises that the new workers are the zoo′s only hope‚ and forms an unlikely bond with one of them.

This is a city where a foreign accent is a constant source of suspicion‚ where busybodies report the names of neighbours′ dinner guests to the Gestapo. As tensions mount in the closing days of the war‚ nothing‚ and no one‚ it seems‚ can be trusted.

The Zookeeper′s War is a powerful novel of a marriage‚ and of a city collapsing. It confronts not only the brutality of war but the possibility of heroism − and delivers an ending that is both shocking and deeply moving."

The zookeepers war is predominantly told from the point of view of Vera an Australian, living with her German husband in Berlin during WWII, who are Zookeepers of the Berlin Zoo.

This book was nominated for and won the Prime Ministers Award for 2008. This is a newly created Australian literary award and was not the reason I got the book but it was an unexpected bonus. However the book did not blow me away. I did not even get bleary eyed considering some of the subject matter. He did not really deal with any of the serious issues of WWII or the Zoo. This was more a story about Vera and Axel living their lives almost as if the war was not happening, if it was not for the WWII setting it could be a couple in any other period/war.

The writing style is very stylish and simple. I could easily imagine walking the streets of Berlin in 1945 or hiding in the bomb shelters as the British and Americans rained bombs over the city. The author had clearly done his homework in regards to the history aspect, which for me made the book interesting. However the issues did not really touch Axel or Vera, they happened to their friends. The Author for me failed to adequately the sense of fear, hate, distrust, terror, and sadness that other books on the subject have portrayed vividly. I picked this book up as I thought it would have a unique perspective of being told from the Zoo and an 'alien' living in Berlin during the War. I felt the author did not utilise these unique perspectives enough.

I never really got the sense of "knowing" the characters. The book was told from at least three perspectives Vera, and Axel as well as another character called Martin. I was not sure what Martin's perspective brought to the book and would have preferred Flavia's perspective to be shown. Reactions seemed skin deep and not normal for the period, Axel in particular did not react the way one would assume a man in his position would. He was a wounded veteran of WWI and had lost most of his life, and his father’s life, when the Zoo was bombed. For me he was just too calm no one in that situation would be as calm as he was. He only seemed to show real emotion right at the end of the book, without giving away any spoilers it is a little confronting what happens to Axel.

This was not a bad book it just failed to hit the mark for me on some levels. The book would be a good start for anyone who has not read WWII books previously, as it is not the emotional roller coaster that other books in the same field are. It gives the reader a good introduction to the war and how lives were affected. The ending may shock some more than others.

The Night Watch by Sarah Waters

Rating 2 out of 5

"Moving back through the 1940s, through air raids, blacked out streets, illicit liaisons, sexual adventure, to end with its beginning in 1941, The Night Watch is the work of a truly brilliant and compelling storyteller. This is the story of four Londoners—three women and a young man with a past, drawn with absolute truth and intimacy. Kay, who drove an ambulance during the war and lived life at full throttle, now dresses in mannish clothes and wanders the streets with a restless hunger, searching … Helen, clever, sweet, much-loved, harbours a painful secret … Viv, glamour girl, is stubbornly, even foolishly loyal, to her soldier lover … Duncan, an apparent innocent, has had his own demons to fight during the war. Their lives, and their secrets connect in sometimes startling ways. War leads to strange alliances"

Well I must admit I just was not taken by this book. Even though I really wanted to like this book as it is normally the sort of thing I enjoy, historical settings, strong women, unusual story, and interesting themes. Also it came quite highly recommended. However I just could not get into this book fully, I just could not work up any real interest at all.

The pace I found was almost painfully slow, it didn't really go anywhere until towards the end. I did not like the story being told back with a backwards storyline as it was annoying and not engaging. The stories told at the end were far more interesting then the stories told at the start. Personally I think if the story line was reversed it would have made the start far more impact with the sadness of how the characters had gotten where they were. If the books ending was at the start it would have been more interesting story in my mind. However others clearly loved this format and the way it was written as it has garnered a lot of great reviews and has been nominated for the Booker and Orange literary prizes

The underlying themes in the story were probably the only saving grace of this book for me and kept me reading. It deals with issues that in the 1940 were taboo such as homosexuality, women's rights, and abortion. It also dealt a little on the effects of war and how society was changing during that period.

I would recommend this book to people who like reading books nominated for prizes, lesbian fiction, or what I like to call "people" drama.

Case Histories by Kate Atkinson

Rating: 2 1/2 out of 5

"Summer. To Jackson Brodie, former police inspector turned private investigator, the world consists of one accounting sheet - Lost on the left, Found on the right - and the two never seem to balance. His days are full of people clamouring for answers and explanations. A jealous husband suspects his wife. Two spinster sisters make a shocking find. A solicitor investigates an old murder. A nurse has lost her niece; a widow, her cats. Jackson has never felt at home in Cambridge, and has a failed marriage to prove it. He is forty-five but feels much, much older. He is at that dangerous age when men suddenly notice that they're going to die eventually, inevitably, and there isn't a damn thing they can do about it. Surrounded by death, intrigue and misfortune, his own life is brought sharply into focus."

I really was not very taken with this book. The only reason I continued to read it was I had been told it gets better half way through, and to be fair it did get more tolerable towards the end.

Firstly I did not like the style that it was written in. Kate Atkinson seemed to want to use the biggest words available which is fine every now and then but not in nearly every paragraph in the first chapter. Also the language was old fashioned as well, which at first I though was maybe in keeping with the setting of the first chapter but I later realised this was how Kate Atkinson wrote (though it did loosen up towards the end) I almost put the book straight down after the first chapter.

I couldn't really like any of the characters except for Jackson and he was not in it as much as the blurb would imply. The only other interesting characters were barely in the book much to my disappointment. To be honest I disliked most of the main characters except perhaps Theo who was just a sad soul. Julia and Amelia only became interesting towards the end of the book.

The story jumped around a lot and was told from many different points of view which grew annoying especially when I did not see the relevance (or care perhaps?). In some cases the same story was told from two different points of view which did not offer anything new or insightful. There was a lot of unnecessary story thread woven in. Well for me they were unnecessary, I just did not see the relevance to the story being told. I found myself skipping quite a few paragraphs and not missing much.

I mostly kept reading to find out what the answers to the cases were, and I must confess to actually being surprised by the turn one of the cases took. Perhaps I am being harsh as I had just read the excellent Time Travelers Wife, but this book really failed to grab me at all. If it wasn't for the more interesting last chapters and the twist I probably would have scored this lower.

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

Rating 5 out of 5

“The story of Henry and Clare, who have known each other since Clare was 6 and Henry was 36, and were married when Clare was 20 and Henry 28. This is possible only because Henry is one of the first people diagnosed with Chrono-Displacement Disorder: periodically his genetic clock resets and he flashes to other points in time, usually moments of emotional gravity for him. His disappearances are spontaneous, his experiences unpredictable, alternately harrowing and amusing.”

This book has received many rave reviews and it is not hard to see why. The story is epic and sweeping in its grandeur and is the type of book that elicits those sorts of words. The story follows the lives of Clare and Henry told from both of their perspectives as they struggle to find a normal life together in a world that is only learning about Henry’s condition. The issues dealt with in this book are emotional and real. Niffenegger writes about the issues with realism and sensitivity. There is the science fiction element to the story however it is hardly noticeable as the drama and romance of the story is far more prominent.

The prose does tend to jump around alternating between Clare and Henry, and occasionally time periods. While normally this would annoy me as a reader in this story it is appropriate and is seamlessly blended.

My main criticism (and there is only really one which is minor) is the language occasionally used by Niffenegger. During intimate scenes Niffenegger uses what would be best described as colourful language to illustrate the moment. Which is fine don’t get me wrong, for me though it just did not fit with the rest of the book. The rest of the book is this beautifully written prose that glides along with elegance and finesse and then all of a sudden there is this hideous coarse word. After the first instance I was left with the feeling of “where did that come from?” It was as surprising to me as would be to hear Mary Poppins using the f word. Other then those few (and they were few) jarring moments there is not really much else I can fault this book on.

A beautiful book which had me laughing and crying and wishing very fervently that our lives are not determined by destiny.

I highly recommended this book.