Trish's Review of Like Water for Chocolate

Title: Like Water for Chocolate
Author: Laura Esquirel
Pages: 264
Date Finished: August 22, 2007
Rating: 3/5

This is my first selection for Something About Me Challenge. I have wanted to read it for a few years now and picked it up cheap a few months ago at the local bookfair. Perfect! I love when things work out that way. This was Maryanne's selection. She writes, "This is one of the books that made me realize that the best cooks of all are the ones who cook with love." I completely agree with this statement and I believe that it holds very true for this book.

But, this book didn't do it for me. It was good and I mostly enjoyed reading it, but the book was a little too superficial. What I mean by that is that the character development was very weak, and after reading the book I didn't have any strong passions about what happened to the characters. I liked the way the book ended, but there just wasn't enough character/narrative depth. Perhaps there is more symbolic and analytical depth to the book, but if I'm not in a grad course I don't necessarily dig or delve into books the way I probably should (i.e. background research, textual research, analytical research, etc.).

My full review can be found on my blog. (Here I do go into talk about food, which is my favorite aspect of the book).

raidergirl3 update: Jane Eyre and Inkheart

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, as recommended by Kathrin

Classic books are classic for a reason - they are great reads. I wasn't prepared for the mysterious aspect of Jane Eyre, but it had me enthralled. I loved Jane and Mr Rochester, and the love story and eerie atmosphere of the book.

Kathrin picked it because: IMO Jane has good values.

I would have to agree with her; I loved Jane's strength to do the right thing. She stood up for herself most of all, but also anytime she saw a need. A terrific heroine, and I'm sure I'll eventually read this again. My full review is here

Inkheart by Cornelia Funke, translated from the German by Anthea Bell, as recommended by Becky (shereads) [which always has me singing, Shebangs She bangs after I type that!]

Becky picked this book: Because I love to read and find the idea of reading characters in and out of books fascinating.

What a great adventure novel, with books as a major theme and almost a character in themselves. Meggie and her father are trying to deal with some characters that came to life after Meggie's father read them out of the book Inkheart. Part fantasy, part adventure, with wonderful quotes at the beginning of each chapter, I flew through this 500 page book in days. And I'm giving it to my son to read next.

My full review is here.

Stargirl

This post can also be found here, except for the part at the end regarding what it says about alisonwonderland.

I read Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli for the "Something About Me" reading challenge. It is a young adult novel that takes a look at the conflicting emotions teenagers face when presented with someone different than themselves. The character Stargirl is, well, weird. But in a sweet and endearing way. The other kids don't know what to make of her. Our narrator, Leo, becomes torn between his growing feelings for her and his desire to conform and be accepted by the rest of his peers. The novel was a well-written super fast read. It was enjoyable and I found it easy to relate to the characters.

What I liked:

I think it was a fairly realistic view of kids of high school age (well, except for the complete lack of smoking, drinking and drugging, but those issues weren't the point of the novel, so we'll forgive the omission). I think we all knew someone like Stargirl, an outcast for no other reason than that she was a unique personality and didn't bother to try to conform. Looking back, I think the reason other kids would steer clear of kids like Stargirl was that they envied them their fearlessness, the ability to just be who they were without worrying about the opinions of others.

I liked her random acts of kindness. In particular I LOVED what she does with spare change. So much so, that I intend to do it myself. Which leads me to my favorite excerpt from the book:

Throughout the day, Stargirl had been dropping money. She was the Johnny Appleseed of loose change: a penny here, a nickel there. Tossed to the sidewalk, laid on a shelf or bench. Even quarters.

"I hate change," she said. "It's so... jangly."

"Do you realize how much you must throw away in a year?" I said.

"Did you ever see a little kid's face when he spots a penny on a sidewalk?" she said.

I liked the old man who had become a kind of mentor to a group of the kids. He was a font of wisdom, yet he didn't just dole it out, he made the kids come to the realizations on their own.

What I didn't like:

Well, to be honest, I can't really think of anything. Oh, wait, there is something. Spinelli spelled Hillari with an "i." That replacing the "y" with an "i" thing for the sole purpose of... well, nothing really, annoys the hell out of me. A byproduct of growing up with a bunch of girls named Candy, Mandy, Tracy, Wendy, Becky, etc., who on the same whim everyone was having back then, became Candi, Mandi, Traci, Wendi, Becki, etc., I guess. They're parents didn't do it to them, they did it to themselves, and then they did it to their kids. Oh, the 80s. :) So I didn't like that, but that's just a petty thing.

Overall, great book! My daughter said she hadn't gotten to it yet, so I'm going to push her on it. And I will be getting her the sequel, which I will also read.

So what does this book say about alisonwonderland? I could state the obvious and say that I think she picked it because Stargirl reminded her of herself or of who she wanted to be as a teen but maybe didn't have the courage. And then I could say that I would think it's the former, because hey, look at her name here in cybertopia: alisonwonderland. Kind of like Stargirl. After that I could say that I looked at her list of choices and why she chose them and they all have a lot to do with finding yourself, that is, figuring out your place in the world in relation to everything around you, embracing it and exploring it and being true to it. To conclude, I could say that alisonwonderland has made this journey herself, and is satisfied with the results. I could say all that. So I will.



I borrowed the image from 3M's review, because the image from Amazon looked like it was glowing like neon.

Two Reviews

Kristin picked this for the Something About Me challenge because she loves libraries, books, etc., and also because she thought it was one of the best new books she has read recently! I'm so glad she picked it, because I've been dying to read it! I have read a few tepid reviews of it, though, so I was a little worried. I totally, thoroughly enjoyed it, though. It's the kind of book where you are so engrossed in the story, you wouldn't notice any inconsistencies or other editorial issues. (or at least, I wouldn't). The writing is easy, pulls you in and sits you on the edge of your chair. On the other hand, when you are finished and look back, you realize how deftly the mystery was handled and how skilled the writer really is. I also love libraries and antiquarian bookstores, so this book was a treasure to find. I loved it.
JMC chose this book for the Something About Me challenge, and again, a winner in my opinion! She said this book is an "easy A" because it's so short (children's picture book) but she also said it will make you cry unless you are "cold and heartless". Yeah, pretty much. A philosophical statement about parenting, or more accurately, how to let go as a parent, it's pretty heartbreaking. Like my husband says, parenting is 18 years (and more) of letting go. Incidentally, my kids (6 and 2) loved this book as well and begged me to read it to them many times, although they didn't get the deeper message.

Here's an update on where I'm at with the challenge (the ones I've read in bold):

The Eyre Affair (heidijane and Valentina)
Number the Stars (booklogged) or The Giver (Sarah Miller) - whichever I can get
Stick Kid (JMC)
I Am The Messenger (Jill)
The Thirteenth Tale (Kristin)
Operating Instructions (in memory of Nattie)

I have Operating Instructions in my possession, and I'm truckin' along. I'm glad of this, because there are lots more that I wanted to read if I had time, and I think I might! Thanks, girls, for some great suggestions so far!

Trish's List (Finally)

I am sorry I'm getting this out so late. I'm not sure why I'm apologizing to all of you :) I've been Internet-less for about 3 weeks and I'm currently using hubby's labtop, which I hate using because its difficult to type on. Hopefully our Internet will be hooked up early this week so I can catch up on everyone's reviews, as well as my own blog. Urg (we've been on vacation and moving...which is why no Internet).

My list (with alternates, which I'm not sure we are allowed to do but am listing anyway!):

The Thirteenth Tale (Kristen)
Like Water for Chocolate (Maryanne)
High Fidelity (Rhinoa)
Sea Glass (Beachreader and Library Lady)
Pride and Prejudice (Bookworm and Pattie)

Alternates:
The Other Boleyn Girl (Margo)
Bell Jar (Holly and Soleil)
The Robber Bride (Ellen)

Basically I picked these books because I already own them or they are not already cross-posted with other challenges. I'm bored to pieces with my George Washington biography, which is why I'm braving the hard-to-use keyboard to post my list--and find another book to read. :)

Happy reading!

Trish

Chocolat by Joanne Harris

Good gosh, I love chocolate. Just the very thought of it makes me salivate and crave its luscious goodness. I selected Chocolat as part of this challenge because I love chocolate so much - and it looks like Chasida and maybe Margo do too. Thankfully, I was not disappointed by this rich tale.

To those of you who have only seen the movie, this book is a different story. It's a darker, more spiritual story of Vianne, the "witch" who comes to a small French village with her young daughter to open up a chocolate shop at the beginning of Lent. She's embraced by several already-outcasts of the village and hated by the village priest, Reynaud, who sees her as a threat to the power he believes he has over the village.

Vianne is a multi-dimensional, smart and driven woman whose character I thoroughly enjoyed. Her intelligence and wit keep her one step ahead of those who are out to ruin her. I also enjoyed her daughter, Anouk, who is wild and smart and impish like many young girls. Her spirit is contagious and fun to read.

I highly recommend Chocolat to readers who enjoy a tale of good food, good friends and good indulgences - and not afraid to see the darker sides of things held in high regard, such as the Church, marriage and good health. Like the delicious enrapture of my favorite dessert, Chocolat is a delightful, almost sinful reading treat.

The Polysyllabic Spree

The Polysyllabic Spree by Nick Hornby

143 pages

Rating: 4/5

It was Athena who picked The Polysyllabic Spree as a book that describes her. She's right when she says that this is not your average collection of book reviews. The book is a collection of monthly essays that Nick writes every month for The Believer magazine. Every month Nick starts out by telling the reader what books he's bought and which one he ended up reading. I'm the same way. I buy, trade, or check out books every month, but a lot of them I don't get to. I don't feel guilty about it. Sooner or later, I'll probably read them.

Nick Hornby writes like he talks and you end up feeling like you're having a conversation with a new friend instead of reading a book. He has such a passion for books and life. Becoming a father again or being an avid soccer fan doesn't stop him from reading, but he shows us that reading isn't everything. It's close, but you still need a life. The Polysyllabic Spree is a short read that will give you many book recommendations and have you wanting to subscribe to The Believer magazine.