Tiny Little Librarian's Wrap-Up

Thanks so much, Lisa! This has been an awesome challenge.

My (rather long!) wrap-up is here.

Juli's Review of The Echo Maker

From the back cover:

On a winter night on a remote Nebraska road, twenty-seven-year-old Mark Schluter has a near-fatal car accident. His older sister, Karin, returns reluctantly to their hometown to nurse Mark back from a traumatic head injury. But when Mark emerges from a coma, he believes that this woman--who looks, acts, and sounds just like his sister--is really an imposter. When Karin contacts the famous cognitive neurologist Gerald Weber for help, he diagnoses Mark as having Capgras syndrome. The mysterious nature of the disease, combined with the strange circumstances surrounding Mark's accident, threatens to change all of their lives beyond recognition. In The Echo Maker, Richard Powers proves himself to be one of our boldest and most entertaining novelists.

If you can get through the first 100 pages of this book it is well worth reading. This is one of the more intricate novels I’ve read in awhile. There is a lot going on that is cleverly intertwined…neurology, biology, ecology, relationships…there are four or five main characters whose lives layer over each other in an amazing and sometimes sad way.
At times it was confusing. Not because it was poorly written, I just had a hard time following on occasions. For the most part I just kept reading to see what the human mind was capable of.

I selected this book from 3M's list (Michelle). When I finished reading the book and read why she picked it I was shocked to learn that she HAD Capgras and Cotards Syndrome in college! I tried to imagine her (even though I don't know her) in situations similar to those in the book. It must have been a difficult and strange time to say the least. I assume/hope that she is no longer suffering from those conditions as it seems so painful for everyone involved.

I found the book very interesting because I have degrees in psychology and biology and they overlap perfectly here. Great recommendation if you have the right mindset.

(completed 11.26.07)

The sisterhood of the traveling pants

Well, following Lisa's post, I guess I read this just in time. This was my last book for the Something about me Challenge although I did read others from people's lists that weren't on my original or alternate to read list. In the process, I discovered that I really don't enjoy the constraints of a challenge (but I may still be back for 2008!) and prefer to just read what people recommend, or new books that come out, or interesting books I find in my travels (both virtual and real). I did enjoy the camaraderie of seeing the books everyone chose and why.
I enjoyed The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants but didn't love it. I am curious enough to read the rest of the series although not immediately. So thanks to Lisa and everyone and see you in 2008!

Fern

Diary of a Young Girl

I finally got around to reading Diary of a Young Girl (the story of Anne Frank). I had, of course, read my fair share of excerpts from this in school, but I never read the whole thing. Pattie has raved about it and it made her Something About Me List, so I bought a copy. Actually, I think I got my copy off of Bookmooch. Anywho. It sat in my room and did not get read. I am not sure why I had trouble picking it up.

So, I added it to my Baby Steps Challenge list. Still, I procrastinated.
Finally, I picked it up, unwilling to greet the new year without having completed it.

It was wonderful.

And sad.

I knew Anne's story well enough to know it was NOT a happy ending kind of book, but I knew little enough about the details to not feel like I had read the last page first. I found the diary so real and honest. It reminded me of my OWN diary from that age. When I would find myself thinking Anne was sounding like a spoiled brat, I realized I had too at that age. The point of a diary is you CAN sound like a brat, b/c no one else will ever read it. In Anne's case, the world has seen her good and bad side.

The story is universal as far as teen girls go.

Heather

The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold (Chasida)

Susie Salmon is 14 when she is raped and murdered by a neighbour on December 6th 1973. He dumps her body parts in a sink hole, locked inside an old safe. As it turns out, she is by no means his first victim and she won't be his last.

Up in heaven Susie gets to watch her family and friends deal with her death and continue with their lives, although she is not able to influence her. She watches her father suspect their neighbour with no one believing him, her mother begin an affair and disengage from her family, her sister get her first boyfriend and her younger brother lock his feelings away. One final chance is left to Susie on earth in the form of Ruth, a girl who was in her class in school.

I mostly really enjoyed this novel. The idea of heaven was interesting and I liked that it was forever changing as the soul changed and learnt new things about themselves, earth and the people still living there. It was also good to see how the different people dealt with Susie's death, it was very realistic writing. The only part I didn't like so much was near the end in a scene involving Ruth, Ray and Susie which spoilt the realistic illusion for me a little. That it didn't particularly have a happy ending to Susie's case again made it more real somehow and the fact that her death still remained somewhat of a mystery.

We're almost done here!

Hi all. I'm just going to assume everyone has finished the challenge for the final prize drawing...(except a couple of you who are in the sidebar, but didn't participate after all...)

If you didn't finish and you want to play by the rules, you can let me know and I'll leave you out of the drawing, but I won't tell if you don't!! I'm not, by nature, a rule player. :)

Hope you all had fun doing this challenge. I'll leave this blog up if you want to reference it, and see you here next year for Something About Me 2008!

Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen: Trish's Review

I am so thrilled that I finished with this challenge and with such a pleasant read!

Pride and Prejudice was my final selection for this challenge. My review can be found on HERE on my blog. Because the story is so well-known I don't discuss the plot so much as a few of my feelings. While I really enjoyed the story, I'm a sucker for the new movie-version with Kiera Knightly. Yes, some parts were butchered out, but certain scenes I think are portrayed so beautifully to show the tension between Lizzy and Mr. Darcy.

If you haven't read this one, I would recommend it as the quintessential romance novel. Enjoy!