Huh??

1)

The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks / A / ***

Favorite paragraph:
“Doesn't surprise me," Nana snorted. "I wouldn't put anything past your late husband."
"He's not dead, Nana."
Nana sighed. "Hope springs eternal.”
I saw the movie made from this book with my besties last month.  It was predictable and honestly not that well acted.  During the climatic scene of the movie I actually had to leave the theatre as it hit me as so inappropriately FUNNY. I could not stop laughing.  That being said, I enjoyed the story line.  So I read the book as we all know that books are USUALLY better than the movie. This one did not disappoint. It tells the story of a Marine who survived several close calls in Iraq after finding the picture of a woman on the ground signed "Keep Safe". After the war he sets out to find this "Lucky Lady".  And the rest of the story is typical Nicholas Sparks magic.

2) 

The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson / JF / *** 1/2

Favorite line:  "Sometimes you gotta walk on your heel and favor your toe even if it makes your heel a little sore."

This is a reread of a book by the amazing Katherine Paterson. This is the author that gave us "The Bridge to Terabithia" and "Jacob Have I Loved".  It is a short piece about the angry Gilly. The story begins as she is set to enter yet another foster care placement. She's loud. She has a potty-mouth.  She is prickly and a bully.  She is placed with Trotter, a large sloppily obese woman with minimal housekeeping skills but a heart of gold.  I think the author deliberately points out the ugliness in Gilly, Trotter, and the house in order to contrast them with the real ugliness that is Gilly's mother, Courtney.

3) 

When the Emperor Was Divine by Julie Otsuka / A / *** 1/2

Favorite paragraph:

“And if anyone asks, you're Chinese."

 The boy had nodded. "Chinese," he whispered. "I'm Chinese."

"And I," said the girl, "am the Queen of Spain."

"In your dreams," said the boy.

"In my dreams," said the girl, "I'm the King.”

This is a story of the internment of Japanese American citizens during World  War II.  It was written from the point of view of children, which I liked.  Last summer we visited a museum in Delta, Utah that had artifacts of the Topaz Internment camp including one of the housing buildings.  In this book, the family is interred in Topaz so I could easily picture the described scenes in my mind.  This book was simple and poetic. It made for a very poignant writing style.  It was interesting for the family to tell what happened when they came BACK from Topaz to resume life including the interactions with their neighbors.

4)

The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka / A/ ** 1/2

Favorite line: “...women are weak, but mothers are strong”

This short novel tells the story of Japanese mail-order brides and begins as they are traveling to America by boat.   The books follows them through the meeting of their husbands, their new lives, adjusting to America, and their hopes and dreams. It is written in an unusual style as it does not tell the story from the point of view of a single or even a few women but of an entire group.   For example, "Home was a cot in one of  their bunkhouses at the Fair Ranch in Yolo. Home was a tent beneath a leafy plum tree at Kelleman's. Home was a wooden shanty in Camp No 7 on the Barnhart Tract out in Lody. Home was a bed so straw in John Lyman's barn. Home was a bunk in a rusty boxcar. Home was an old chicken coop.... " and etc etc for about 100 lines.  While I'm sure some enjoyed this writing style, the collective voice left me feeling a little cool towards this book.  I love STORIES and this was too many snippets of too many voices. The best way I can describe this is that I felt literally car-sick as the view changed too frequently as each variation of the same subject was told. 

5)

 Crossed by Ally Condie / YA / ***1/2

Favorite line: “... when someone knows your story they know you. And they can hurt you. It's why I give my story away in pieces"

This is the second in a series (the first book is titled "Matched). For anyone needing them a fix after "The Hunger Games", then this series is for you. The third book will be released in November.

It is a dystopian tale of a Society that meets every Citizen's needs but the price of this safety is the loss of freedom of choice.  This book continues the tale of Cassia as she works to find Ky and join the Rising against the Society. 

I didn't LOVE "Matched", but I was curious enough to read the next book to see how it went.  "Crossed" was more of the same in that I didn't get into it like I did the Hunger Games but I still want to find out what happens next.