Monthly Archives: December 2011

What I Read in 2011: From Best to Worst

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Don't know who made this graphic, but it sure as heck wasn't me! Only thing I could find on short notice, sorry!

The time has come! Before I party the year away I wanted to rate the 20 books I read from best to worst. I’ll provide some brief pros and cons, but if you want more info about any of them, just click on the links to their full reviews. I’m also taking recommendations for 2012–hopefully, I’ll beat this year’s record with 25 novels!

*NOTE: Ratings are out of 5 and are listed after the authors in parentheses.

1. 1984 by George Orwell (5)
Pros: A hauntingly exquisite masterpiece of one man’s attempt to escape a warmongering, all-controlling government.
Cons: Takes some time to get going, but pacing is not that much of an issue.
Recommended to: Everyone who’s interested in a stimulating, mind-blowing, politically charged, timeless, life-changing read. And who wouldn’t want that? Seriously, why aren’t you dropping everything and reading it right now? Oh, you want to finish my list? Ok, fine, I’ll let you, but you better run/mouse-click to your nearest bookstore ASAP!

2. The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton (5)
Pros: Tragic romance in which two star-crossed lovers must decide between money or passion. Beautifully written.
Cons: Takes an acquired taste, and probably won’t appeal much to fans of action-packed plots.
Recommended to: Hopeless romantics; Fans of Wharton, the Bronte sisters, Austen, and other 19th c. female authors

3. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (5)
Pros: Dystopian tale totally worth its hype. Exhilarating read that keeps you on the edge of your seat.
Cons: Fantastic beginning which will lead you down to a horrendous ending. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!
Recommended to: Thrill-seekers who don’t mind some graphic violence; People who have to jump on every bandwagon just because; Twihards who need another love triangle to obsess over; Dystopian YA fiction fanatics

4. Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card (4.5)
Pros: Excellent sci-fi novel which defined its genre. Entertaining yet critical look into militarism and war.
Cons: Coming-of-age story means pacing’s slow at times.
Recommended to: Sci-fi fans; Video game players; Scholars interested in the effects of violence on individuals.

5. Shoe Addicts Anonymous by Beth Harbison (4.5)
Pros: Fun story of a group of women bonding over shoes. Between debt, infidelity, and weight issues, anyone can relate to these characters.
Cons: Chapters are divided by character POV, and one woman isn’t introduced until about 100 pages in.
Recommended to: Chick-lit lovers; the shoe-obsessed; Anyone in need of a light-hearted read.

6. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley (4)
Pros: It’s almost as good as 1984, and slightly better than Fahrenheit 451. They’re the dystopian classic trifecta!
Cons: You have to be able to stomach little kids having sex. Major ick factor.
Recommended to: Those fascinated by genetic-engineering; People against reliance on anxiety medication; Readers who want an intellect boost.

7. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (4)
Pros: It’s always nice reading a book about reading books. Down with censorship!
Cons: Confusing to understand the world at first, so have some patience.
Recommended to: Lovers of banned books; Anyone who wants to read a literary classic, but doesn’t have much free time to spare.

8. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (4)
Pros: Entertaining sequel to The Hunger Games, and there’s definitely more romantic tension.
Cons: Not as good as original, beginning is slow, and it’s just one step closer to disappointment.
Recommended to: Only those who’ve read The Hunger Games. Duh.

9. Matched by Ally Condie (4)
Pros: Mysterious, interesting take on the dystopian YA genre.
Cons: Yet another love triangle, hold your groans.
Recommended to: Poetry lovers; dystopian fans; practically any teenage girl.

10. Abandon by Meg Cabot (4)
Pros: Fun modern adaptation of the myth of Persephone.
Cons: Predictable plot, cheesy dialogue, and characters with moments of annoying behavior.
Recommended to: Anyone who enjoys Greek myth, YA chick-lit, or cliche romances between sassy girls and dark, handsome bad boys.

11. Gone with the Nerd by Vicki Lewis Thompson (4)
Pros: Hilariously sexy romp between a hot actress and her geeky lawyer.
Cons: Predictable plot with some cheesy dialogue.
Recommended to: Romance novel fans; Those who love nerdy men; Believers of Bigfoot

12. The Lover’s Dictionary by David Levithan (4)
Pros: Original, refreshing take on romantic literary fiction.
Cons: WAY too short to count as a novel!
Recommended to: Busy readers; Those who like learning new words; Anyone who wants a story not-so-obviously hetero-normative.

13. The Carrie Diaries by Candace Bushnell (4)
Pros: Witty prequel to “Sex and the City” in which a teenage Carrie Bradshaw experiences love and betrayal.
Cons: Outside its fan base, it might be just a decent chick-lit story.
Recommended to: Carrie Bradshaw fans; Anyone from a small town who wishes for life in a big city.

14. A Wizard of Mars by Diane Duane (3.5)
Pros: Interesting sci-fi tale about Martians with likable characters and much info about the red planet.
Cons: Don’t bother reading if you’ve haven’t read the last 8 books in the series.
Recommended to: Readers loyal to the Young Wizards series, of course.

15. The Wedding Girl by Madeleine Wickham (3.5)
Pros: Funny story about a girl getting married who’s secretly already someone else’s wife.
Cons: Definitely a character novel with little action.
Recommended to: Chick-lit lovers; Soap opera viewers; Anyone in need of a beach read.

16. Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert (3.5)
Pros: Beautiful prose; Tragic tale about a woman who commits adultery to escape her unhappy life.
Cons: Madame Bovary is difficult to empathize with, given her naive, often foolish behavior.
Recommended to: Readers who appreciate polished writing and morally ambiguous characters.

17. Artemis Fowl: The Atlantis Complex by Eoin Colfer (3)
Pros: Yet another story of the beloved boy mastermind and his friends of humans and fairies alike.
Cons: Outrageously annoying alter ego character, overly moral themes, stale plot.
Recommended to: Devoted fans of the series eager to get closer to the finale.

18. A Desirable Residence by Madeleine Wickham (3)
Pros: Realistic look into a group of Brits involved in the selling, buying, and living in a home.
Cons: Selfish, fame/fortune-mongering characters will little redeeming qualities.
Recommended to: Wickham fans; Those who gain pleasure from dysfunctional, miserable families.

19. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (3 overall, 1 for ending)
Pros: The suspenseful finale of an otherwise excellent series.
Cons: Oh, where to begin? Just click on the link!
Recommended to: Only those who are hell-bent on finishing the series or the truly masochistic.

20. Overbite by Meg Cabot (2)
Pros: It’s just what I call Cabot candy: sweet and simple.
Cons: Unfortunately, this book is like the sugar buttons of candy: not much better than the paper it’s made on.
Recommended to: Meg Cabot fans; Twihards or anyone else obsessed with all-things vampire.

Phew! So there you have it! Enjoy your New Year’s, and I’ll see you in 2012 (well, after a well-deserved break, anyway!) Now go read 1984!!!

2011 Book Review Catch-Up: Part 3

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The time’s come to review my final two books of 2011, which I read this past summer. Both books are young-adult fiction, Abandon by Meg Cabot and Matched by Ally Condie.

Abandon by Meg Cabot (Rating: 4 out of 5)

One of the first books I reviewed on this blog was Cabot’s vampire sequel Overbite, which I would not recommend unless you absolutely cannot get enough of anything vampire-related. However, I have read almost every single one of Cabot’s novels, and for the most part I love them to bits. Her most famous series, The Princess Diaries, is excellent, and I also love her Runaway and Queen of Babble trilogies. So naturally, when I heard that she’d be releasing a novel during the spring based on the ancient Greek myth of Persephone and Hades, I was excited. I wrote my 20-page senior project on two poems about Persephone (Tennyson’s “Demeter and Persephone” and Swinburne’s “Hymn to Proserpine,” which I’ll probably discuss in a Masterpiece Monday sometime). As a Classics minor, I was ready to get my nerd on with this modern adaptation.

Persephone and Hades are reincarnated in this story as 17-year-old Pierce Oliviera and her love interest John Hayden. After a near-death experience a couple years earlier, John is determined to bring Pierce back to the Underworld. The novel suffers from weaknesses seen in other Cabot works, namely predictability and cheesy dialogue. However, she nicely infuses folk tales from Florida’s history and incorporates other mythical elements like the Furies. While many might find Pierce annoying and John more of a kidnapper than boyfriend material, I didn’t mind it because their relationship should be more like Phantom of the Opera at first, because what girl with any brains would willingly choose death over her loved ones? (*cough*Bella Swan*cough*). I could be wrong, but I trust that Cabot will have their relationship grow some more before Pierce makes her decision. Can’t wait for the sequel Underworld to come out in May 2012!

Matched by Ally Condie (Rating: 4 out of 5)

This dystopian novel which was published last year ponders the idea of having the government choose your significant other. At her Match Ceremony, 17-year-old Cassia Reyes is partnered with childhood friend Xander Carrow, which proves to be a rare match since they live in the same borough. All the teenagers receive a microchip with their match’s personal information, but when Cassia insert hers in her home port, another boy named Ky Markham pops up on the screen. Unfortunately, because Ky is known as an Aberration for a crime his father committed, he’s not supposed to be matched with anybody. So what explains this anomaly?

In this world, people survive on soma-esque pills to cure anxiety and erase memories, all their time is scheduled, and they are euthanized on their 80th birthdays. Only 100 poems and 100 songs have been approved to exist, but Cassia comes across a forbidden copy of Dylan Thomas’ “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night,” which sparks her need to rebel against the system. While some may call this yet another love triangle tale like Twilight, I enjoyed the mystery–and of course the literary references. I’m looking forward to its sequel Crossed, which I received for Christmas. Keep an eye out on this trilogy, because Disney bought the film rights before the book was even released! What’s up with Mormon authors like Ally Condie and Stephenie Meyer making major bank on their young-adult novels? Coincidence? Or should I seriously think of converting to board this success train? Well, either way, Matched was worth its hype, and I hope Crossed doesn’t disappoint!

Now that I’ve caught up, I’ll be posting my master list of 20 books, from best to worst, by Thursday. Hope you enjoy it!

2011 Book Review Catch-Up: Part 2

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The new year is less than a week away, and I still have four books to review before I present my complete ratings list. So let’s just jump right in, shall we? Today I wanted to review two romance novels: Gone with the Nerd by Vicki Lewis Thompson and The Lover’s Dictionary by David Levithan.

Image via Open Library

Gone with the Nerd (Rating: 4 out of 5)

I’m not a big reader of romance novels, especially not the embarrassing bodice-rippers with shirtless guys on the covers. But you haven’t read Thompson’s Nerd series, you’re in for a real treat. Currentlyseven stand-alone novels, the series focuses on women attracted to geeky computer programmers and engineers instead of princes and vampires. Gone with the Nerd, published in 2005, follows the sexual tension between actress Zoe Tarleton and her attorney Flynn Granger. Determined to nab some more serious roles, Zoe travels to California’s Bigfoot country so she can secretly rehearse her lines as a dowdy chemist. Flynn offers to go over lines with her, but what happens when their chemistry jumps off the pages? And what about all the mysterious accidents that keep occurring, including the poisoned food and killer bees? Granted, the plot’s predictable and the dialogue’s cheesy, but the love scenes are ultra-hot and Thompson always promises a happy ending. I also recommend Nerd in Shining Armor, Talk Nerdy to Me, and Nerd Gone Wild.

Image via The New Yorker

The Lover’s Dictionary (Rating: 4 out of 5)

Calling this a romance novel is a bit misleading, but it’s an excellent tale of love and loss. From the author famous for Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist and published earlier this year, it’s a unconventional story showing the rise and fall of the narrator’s relationship through word entries like a dictionary. Each letter of the alphabet can have multiple entries, which vary in length from a few pages to a single sentence. You never learn everything about their lives together, but you piece together their ups-and-downs all while learning new vocabulary! Written in a non-linear style, it’s a refreshing take on the person-meets-person plot (it’s even ungendered for universality). Beware, at only 224 pages, you’ll finish this book in one sitting. So wish it could have been a longer read!

One of my favorite entries: autonomy, n. “I want my books to have their own shelves,” you said, and that’s how I knew it would be okay to live together.

So if you’re interested in some good, not-old-fashioned love stories, check out these two. And be sure to read my final catch-up mini-review tomorrow!

2011 Book Review Catch-Up: Part 1

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So in case you haven’t noticed, there’s six books that I read this past summer that I did not have the opportunity to review. In order to effectively rank them from best to worst, I wanted to introduce the novels properly. Yes, I’ve taken valuable time away from my Christmas just for you guys! (That’s okay, though, I needed a break from stuffing my face with food anyway!)

I decided to do mini-reviews for two books at a time, starting with two science-fiction young adult novels: A Wizard of Mars by Diane Duane and Artemis Fowl: The Atlantis Complex by Eoin Colfer.

A Wizard of Mars

A Wizard of Mars (Rating: 3.5 out of 5)

This ninth installment in Duane’s Young Wizard series, published in 2010, takes teenage wizards Nita and Kit back to Mars to learn about the planet’s alien species. Unfortunately, they’re caught up in a galactic conflict which could destroy Earth in the process. Although it seemed like Duane did her research on the red planet extremely well, I’m getting tired of this series. I’ve been reading it since middle school, but it began in 1983, and many of the novels seem to take the form of “filler” stories. Duane herself has admitted that she sees no end in sight, and writes as she goes. So what started out as magical has become stale and without purpose. However, I still love these characters and hope that Nita and Kit get a real romance going soon. Maybe a bit of outlining on the author’s part will give this series the structure it so desperately needs and will maintain my attention span for a few more years.

Cover of "The Atlantis Complex (Artemis F...

Cover via Amazon

Artemis Fowl: The Atlantis Complex (Rating: 3 out of 5)

This seventh and penultimate novel in Eoin Colfer’s series, also published in 2010, hit a new low. I have loved this tale of boy genius Artemis Fowl, but now this boy is a teenager suffering from “the Atlantis Complex,” a psychological fairy syndrome with symptoms such as OCD and split personalities. He creates an alter ego called “Orion,” who is a flamboyant, obnoxious character with Don Quixote-esque delusions of adventure and romance. Meanwhile, Butler and Juliet fight luchadores in Mexico, and Turnball Root concocts a scheme to save his aging human wife Leonor. Overall, this novel suffers from the same staleness as A Wizard of Mars, but thankfully the final book–The Last Guardian–will be released sometime next year. I wish Colfer would ditch his overly moral storyline on global warming and return to us the mischievous Artemis we all fell in love with, but I highly doubt that’ll happen.

So these two science-fiction novels, although drastically different in subject matter and writing style, fell victim to the same weakness of becoming tiring after so many years into their respective sagas. But if you’ve been a fan of Duane or Colfer, I trust you’ll be following them to the very end.

Book Review: Ender’s Game

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Ender's Game

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

I finally reached my goal of reading 20 books this year! And what a novel to end on! Like most bookworms, I had heard of Orson Scott Card’s novel Ender’s Game. I’m more of a fantasy fan than a sci-fi one, but I was intrigued by a book many called the best sci-fi fiction ever. And although I haven’t read enough sci-fi to make that claim, it was a pretty outstanding read.

Originally written as a short story but published as a novel in 1985, Ender’s Game is the first installment in the prolific “Enderverse.” The novel follows the journey of Andrew “Ender” Wiggin, a six-year-old genius who’s recruited by the government to join the Battle School, which is a space station used to train gifted children as galactic soldiers.

In this distant future, Earth has been in two wars with the insect-like alien race known as the Buggers. Now the planet is preparing their third invasion to defeat the Buggers once and for all. Ender leaves his beloved sister Valentine and cruel brother Peter to spend years excelling up the military totem pole.

Of course, none of this training is without consequences. His commanders isolate Ender from making close friends and submit him to grueling practices with absolutely no care for his psyche. Every time Ender believes he’s one step closer to freedom, they beat him down again. He soon suffers from bloodthirst and the incessant need to win at all costs; this in turn brings about many PTSD symptoms, such as rage, depression, illness, and nightmares.

What I loved most about Ender’s Game was that it did not rely heavily on sci-fi jargon and overly complicated world creation. You don’t need to be an expert on space travel to understand this story, which is more about Ender’s struggle to maintain his humanity while being molded into an emotionless robot whose sole purpose is to destroy (hence his nickname: Ender, one who ends).

Despite your personal views on war and the military, you can learn from this novel. You pity Ender, hate the adults pulling his strings, but most importantly you come to realize the other’s perspective in battle. For once, you see the aliens not as ruthless monsters (a la “War of the Worlds”), but as sentient beings simply lost in miscommunication.

I also loved all the symbolism, from the computer game taking Ender from the Giant to the playground to the “End of the World,” as well as Ender’s siblings working together as online demagogues under the aliases “Locke” and “Demosthenes.” I was surprised to hear earlier this year that many of my students were reading this book in high school, but now I agree that teenagers could learn a lot from this rich piece of literature.

Thanks to everybody who recommended this novel, and I’ll be sure to check out its sequels in the new year!

And if you’ve been following my blog in the last week, you know that I’m not a religious person, but I want to wish all of you a Merry Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Winter Solstice, Saturnalia, and just a happy weekend with your loved ones. And, of course, a happy new year filled with many, many books!

RIP Christopher Hitchens (1949-2011)

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I’m forgoing today’s “Masterpiece Monday,” so I can express my thoughts on the late great Christopher Hitchens. Sure, I’m a bit late considering that most media are more concerned with Kim Jong Il’s death right now, but how do you figure out what to say about a man who changed your life?

For those of us who knew of Christopher Hitchens, his death on Thursday was not surprising. That doesn’t mean it wasn’t heart-breaking. Hitchens was a famous atheist from England whose reputation as a debater could not be matched. And the only thing that could match his excessive smoking and drinking was his esophageal cancer, which killed him at only 62 years old.

I became familiar with Hitchens in high school, as I educated myself on atheism and read the works of Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris. I read excerpts of Hitchens’ God is not Great and loved watching his debates on YouTube. His curmudgeonly attitude and harsh words against religion obviously upset a lot of people, but I was amazed at how many commenters online respected his refusal to be sorry for his beliefs, as well as admired his quick wit and riveting words.

Hitchens gave me the courage to live as a loud and proud atheist. One smart reader noticed that I prefer to call myself “secular” on my blog, but I only do that for your guys’ benefit, not mine. This is a book blog, and my atheism–although vital to my life–does not need to be mentioned in all my posts. But make no mistake: ever since de-converting as a teenager, I have never had doubts or felt apologetic for my views.

Which is why I love Hitchens so much. Many journalists made offensive comments to him as he struggled with cancer, such as whether he wished to recant in his final days, but he took all the ignorance with grace. And if Hitchens could read when The Huffington Post asked “What happens when an atheist dies?”, he would probably laugh and reply, “The same that happens to everybody else.”

Hitchens didn’t need saving, no prayers and miracles. He chose to smoke so heavily, and he never regretted his lifestyle. We shouldn’t hope that God will let him into Heaven anyway, and we shouldn’t wish him a torturous existence in Hell. He didn’t fret about his afterlife, so we shouldn’t either. Instead we should respect his beliefs and focus on all the good he achieved while he lived.

So how exactly did Hitchens change my life? By showing me that if atheists want to be accepted by society, we need to lead by example. We shouldn’t be afraid to share our thoughts and educate others, to fight for our civil rights and remind people that the majority shouldn’t rule by default. Show everybody that you don’t need faith to be a kind, considerate, generous, and moral person.

Whether you’re a staunch atheist, a devout Christian, or someone in between, you can benefit by reading Hitchens. He’ll broaden your mind as he blows it with all his exquisite arguments. You may not agree with a word he says, but at least you will be encouraged to ask questions and not take everything for granted.

Because that’s what it means to be an atheist. We believe that this life is all we get, so we better make the most of it.

Masterpiece Monday: Poems About Winter

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English: William Shakespeare statue in Lincoln...

Image via Wikipedia

It’s the middle of December, which means the days are cold and dreary. As a fan of sun and surf, I absolutely loathe winter. It’s a season where plants die and animals hibernate, but I recognize it as necessary to appreciate all the rebirth that comes with spring.

So if the grey and gloomy skies are depressing you, here’s some exquisite poems about winter to cheer you up:

“Sonnet 97″ by William Shakespeare

How like a winter hath my absence been
From thee, the pleasure of the fleeting year!
What freezings have I felt, what dark days seen!
What old December’s bareness every where!
And yet this time removed was summer’s time,
The teeming autumn, big with rich increase,
Bearing the wanton burden of the prime, 
Like widow’d wombs after their lords’ decease:
Yet this abundant issue seem’d to me 
But hope of orphans and unfather’d fruit;
For summer and his pleasures wait on thee, 
And, thou away, the very birds are mute; 
   Or, if they sing, ’tis with so dull a cheer
   That leaves look pale, dreading the winter’s near.

This Shakespearean sonnet is one relatively easy to understand. The speaker misses his beloved and compares his absence away to winter. I love all the imagery of “freezings,” “dark days,” and “bareness,” because they’re simple yet beautiful metaphors for loneliness–something everyone can relate to this time of year.

“Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” by Robert Frost

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound’s the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

This poem is deceptively simple. I absolutely love its rhyme scheme, because the third line of each stanza is a prelude to the rhymes of the next stanza (here: queer, near, year; lake: shake, mistake, flake). The allusion to death is subtle, because the reader stops in the woods on “the darkest evening of the year.” He wants to rest in the “lovely, dark and deep” forest, but he “has promises to keep/And miles to go before I sleep.” Of course, this poem has a literal level too, and it resonates with readers because we all have so much going on, so many things to achieve. We refuse to stop for long, because our obligations call us back to civilization.

“Spellbound” by Emily Bronte

The night is darkening round me,
The wild winds coldly blow;
But a tyrant spell has bound me
And I cannot, cannot go.

The giant trees are bending
Their bare boughs weighed with snow.
And the storm is fast descending,
And yet I cannot go.

Clouds beyond clouds above me,
Wastes beyond wastes below;
But nothing drear can move me;
I will not, cannot go.

This poem compares winter to death in a much more obvious way than Frost’s. The speaker can feel “the wild winds coldly blow,” but she refuses to let go of life. We’re not sure if this “tyrant spell” acts against her will, whether she actually wants to fall into the storm, but we admire her resilience nonetheless. When it seems like you’re fighting a losing battle, just remember: “nothing drear can move me;/I will not, cannot go.”

Let me know what you think of these snowy poems, and feel free to share your own favorites!

Do Novelists’ Personal Beliefs Affect Your Opinion of Their Work?

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Orson Scott Card at Life, the Universe, & Ever...

Orson Scott Card (Image via Wikipedia)

So I’m about 50 pages into my 20th book of the year, Ender’s Game, and coincidentally I ran across this column on the Huffington Post about the author Orson Scott Card. Since I’ve never read Card’s books, I had no idea that he was a Mormon who was staunchly against same-sex marriage. Given what I knew about Ender’s Game, that it was a sci-fi story about a boy genius soldier, I didn’t think Card’s religious views would play much of a role.

And yet, in Chapter Three, Graff tells Ender that his mother was a Mormon and his father was a Catholic. Because of their upbringing, they love their third son even though most families are permitted to only have two children. But they also hate Ender, because he is an everyday reminder that their family does not fit into this society.

I admit that after reading the HuffPo column, I am more aware of traces of religious bias than I would be if I hadn’t read it at all. For example, when bully Bernard is ridiculed for supposedly watching the other boys’ butts, I wondered if this scene promoted homophobia by declaring that being attracted to the backsides of the same sex is somehow wrong and worthy of mockery.

Am I reading too much into this? I just started the novel, so those who have finished it probably have a better idea of its themes. But at least this article got me thinking: Do I like or dislike certain books, just because I like or dislike the author’s personal beliefs?

The answer for me is sometimes. I love pre-modern literature, which is mostly written by racist, sexist, homophobic men. But I just chock it up to the time period and take their words with a grain of salt. And because I can’t go back in time and get to know them personally, how am I to be sure that people like Joseph Conrad or Mark Twain were racists? Anyone who has taken any literature courses knows that autobiography definitely plays a role in a person’s writing, but that you cannot assume that every word of theirs is autobiographical.

On the other hand, I can either love or hate a story whether or not I like that writer’s opinions. My favorite novel is The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman, who is a devout atheist. You cannot ignore his anti-religious messages in the story, which is exactly why I adore it. His modern adaptation of Milton’s Paradise Lost demonstrates that churches are corrupt and that there is absolutely nothing sinful about experiencing puberty and sexual awakening, despite what the clergy brainwashes children into thinking.

And because I’m secular myself, I am extremely wary of books with religious messages. I enjoyed The Chronicles of Narnia as a child, but I agree with Pullman that the books send the wrong messages to kids. I refuse to read explicitly Christian literature now, even if it’s disguised as fantasy.

This is why I have a hard time swallowing The Twilight Saga. As a hopeless romantic, I gobbled up this forbidden vampire/werewolf love triangle. But anyone who claims that Stephenie Meyer’s Mormonism doesn’t affect the story is sorely mistaken. If I had a young daughter, I don’t think I would want her reading a story in which the female protagonist marries at 18 to have sex with her overly controlling, jealous boyfriend. Not to mention, Bella gets pregnant after said sex and refuses to terminate the pregnancy even though the vampire-hybrid fetus is killing her from the inside out.

Feel free to agree to disagree, but Meyer’s anti-choice, anti-premarital sex viewpoints, as well as Twilight’s inherent misogyny, do not an excellent novel make in my humble opinion. And I realize that Pullman’s atheistic epic turns a lot of people off as well. I guess the point of this post is that we should be grateful that we possess the freedoms of speech and press, because even if we disagree with an author’s values, that author has every right to include those values in their novels. And nobody’s forcing you to read books you don’t agree with.

So what about you? Do novelists’ personal beliefs matter to you? Are there certain books you can’t stand or just can’t get enough of on the basis of values alone? Let’s get a debate going, guys!

Masterpiece Monday: The Catcher in the Rye

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Image via Wikipedia

Rating: 5 out of 5

Since I only have two days left of this semester, and only one more semester before I receive my Master’s this spring, I reflect quite a bit on what it’s like to be a young adult in the 21st century. Between the juxtaposition of this dismal economy and the over-indulgent, entitled Millennial generation, lies a disillusioned feeling of angst. And nobody represents angst like  The Catcher in the Rye’s protagonist Holden Caulfield.

Written by J.D. Salinger in 1951, the novel describes Holden’s coming-of-age story as he gets expelled from school and runs away from Pennsylvania to New York. He drinks heavily and has an altercation with a prostitute and her pimp, but eventually meets up with his younger sister Phoebe and takes her to the Central Park Zoo. Although he visits other people, such as his ex-girlfriend Sally and his English teacher Mr. Antolini, it’s with Phoebe that he opens his heart up the most.

The meaning behind the title has to do with Holden mishearing a poem called “Comin’ Through the Rye.” He imagines himself as the guardian of a bunch of kids running around in a rye field next to a cliff. It’s his job to catch the children before they fall–an apt metaphor for Holden’s desire to save children from losing their innocence, like he did.

This novel is now revered as a masterpiece, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not surrounded by controversy. Because of all of the smoking, drinking, cursing, and whoring Holden does, the book continues to be censored in schools around the world. Many murderers, including Mark David Chapman who assassinated John Lennon, have claimed a personal connection to Holden.

However, what’s more important is that everyone can relate to Holden at some point in their lives, because who hasn’t felt lost, lonely, and frustrated with all the ‘phoniness’ around them? Sure, he exhibits destructive behavior, but all his experiences allow him to evolve as a human being.

So whether you’re going through your quarter-life crisis like I am, wondering what the hell you’re going to do with the rest of your life after graduation, or you’re just sick of this fame-whoring reality TV culture, you’ll find a friend in Holden Caulfield.

I haven’t meant anyone who didn’t love this novel, and I recommend absolutely anything written by Salinger. If you don’t know what all the fuss is about, then pick The Catcher in the Rye up immediately and join the conversation!

Favorite Quotes: “I was half in love with her by the time we sat down. That’s the thing about girls. Every time they do something pretty, even if they’re not much to look at, or even if they’re sort of stupid, you fall half in love with them, and then you never know where the hell you are. Girls. Jesus Christ. They can drive you crazy. They really can.” (Ch. 10)

“Among other things, you’ll find that you’re not the first person who was ever confused and frightened and even sickened by human behavior. You’re by no means alone on that score, you’ll be excited and stimulated to know. Many, many men have been just as troubled morally and spiritually as you are right now. Happily, some of them kept records of their troubles. You’ll learn from them – if you want to. Just as someday, if you have something to offer, someone will learn something from you. It’s a beautiful reciprocal arrangement. And it isn’t education. It’s history. It’s poetry.” (Ch. 24)

Book Review: A Desirable Residence

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Image via Chick Lit+

Rating: 3 out of 5

I’ve just finished my 19th book! I always enjoy reading Madeleine Wickham novels, but I must admit that she’s greatly improved her craft ever since she started going by the pen name Sophie Kinsella. She’s most famous for her Confessions of a Shopaholic series, which I haven’t read, but I absolutely love all her stand-alone novels, such as Twenties Girl and The Undomestic Goddess.

I reviewed Wickham’s book The Wedding Girl over the summer, and after reading dystopian classics 1984 and Fahrenheit 451, it was nice to read something less dense.

A Desirable Residence (1996) follows a close-knit group of Brits who are all involved in a certain home in Silchester. Liz and Jonathan Chambers own the home, but they–along with their 14-year-old daughter Alice–needed to move into the tutorial college that they just purchased.

Stuck with two mortgages, they ask real estate agent Marcus Witherstone for help. Soon Marcus finds the Chambers family two tenants: Ginny and her actor husband Piers. Piers is up for a big TV role, and Ginny is obsessed with the life of fame and fortune that they’re so close to reaching.

Depressed over the loss of their old home, Alice frequents the place and grows quite fond of hanging out with Piers and Ginny, who seem so much cooler than her parents. However, in the end, she realizes that all of the adults around her are nothing but disappointments.

Needless to say, the title of this book is ironic, because there’s nothing desirable about this residence or anyone living in it. I pitied Alice and Marcus’ sons, Daniel and Andrew, because they are merely pawns in this ridiculous game their parents play. Marriage, parenthood, career–nothing is sacred to these obnoxious, entitled people.

Unless you’re a fan of adulterous spouses, overbearing parents, or spineless fraudsters, you are going to hate 95% of these characters. Wickham does an excellent job of depicting real-life relationships, but as Kinsella, she does the same with characters you also like and respect.

This book was interesting enough to make me want to finish it, but I think that I’ll stick with the author’s most recent work from now on.