Karla's Official Book List
I discussed this with exposed1 about making a book list, and tagging recs/reviews (whenever we make one, I'll make a new post with a tag, and then update this list) for easy access. I used to read a lot when I was younger, but as school became more intense, didn't seem like I ever had the time. So it's now summer and nows as good a time as any to get my read on. I've finished 3 and am about to move on to my 4th. I have a fairly ecclectic taste I think. But I kind of like books that really make me cry or really make me laugh, or both is even better!
I'm just going to do this chronologically, starting with the most recent and as I read a new one I'll add it to the top:
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, 2003.
Synopsis:
"A most untraditional love story, this is the celebrated tale of Henry DeTamble, a dashing, adventuresome librarian who involuntarily travels through time, and Clare Abshire, an artist whose life takes a natural sequential course. Henry and Clare's passionate affair endures across a sea of time and captures them in an impossibly romantic trap that tests the strength of fate and basks in the bonds of love"
Thoughts:
I actually think the description makes it seem sort of like a cheesy romance novel, but instead what you get is a tale of love, loss, and tragedy. Both Clare and Henry are tragic heroes, caught up in a tragic yet, undeniable love. The story really isn't about Henry at all, like the title suggests it's Clare's journey that's important. Following the trials and tribulations of falling in love with a time traveler who has absolutely no control as to when and where he goes. It's also a story about fate, that although he can come from the future, he can't change anything that isn't going to happen, so there is this certain helplessness that no matter what they do, things are going to unfold in a certain way - good or bad. It's just wonderfully written (alternatively and sometimes simultaneously from the POV of either Henry or Clare), I was absolutely captivated from the get go and..it's just not your typical love story at all. I mean I've got all these B/A lovers on my list right? So I hope you guys give this one a chance, because I'm itching to discuss this with somebody!
P.S This book was "rec-ed" to me by Sarah Michelle Gellar *G*. Actually I'd been meaning to read it because I have a tendency to only read rec-ed books, I can't just go and browse. So because I'm this huge SMG fan, I trusted her judgment :P as I suspect canadiangirl_86 did, which is why she bought the book so that I could steal it off of her haha. So I'm going to have to go out and buy this book.
Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay, 2004
Synopsis:
"Dexter Morgan isn't exactly the kind of man you'd bring home to Mom. Though he's playful and has a wonderfully ironic sense of humor, Dexter's one character flaw (his proclivity for murder) can be off-putting. But at heart Dexter is the perfect gentleman, supportive of his sister, Deb, a Miami cop, and interested only in doing away with people who really deserve his special visit. Dex is quite good-looking but totally indifferent to (and, frankly, a bit puzzled by) the attentions paid to him by women. Despite the fact that he can't stand the sight of blood, he works as a blood-spatter analyst for the Miami police department, a job that allows him to keep tabs on the latest crimes and keep an eye open for his next quarry."
"Dexter's well-organized life is suddenly disrupted when a second, much more visible serial killer appears in Miami. Dex is intrigued, even delighted, by the fact that the other killer appears to have a style reminiscent of his own. Yet he can't help but feel that the mysterious new arrival is not merely invading his turf but reaching out to him as well. This new killer seems to be doing more than copying Dexter - he seems to be saying, "Come out and play." Dexter's secret life makes for a lonely existence... even a lovable monster can be intrigued by the prospect of finding a friend."
Thoughts:
First in the series, it's a dark, morbid, and hilarious. Dexter is a character like no other, aside from his little hobby he's a pretty normal guy on the outside. But I like that it's a narrative so you can really get into his mind, he doesn't consider himself "human" as such, but he just has to act like one. I found myself laughing out loud in parts of this book. I mean..it really is creepy to get into the mind of a serial killer, but Lindsay really makes this genre fresh and original.
It's an easy read, highly entertaining and the show (on Showtime, or TMN) stays true to the book. Season 1 follows this book fairly closely so I'm told.
Dearly Devoted Dexter by Jeff Lindsay, 2005
Synopsis:
I can't find the synopsis off the book jacket online at the mo. But I don't think this really needs a description, another book, another killer and Dexter has the unfortunate job of trying to help his kid sister Deborah catch him.
Thoughts:
I actually read this out of order by mistake. I was going away on vacation and wanted something to read, my dear friend Sharmin recommended this to me. The library didn't really specify that this was the second in the series so I picked it up. But you don't REALLY need to read the first one to understand the second one, there are a few more background information and details but nothing terribly important that will help you understand its sequel. Again along the same vein as the first book, I actually might have enjoyed this one a wee bit more than the first, I think it was just more plotty, had a bit more punch to it, I'm not actually quite sure why, could be I also like Deb better in this one than in the first.
The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons, 2001
Synopsis:
"With the war in Europe seemingly far away from 1941 Leningrad, sisters Tatiana and Dasha Metanova share a cramped apartment with their family. Their lives under Stalin are harsh and deprived. As Hitler's armies are about to invade their beloved homeland, Tatiana finds hope in Alexander, a young Red Army officer--a man with a mysterious past and a terrifying secret."
Thoughts:
I have a fondness for love stories - tragic ones, heartbreak, love, loss, the whole shebang and this has it all. I can't remember the last time I cried so hard during a book, and not just once, multiple times. Not to mention it takes place during WWII - again something I have a fondness for (as I discovered when we studied the Holocaust in HS, and not to mention one of my other fave books The Cay). Reading books that take place during that time, it makes you appreciate life more, grab on to the ones you love that much harder, it intensifies the situations and if you can find love during those trying times, kind of makes anything possible. Love isn't the only obstacle, it's war and everything going around you, and it makes you love those characters that much more, for believing, for having the strength to go on amongst all the tragedy. This was rec-ed to me by stephie04 and I loved it. I was going away and needed another book to bring with me, the only copy I could find at my local branch was a hugeass 656pg hardcover and I lugged it with me to Vancouver. I was there for a wedding/family stuff and yet still I was able to finish it in a week. I would stay up til 3 or 4 in the morning, I absolutely could not put this book down. At the time I read this, a few years ago, she told me there was a sequel - thank god! But was also told that it wasn't available in English at the time, believe me, I looked. But I was just thinking about it the other day, rec-ing this to my bro's gf and there it was, the sequel! So I'm going to have to pick that up next and I'll for sure let you know how it is. She sort of described this as a book that any B/A lover would love, which I essentially think means that two people that would cross time and space to be with another, the sacrifices they have to make. The passionate love that they share, and throw in a bit of smutty goodness for good measure ;). I actually forgot I wanted to buy this book, I'll have to do that soon.
The Girl's Guide to Hunting and Fishing by Melissa Bank, 1999
Synopsis:
Generous-hearted, smartly comic, and wickedly insightful, The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing maps the progress of Jane Rosenal as she sets out on a personal and spirited expedition through the perilous terrain of sex, love and relationships. After several relationships that have gone in the wrong direction, one with an older man and a few come-and-go boyfriends, Jane learns not only when to fish and when to cut bait, but who really makes the rules.
Thoughts:
Ok...so that description pretty much sucks. I don't have the book with me because I lent it to my brother's gf but when I get it back I'll change it. I'm just too lazy to think of my own description lol. But I preferred this to Bridget Jones' Diary (unlike what one of the reviewers said). Jane is independent, intelligent while Bridget is a flake, pretty much when you think about it. Although she's loveable, Jane is just a more real character, where Bridget is more like a cartoon. But I still think that if you'd like one, you'd like the other. It's an easy read, full of ups and downs and she just felt really real to me. I read it very quickly and not much later read it again. It's heartwarming and gives a girl hope, not to mention hilarious. I just identify with her, her personality, her humour a lot.
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold, 2002
Synopsis:
This is straight from Amazon because I don't think the description on the inside cover (yes! I own it!) really does this justice. "On her way home from school on a snowy December day in 1973, 14-year-old Susie Salmon is lured into a makeshift underground den in a cornfield and brutally raped and murdered, the latest victim of a serial killer--the man she knew as her neighbor, Mr. Harvey.
The Lovely Bones works as an odd yet affecting coming-of-age story. Susie struggles to accept her death while still clinging to the edge of the living, always attached to her lost world, following her family's dramas over the years as if watching an episode of "My So-Called Afterlife". Her family disintegrates in their grief: her father becomes determined to find her killer, her mother withdraws, her little brother Buckley attempts to make sense of the new hole in his family, and her younger sister Lindsey moves through the milestone events of her teenage and young adult years with Susie riding spiritual shotgun...."
Thoughts:
On first glance, it sort of reads like it could be a thriller of some sort, especially when the first sentence goes as follows "My name was Salmon, like the fish; first name, Susie. I was fourteen when I was murdered on December 6, 1973." This is one of the most unique (and strange! But in a good way) books I've ever read, again seems sort of morbid and disturbing on first glance but it's a life after death and as the description says, a coming of age story..even though Susie will never age again. I picked this up in high school, after our final project my OAC year, a friend of mine did hers on this one and praised it so I thought, this a strange strange story. But it was full of heartbreak, irony, hope. Actually in retrospect it sort of reminds of an episode of Dead Like Me, in the way that George (Susie) looks back upon her life, while she moves forward in her afterlife, she can only look on helplessly as her (former) family life falls apart. Again now that I'm thinking about it again it hits so close to the series finale of DLM (the Halloween episode). Wow, interesting I never thought of it that way.
To be continued... there are a few other books that I have to work on, but this has taken long enough so I'm taking a break, so until next time..DUH DUH DUUUH!
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Thoughts:
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So come on, share your book experiences with me! Make your own list, tag it so when I'm in need of a new rec I know where to look *G*
I'm just going to do this chronologically, starting with the most recent and as I read a new one I'll add it to the top:
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, 2003.
Synopsis:
"A most untraditional love story, this is the celebrated tale of Henry DeTamble, a dashing, adventuresome librarian who involuntarily travels through time, and Clare Abshire, an artist whose life takes a natural sequential course. Henry and Clare's passionate affair endures across a sea of time and captures them in an impossibly romantic trap that tests the strength of fate and basks in the bonds of love"
Thoughts:
I actually think the description makes it seem sort of like a cheesy romance novel, but instead what you get is a tale of love, loss, and tragedy. Both Clare and Henry are tragic heroes, caught up in a tragic yet, undeniable love. The story really isn't about Henry at all, like the title suggests it's Clare's journey that's important. Following the trials and tribulations of falling in love with a time traveler who has absolutely no control as to when and where he goes. It's also a story about fate, that although he can come from the future, he can't change anything that isn't going to happen, so there is this certain helplessness that no matter what they do, things are going to unfold in a certain way - good or bad. It's just wonderfully written (alternatively and sometimes simultaneously from the POV of either Henry or Clare), I was absolutely captivated from the get go and..it's just not your typical love story at all. I mean I've got all these B/A lovers on my list right? So I hope you guys give this one a chance, because I'm itching to discuss this with somebody!
P.S This book was "rec-ed" to me by Sarah Michelle Gellar *G*. Actually I'd been meaning to read it because I have a tendency to only read rec-ed books, I can't just go and browse. So because I'm this huge SMG fan, I trusted her judgment :P as I suspect canadiangirl_86 did, which is why she bought the book so that I could steal it off of her haha. So I'm going to have to go out and buy this book.
Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay, 2004
Synopsis:
"Dexter Morgan isn't exactly the kind of man you'd bring home to Mom. Though he's playful and has a wonderfully ironic sense of humor, Dexter's one character flaw (his proclivity for murder) can be off-putting. But at heart Dexter is the perfect gentleman, supportive of his sister, Deb, a Miami cop, and interested only in doing away with people who really deserve his special visit. Dex is quite good-looking but totally indifferent to (and, frankly, a bit puzzled by) the attentions paid to him by women. Despite the fact that he can't stand the sight of blood, he works as a blood-spatter analyst for the Miami police department, a job that allows him to keep tabs on the latest crimes and keep an eye open for his next quarry."
"Dexter's well-organized life is suddenly disrupted when a second, much more visible serial killer appears in Miami. Dex is intrigued, even delighted, by the fact that the other killer appears to have a style reminiscent of his own. Yet he can't help but feel that the mysterious new arrival is not merely invading his turf but reaching out to him as well. This new killer seems to be doing more than copying Dexter - he seems to be saying, "Come out and play." Dexter's secret life makes for a lonely existence... even a lovable monster can be intrigued by the prospect of finding a friend."
Thoughts:
First in the series, it's a dark, morbid, and hilarious. Dexter is a character like no other, aside from his little hobby he's a pretty normal guy on the outside. But I like that it's a narrative so you can really get into his mind, he doesn't consider himself "human" as such, but he just has to act like one. I found myself laughing out loud in parts of this book. I mean..it really is creepy to get into the mind of a serial killer, but Lindsay really makes this genre fresh and original.
It's an easy read, highly entertaining and the show (on Showtime, or TMN) stays true to the book. Season 1 follows this book fairly closely so I'm told.
Dearly Devoted Dexter by Jeff Lindsay, 2005
Synopsis:
I can't find the synopsis off the book jacket online at the mo. But I don't think this really needs a description, another book, another killer and Dexter has the unfortunate job of trying to help his kid sister Deborah catch him.
Thoughts:
I actually read this out of order by mistake. I was going away on vacation and wanted something to read, my dear friend Sharmin recommended this to me. The library didn't really specify that this was the second in the series so I picked it up. But you don't REALLY need to read the first one to understand the second one, there are a few more background information and details but nothing terribly important that will help you understand its sequel. Again along the same vein as the first book, I actually might have enjoyed this one a wee bit more than the first, I think it was just more plotty, had a bit more punch to it, I'm not actually quite sure why, could be I also like Deb better in this one than in the first.
The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons, 2001
Synopsis:
"With the war in Europe seemingly far away from 1941 Leningrad, sisters Tatiana and Dasha Metanova share a cramped apartment with their family. Their lives under Stalin are harsh and deprived. As Hitler's armies are about to invade their beloved homeland, Tatiana finds hope in Alexander, a young Red Army officer--a man with a mysterious past and a terrifying secret."
Thoughts:
I have a fondness for love stories - tragic ones, heartbreak, love, loss, the whole shebang and this has it all. I can't remember the last time I cried so hard during a book, and not just once, multiple times. Not to mention it takes place during WWII - again something I have a fondness for (as I discovered when we studied the Holocaust in HS, and not to mention one of my other fave books The Cay). Reading books that take place during that time, it makes you appreciate life more, grab on to the ones you love that much harder, it intensifies the situations and if you can find love during those trying times, kind of makes anything possible. Love isn't the only obstacle, it's war and everything going around you, and it makes you love those characters that much more, for believing, for having the strength to go on amongst all the tragedy. This was rec-ed to me by stephie04 and I loved it. I was going away and needed another book to bring with me, the only copy I could find at my local branch was a hugeass 656pg hardcover and I lugged it with me to Vancouver. I was there for a wedding/family stuff and yet still I was able to finish it in a week. I would stay up til 3 or 4 in the morning, I absolutely could not put this book down. At the time I read this, a few years ago, she told me there was a sequel - thank god! But was also told that it wasn't available in English at the time, believe me, I looked. But I was just thinking about it the other day, rec-ing this to my bro's gf and there it was, the sequel! So I'm going to have to pick that up next and I'll for sure let you know how it is. She sort of described this as a book that any B/A lover would love, which I essentially think means that two people that would cross time and space to be with another, the sacrifices they have to make. The passionate love that they share, and throw in a bit of smutty goodness for good measure ;). I actually forgot I wanted to buy this book, I'll have to do that soon.
The Girl's Guide to Hunting and Fishing by Melissa Bank, 1999
Synopsis:
Generous-hearted, smartly comic, and wickedly insightful, The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing maps the progress of Jane Rosenal as she sets out on a personal and spirited expedition through the perilous terrain of sex, love and relationships. After several relationships that have gone in the wrong direction, one with an older man and a few come-and-go boyfriends, Jane learns not only when to fish and when to cut bait, but who really makes the rules.
Thoughts:
Ok...so that description pretty much sucks. I don't have the book with me because I lent it to my brother's gf but when I get it back I'll change it. I'm just too lazy to think of my own description lol. But I preferred this to Bridget Jones' Diary (unlike what one of the reviewers said). Jane is independent, intelligent while Bridget is a flake, pretty much when you think about it. Although she's loveable, Jane is just a more real character, where Bridget is more like a cartoon. But I still think that if you'd like one, you'd like the other. It's an easy read, full of ups and downs and she just felt really real to me. I read it very quickly and not much later read it again. It's heartwarming and gives a girl hope, not to mention hilarious. I just identify with her, her personality, her humour a lot.
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold, 2002
Synopsis:
This is straight from Amazon because I don't think the description on the inside cover (yes! I own it!) really does this justice. "On her way home from school on a snowy December day in 1973, 14-year-old Susie Salmon is lured into a makeshift underground den in a cornfield and brutally raped and murdered, the latest victim of a serial killer--the man she knew as her neighbor, Mr. Harvey.
The Lovely Bones works as an odd yet affecting coming-of-age story. Susie struggles to accept her death while still clinging to the edge of the living, always attached to her lost world, following her family's dramas over the years as if watching an episode of "My So-Called Afterlife". Her family disintegrates in their grief: her father becomes determined to find her killer, her mother withdraws, her little brother Buckley attempts to make sense of the new hole in his family, and her younger sister Lindsey moves through the milestone events of her teenage and young adult years with Susie riding spiritual shotgun...."
Thoughts:
On first glance, it sort of reads like it could be a thriller of some sort, especially when the first sentence goes as follows "My name was Salmon, like the fish; first name, Susie. I was fourteen when I was murdered on December 6, 1973." This is one of the most unique (and strange! But in a good way) books I've ever read, again seems sort of morbid and disturbing on first glance but it's a life after death and as the description says, a coming of age story..even though Susie will never age again. I picked this up in high school, after our final project my OAC year, a friend of mine did hers on this one and praised it so I thought, this a strange strange story. But it was full of heartbreak, irony, hope. Actually in retrospect it sort of reminds of an episode of Dead Like Me, in the way that George (Susie) looks back upon her life, while she moves forward in her afterlife, she can only look on helplessly as her (former) family life falls apart. Again now that I'm thinking about it again it hits so close to the series finale of DLM (the Halloween episode). Wow, interesting I never thought of it that way.
To be continued... there are a few other books that I have to work on, but this has taken long enough so I'm taking a break, so until next time..DUH DUH DUUUH!
Synopsis:
Thoughts:
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So come on, share your book experiences with me! Make your own list, tag it so when I'm in need of a new rec I know where to look *G*