Haven for Thoughts

A Reading Collection has a new look and a new name. Check out Haven for Thoughts.

East of Eden by John Steinbeck

Rating: 5 out 5

First of all, I'm going to say that I've enjoyed the books written by John Steinbeck that I've read so far: Grapes of Wrath, The Pearl and Of Mice and Men. However, I believe that East of Eden is the best one. In fact, it's the best one so far I've read this year, and I'll add it to my favorite and must read list.

East of Eden is about two families - the Hamiltons and the Trasks. It's the story of their struggles and triumphs together. The majority of the story, however, is all about the Trasks. John Steinbeck adapted the Cain and Abel story and used this on his characters - Adam and Charles Trask and then later on Adam's twin sons - Caleb and Aron. I won't go into details about the plot but I will tell you that Steinbeck's adaptation worked so well. The characters were well developed. They were dynamic. Each can be both strong and weak at the same time. They weren't perfect. Because Steinbeck gave them contrasting human qualities and emotions such as the brothers' love and jealousy for each other made them so interesting and so complex.

Complex is one just one of the words I will describe Catherine Trask - the mother of the twins. She's the character that one would love to hate. She's the villainess in this story. Selfish and sadistic, Cathy destroys those who hate her and those who love her. But while Cathy was pure evil, Steinbeck also created the characters Samuel and Lee. I thought they were the most beloved characters in the book.

I cannot recommend this book enough. With its unforgettable characters and excellent storyline, East of Eden definitely shouldn't be missed.

Time of My Life by Allison Winn Scotch

Rating: 4 out 5

Have you ever wondered about the "what ifs" in your life? I know I have. Jillian Westfield (the main character of the Time of My Life) certainly has. Interestingly enough, she was actually given a second chance to fix a certain part in her past life that apparently caused her unhappiness in her current life.

I love the book cover, and I think I mentioned before that beautiful book covers impair...I mean affects my buying book ability. When I read the synopsis at the back of the book, I got the impression that Time of My Life was a chick lit. That should have made me put the book back into the shelf, because I'm not into chick lits at all. But the cover was just so pretty. :)

So fast forward to a couple of months later...I finally got the courage take it out my bookshelf. I figured that since I bought it, I might as well read it.

I was prepared to dislike the book. First of all, I thought of how whiny and selfish Jillian seemed to be. She was married with one child. She hardly saw her husband Henry who was always away on business trips so she was horny. She does love her daughter Katie but then she was always daydreaming about her ex-boyfriend - Jackson. One day she wished she was still with Jackson...and then voila! She went back in time (seven years prior)...back to the time when she was still with Jackson... back before they broke up...back before she met her husband Henry...back before she had her daughter Katie. Since Jillian knew how unhappy she was after she and Jackson broke up, she decided that she was going to fix things in their relationship. Things just seemed to be sailing smooth...until she meets Henry again.

The several twists in the story made me stick around and finish the book in one day! It was amazing. I grew to love it...and yes, even the character Jillian because the author developed her into someone I could easily identify with. The story actually reminded me of some of the words in Sheryl Crow's song, Soak Up the Sun. "It's not having want you want. It's wanting what you got." It's the perfect description of what this story is all about.

Extremely fun read. Even if you're not a chick lit fan (and trust me, I'm not), you might enjoy this.

As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner

Rating: 4 out of 5

As I Lay Dying (which was published waay back in 1930) is about the Bundren family who goes on a long and difficult journey to bury Addie, their wife and mother.

This was my first William Faulkner book. At first, I really didn't get into it. It was a little challenging. The story was told in many viewpoints not just by the Bundren family (and yes, that includes Addie), but also by their friends, neighbors, and even by the community. So yes, it can be a little confusing because I was trying to figure who was who and who was related to Addie. Of course, that really didn't ruin the book for me. The different point of views ( especially how the family viewed Addie's death) and the character voices were enough to hold my attention.

Recommended? Yes, if you like Southern Gothic literature, or if you like gothic stories. I actually look forward to read more of William Faulkner. I'm adding The Sound and the Fury to my to be read list.

Updates on A Reading Collection

I just finished another week's worth of work. I'm amazed at how those seven days that flew by. Not that I'm complaining. Working 12 hours for seven days straight can be so exhausting. I'm glad that it's over. For now.

I'm really pleased at how I progressed with my reading this past week. I finished reading As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner and Time of My Life by Allison Winn Scotch. Both were very good books so I'll be doing my reviews on them soon.

I started reading East on Eden by John Steinbeck this past Monday but I haven't gone back to it since Tuesday. It was busy last night at work so I couldn't even take a peek at it. Bleah. Leave it work to ruin my reading schedule. ;) I can't wait to get back to it tonight. I can tell it's an awesome book.

Stay tuned. Happy reading.

13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Rating: 4 out of 5

I was trying to find a book to give as a birthday present for my niece who's about to turn 16 years old this month (Kids sure grow fast, don't they?) when I came across 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher at the Hastings bookstore. I'm not really into YA novels, but something about the cover just made me want to pick it up and buy it. Yes, I am a sucker for nice covers.

At the beginning of the novel, high school student Clay finds a bunch of audio tapes sent to him. These tapes were recorded by Hannah, Clay's crush. However, Hannah is also dead. She committed suicide weeks before. With her voice reaching from the grave, Hannah tells her story and why she ended up committing suicide.

This is a very sad story. At first, I thought Hannah's reasons seem petty and selfish. Then I decided to put myself in her teenage shoes. That was when I began to understand her. It really wasn't until the end when I realized how she lost her belief in humanity. I'm not saying that what she did was right, but her suicide could have been prevented. I'm a healthcare worker so I've seen cases of attempted suicide and suicide. It's really easy to judge a person without knowing what's going on in their life. This book showed just that.

I breezed through this book. Even though the story was depressing, it was still good. While I recommend it, I don't think it's for everyone.

Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith

Rating: 4 out of 5

I love thriller books. It's no surprise that even after I lost interest in In the Woods, I picked up Child 44. When I bought this book, I promised myself that I will read it right away. It took me a whole year before I plucked it out of my bookshelf where it was collecting dust. Oh, well.

In Child 44, Leo (the main character) is on a mission to find a serial child killer and bring him to justice. I think what really caught my interest in this story is that it's set in 1950's Russia (then called the Soviet Union) where fear and paranoia gripped the society.

Sometimes my reading schedule gets interrupted because I have something important to do like work, errands, and etc. There have been times when I don't get back to my reading because I lost interest, or I want to start a new book. Not so with Child 44. Even after a three day interval, I was eager to get back to the story, and my interest in it stayed.

Kudos to Mr. Tom Rob Smith. This was his first novel, and it became a bestseller, which I thought was well-deserving. Character development was right on the money. The actions scenes were great, and the descriptions were super. I really felt like I was in the scene with the characters. Some scenes were graphic, and I did cringe while reading them. That didn't stop me from reading though. I also loved how the story paced along nicely. It didn't drag. The whole story was exciting from beginning to end.

If you're looking for an excellent thriller/mystery, I would definitely recommend Child 44.

In the Woods by Tana French

Pages: 429

Rating: Nada

I wanted to like this book. I really wanted to like this book. It was highly recommended by Books-A-Million. It was a New York Times bestseller and also the winner of the 2008 Edgar Allen Poe Award for Best First Novel. So many praises! How could I not like this book?

Well, I didn't like this book. In fact, I really struggled to keep myself interested, and it just didn't work. Because I didn't finish it, I'm not going to rate it. I don't think it's fair to rate something I didn't complete. I'm disappointed though since this was supposed to be my first review of the year. Sigh.

The beginning wasn't bad. In the Woods was the story about two murders that happened in the woods ( hence the title) of Knocknaree, Ireland but occurred twenty years apart of each other. The plot was interesting enough, but the story lost its steam in the middle of the book. I know mysteries were supposed to keep us readers in suspense...and if...IF they're exciting enough and hold our attention that we just can't wait to get to the end, awesome! Sure there was some suspense in the story, but the story dragged. On and on. I seriously felt like that kid in the backseat of the car who kept asking the parents, "Are we there yet?....Are we there yet?"

But I never did get to the end. After painfully trying to read it for a week and stopping page 282, I decided to close the book and put it back in my bookshelf. The end. At least for me anyway.

Next book please!

Sisters by Hulton Getty

This Christmas, one of my sisters, Nikki, gave me a book titled Sisters by Hulton Getty. The book is probably not much bigger than the picture above and has 107 pages. It's not a lot to read but the content of it packs a punch. The book contains many quotes pertaining to relationships between sisters including beautiful vintage pictures.

I have plenty of favorite quotes in the book so I'll share some of them with you.

Your sister will be the first to criticize you, but if anyone else tries to, your sister will defend you until the end of the world. ~ Liselle Favier

A sister is a little bit of childhood that can never be lost. ~ Marion C. Garretty

Even when you are sixty, you are still six to your sister. ~ Pam Brown (So true! I'm 33, and sometimes, my sister still treats me like I'm three. Haha!)

She is your witness who sees you at your worst and best, and loves you anyway. ~ Barbara Alpert

The best thing about having a sister was that I always had a friend. ~ Cali Rae Turner (Love this!)

Having a sister means you'll never be left alone in life or left alone by your sister. ~ Felicity Martin

I could have read through the whole book in five minutes. It actually took me five days to finish. Each quote that I read made me cry because it was so touching.

This book is a definite keeper and something that will remain in my bookshelf or maybe in the drawer of my nightstand where it's easily accessible.

It is probably the best book a sister can give to another. The quotes describe the relationships (no matter how simple or complex) between sisters to a T. Having a sister, I believe, is a special and unique gift one should always treasure.

Out With the Old, In With the New

The holidays are over, and so is my hiatus from my blog. I apologize to my readers for being gone. After two months without blogging, it certainly feels good to be back. I almost didn’t return to my blog. I even made a declaration of it awhile back in Facebook.

One my friends, Christy, was bewildered and she said, “I thought you enjoyed blogging.” I admitted to her that I did at first. I mean, sure. It was fun. I reviewed a book. I met some nice and interesting people and got the chance to talk to them about books.

After awhile though, I felt that I HAD to complete a book to review it. Well, sometimes, I didn’t like the book and didn’t want to review it. I’d feel guilty, and later on I felt that I HAD to blog about it whether I wanted to or not. That part of blogging wasn’t fun anymore. It became a chore.

Many bloggers post reviews everyday. I think that’s wonderful. I wish I can, but I simply can’t. There are priorities in real life that take precedence over my blog. I have a fulltime job as a medical technologist, and sometimes I have to work overtime due to a staff shortage. I also help take care of my elderly father. He’s the reason why I moved back home to Louisiana this year. I don’t and never will regret that decision. I also write part time, and I hope to become a published writer. For those of you who are curious how I did in the National Writing Novel Month, I didn’t reach the 50, 000 word quota. I was only able to complete 32, 620 words.

I know I shouldn’t have too much expectations of myself, which is hard since I’ve always been an overachiever. Just picture me as the girl with the thick glasses from school. Yeah, that was me. I realize that I’m no super woman. I can’t do everything, and I have to accept that.

I’m going to change my attitude for the new year. I’m not going to sacrifice quality over quantity. I’ll still read and review books although I’ll do it at my own pace. I’m not going to feel guilty because so and so finished 3 books in a week while I’m still struggling halfway through a book. I will also do my best to visit other blogs. Best of all, I’m going to have fun.

I look forward to a new year with a new outlook. I am excited to read new (and old books) and share my thoughts on them. I also can’t wait to see book reviews and recommendations from fellow bloggers.

Here’s to a great year! Happy 2010!

Books on Writing

This year is my first year to participate in the National Novel Writing Month. So far I've made it to 5,725 words. It's been really fun so far. I say fun because so far I haven't ran out of ideas. Knock on wood.

But what happens if I suddenly run out of steam? What if I suddenly can't put the words on the screen? I know I shouldn't be worrying about getting a writer's block since it hasn't happened yet. But I do know that there were days when I just stared and stared at my monitor. Depending on my mood or events going on in my life, I couldn't write for days, weeks, months, or sometimes even years.

This month though, I'm prepared to do whatever it takes to stay in this contest. Reaching the goal of 50,000 words is hard, but I think that getting those words on paper is also a battle. So to fend of the writer's block, I've chosen three books to read in case I get to a point where I can't write anymore.

My first choice is Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within by Natalie Goldberg. My creative writing teacher recommended this when I took my writing class at Gotham Writer's Workshop. Natalie Goldberg encourages writers to keep writing no matter how bad it is. She also has some writing exercises. She does talk quite a lot about Zen, but I really didn't mind it too much.

The second writing book I'm keeping close by is The Writer's Idea Book by Jack Heffron. There are so many writing prompts to choose from in this book. I use this book often when I run out of ideas for my creative writing projects. It's extremely helpful.

The third book, is Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamont. I haven't read it yet, but I've heard how inspiring and funny it was so I'll give it a try.

And now...back to my writing...

Fatal by Michael Palmer

Rating: 3 out of 5

Summary: Physician Matt Rutledge is looking for a score to settle with the local mining company in Belinda, West Virginia. He believed that his wife and father were victims of toxic waste exposure. In Boston, pathologist Nikki Solari is devastated of her friend's mysterious and sudden death. She goes to Belinda where her friend is originally from to investigate. A new vaccine has been developed, and Ellen Kroft is afraid that it hasn't been further tested. After disagreeing on its release with the committee, Ellen gets a visit from a stranger who threatens to harm her granddaughter. Ellen tries to find out the real source of threat, which leads her to Belinda, West Viriginia. Matt, Nikki, and Ellen find out that they are dealing with the same enemy. They join forces to seek answers and before they lose their own lives.

Review: The first Michael Palmer book I read was The Fifth Vial. I enjoyed the story so much that I decided to read The Second Opinion next.

Fatal was written before The Fifth Vial and A Second Opinion. I bought the book at a second hand store and was being sold for a couple dollars. I remembered how excited I was to read another Michael Palmer medical thriller. Now I'm relieved that I didn't spend as much.

Fatal, though it was entertaining, was just okay for me. I didn't think it was as good as the first two books I read. It started off well, but towards the end I was ready for it to be done. Maybe because I was starting to suspect the culprit was, and in the end, I was right. Although I should be pleased that I figured out who the villain was, I wasn't. Maybe because I wanted to be shocked by the ending.

Recommendation: Although Fatal wasn't the best book Michael Palmer has ever written, the story was still good. You might enjoy this if you like medical thrillers, or if you're a big Michael Palmer fan. If you haven't read any of his works, read The Fifth Vial, which was an enjoyable read from start to finish.

On the Nightstand

After recovering from laryngitis last week, I finally had the chance to turn my attention to reading my books. Yay! Only I soon found out that laryngitis or not, I really couldn't find the interest to read The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton.

I know. I know. Ms. Wharton won the Pulitzer Prize for this. I really don't know what my problem is with this book. Maybe I got so bored reading all that gossiping about Madame Ellen Olenska. I am determined to finish this, however. I'm just going to set it aside for now.

I've moved on to The Portrait of A Young Lady by Henry James. Isabel is the type of person who tells it like it is. She makes the story interesting. So interesting that I didn't realize that I was already on page 120 on the first night I read it.

Here's Isable Archer from The Portrait of a Lady.

I wasn't going to read it until December, but War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy was just calling my name one chilly Friday evening. Finally, I just said, "What the heck! It can't hurt." So I plucked it out from my bookshelf and started reading. I finished the first chapter, the second...and then the third... Well, you get the picture. I was so absorbed in the story that I almost didn't take my sister's invitation to go watch Cirque du Freak The Vampire's Assistant. (She was paying. How can I say no?) I don't care how long it will take me to finish War and Peace, but I do intend to enjoy every page of it.

Saturday Loot

Not only did I go Christmas shopping this Saturday, I also went book shopping. What can I say? I can never get enough books. So here's what I bought:

The first one is I, Claudius by Robert Graves. This is Peter's (from KyusiReader) favorite book. Just by reading from an excerpt of the book blurb below, it really caught my attention:

Despised as weakling ad dismissed as an idiot because of his physical infirmities, Claudius survived the intrigues and poisonings that marked the reigns of Augustus, Tiberius, and the mad Caligula to become the Emperor of Rome in 41 AD.

I love any book (fiction or non) that has anything to do with world history so this is right up my alley.

The second book shown is actually three books. They were all combined into one. It's the first three books of Cirque du Freak series by Darren Shan. They are: A Living Nightmare, The Vampire's Assistant, and Tunnels of Blood. I just watched Cirque du Freak The Vampire's Assistant in the movies this past Friday. I was really intrigued by the storyline. It's about this teen named Darren who decides to go to the Cirque du Freak show with his best friend Steve. There they meet Mr. Crepsley, a vampire. When Steve falls into a coma after being bitten by a spider that Darren stole from Mr. Crespley, Darren goes to the vampire for help. Of course, they only way Mr. Crepsley helps him is if Darren agrees to become his assistant. There's more to it, but I don't want to say too much.

Written by Zora Neale Hurston, Their Eyes Were Watching God is the life story of Janie Crawford. Janie is a black woman who is very independent. She goes through three marriages, survives poverty and challenges while trying to find herself. I've heard so many good reviews on this so I am excited to read this.

Finally there's Tana French's The Likeness. Detective Cassie Maddox investigates a murder of a young woman who turns out to be Cassie's double. The victim's name is Alexandra Madison, an alias that Cassie once used when she was undercover. Whew. Talk about weird. Still, weird stories are enough to get my interest.

Well, that's it for now...until the next loot...

Yet Another E-Reader

Usually just before I start working my 12 hour/7 day schedule at the hospital, I try to review a book. Unfortunately, I've been sick with flu-like symptoms. I tried to continue The Age of the Innocence by Edith Wharton, but it was just too difficult to concentrate when my head felt like it's about to split open. So...no book finished = no review.

I decided to blog about the new e-reader that Barnes and Noble just launched. It's called the Nook. I think they could've have come with a better name, but oh well. I guess it's kind of cute in a weird way. PC Magazine released an article about the Nook. You can also learn more about the Nook at the Barnes and Noble website. You can also pre-order it. The Nook will also be available in November at the Barnes and Noble bookstore.

Am I excited that my favorite bookstore in the whole wide world is finally releasing their own e-reader? Well, yes, in a way. I wish them luck in taking on the e-book competition with Kindle 2, which everyone of my friends, but me, seems to have. Still, when I got my email from Barnes and Noble this morning, I didn't jump up and say, "Oh, boy! Let me pre-order that Nook right now!"

There are times when I wish I have an e-reader. The truth is I'm a little apprehensive shelling out $259 plus tax for something I might end up rarely using. I'm really not a gadget geek like brother who likes to buy the latest and the greatest mp3 player or laptop out there.

Even though I think that I can put that $259 to a better use, like say a monthly car payment, I do wonder if it will be worth it economically in the long run. I have read in some people's blog that if they like the e-book they bought through their e-reader, they will still buy the real book. That's fine. I just don't see any sense spending $14.95 (if it's a paperback) or $24.95 (if it's a hardback.)

I'm not trying to be an anti e-reader here, but I guess I need to be convinced a little bit more. And for those of you who have an e-reader (or e-readers), I have some questions. How often do you use your e-reader? Do you think that it was worth buying it in the long run? Has it saved you money?

I'd love to hear from you.

Dracula by Bram Stoker

First Published: 1897

Pages: 422

Rating: 5 out of 5

Introduction: My original intention was to read Dracula by Bram Stoker for Halloween and review it. Then I saw this book:

I thought, "Hmm. Why not read and review all three books?" Frankenstein, Dracula, and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde were pioneers of horror tales. All their stories were very original and creative that many storytellers of today still use the ideas and adapted them to the modern standards. This is my way of reminding us to give the credit where its due.

So...let's go on with the review.

Summary: Jonathan Harker is a young lawyer who travels to Transylvania to settle a business with Count Darcula. Little does he know that Dracula is a vampire who is set on having Jonathan as his next victim. Jonathan escapes, but the Count is far from over. He is determined to unleash his bloodthirsty terror on London society.

Review: Unlike Frankenstein and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Hyde, I already read Dracula. I was sixteen year old. It was one of the scariest books I'd ever read. I admit it gave me nightmares. You would think that I would stop reading it, but I didn't. The story was so amazing that it was hard to put down.

That's why seventeen years later, I decided to pick Dracula up again. While it no longer gave me nightmares, it still gave me the creeps. I do scare easily. I remember reading it this past quiet Saturday evening and familiarizing myself with the story again. While doing so, our family dog who slept next to me, got up and started barking. Startled, I nearly jumped out of my seat. Of course, I stopped there and picked up Norwegian Wood. I do have a wild imagination, and I like to immerse myself into what I'm reading...which is probably why I don't mind reading books with plenty of description.

But I digress. Like in most of my reviews, I don't really talk about what happened in the story. I like for the readers to find out about the story themselves.

Dracula is an epistolary novel. The story is told in different point of view by the characters. I didn't find myself bored or skipping through some parts. Mr. Stoker does a good job of building up one suspense after another. Even though I read it before, I thought it was exciting. I flew through this 400 plus page novel.

I love the characters here. The protagonists - Jonathan, Mina, and Van Helsing - were all very strong, and so were the minor characters who were all interesting in their own way. They are dealing with a powerful adversary here after all - Count Dracula. There are no veggie-eating vampires in this story (No offense to Twilight fans.) Just an evil, blood-sucking monster hell bent on causing his reign of terror during the night.

There are many vampires stories out there. While they are all unique in their own way, Dracula stands out as being the original and, to me, the best vampire book.

Recommendation: If you like horror, gothic, and suspenseful stories, this is the one to get especially if you are a huge vampire fan.

Happy Halloween, everyone!

EDIT: I forgot to include this in my post. I was reminded by it when Diane made a comment about the book covers. Last month while I was at the bookstore buying my copy of Dracula, I saw its illustrated version. The story, of course, was still by Bram Stoker but there were drawings made by the talented Jae Lee. For those of you who don't know, Jae Lee is a Marvel comic book artist. The drawings in the illustrated Dracula version were awesome. Anyway, below is the book cover of the Illustrated Dracula. There's Count Dracula himself on the cover.

Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami

Publisher: Vintage International
Pub. Date: September 2000
Pages: 304
Rating: 4 out 5

Summary: Toru Watanabe is a college student who is in love with Naoko. He and Naoko are bound together by a tragedy - the suicide of Kizuki, Naoko's boyfriend and Toru's best friend. While Naoko slips into severe depression, Toru tries to live his life and meets Midori - a lively, young woman who is a classmate of Toru. They become friends, and he starts developing feelings for her. He soon becomes torn between the Naoko and Midori. Will he choose someone from his past or someone who can be with him in his future?

Review: What an incredible story! I really enjoyed this. Some books take awhile before I find out what the conflict is. Not so with Norwegian Wood. At the very first chapter, I learn that Toru is in love with Naoko yet he can't be with her.

Both Toru and Naoko have a common friend from high school - Kizuki. After he committed suicide, both Toru and Naoko tried to go on with their lives. Toru enrolls at a university in Tokyo and so does Naoko. By doing so, they hope to escape their past and their memories of Kazuki. Each of them cope with their loss their own way.

At first, I thought that Toru was headed in the wrong direction. Well, actually, I didn't agree with his coping mechanism, which was drinking and sleeping with a variety of girls. But I suppose he was living his life like he knows how. Then there's Naoko who eventually decides to seek help with her problems. I thought this was the best way...but the problem was Naoko needed far more help. The cause of her depression was far beyond her boyfriend's suicide.

In the midst of Toru going through grief and depression, he meets Midori. Although sometimes she annoyed me, and she did the craziest things, I actually liked her. Let's just say that Midori gave color to Toru's bleak world. She's like the jalapeno to his nachos. I was really quite entertained by her, and she made me laugh.

Perhaps that's why Toru is drawn to her. Heck, Toru even admitted to himself that he was more fascinated watching Midori than watching a porn film. If that ain't love, then I don't know what is. (Well, I say that for the sake of Toru's point of view.) At the same time, he really can't leave Naoko. Sometimes I got frustrated by him not being able to choose, but in the end I understood that he had to settle things with his past before he could go on with his future.

There were many things I liked about this book. Even at the beginning of the book, I really felt the emotions. Seriously, I almost cried just reading page 9 because of the foreshadowing.

Of course, it really seemed like another love story on the surface. It was more than that. It's a story about living and dying. It's about about grieving and coping. It's about knowing the difference between surviving and truly living by enjoying life.

Recommendation: If you are in the mood to read something with angst, then I would recommend Norwegian Wood.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

First Published: 1818

Pages: 280

Rating: 5 out of 5

Introduction: This is the second book I'm reviewing for Halloween. I got the idea last month when I purchased this:

Three classic horror tales compiled into one book. Perfect!

Summary: This is the story of Victor Frankenstein who pushes the boundaries of science by creating a creature made of dead human remains.

Review: This book is awesome! I can't believe that Mary Shelley wrote this book when she was only 18 years old! Pure creative talent!

I was really surprised how I came to love this book. This is the original story...not some adapted version of Frankenstein...so forget about looking for Igor here or hoping that it's like any Frankenstein films/stories you have heard of.

Frankenstein is more than just a horror story. Much, much more. It is a story of discrimination, nature vs nurture, and the creator vs. the created. It shows the beauty and the ugliness of human nature.

The story is a story within a story. The first narrator is Robert Walton. He meets Victor Frankenstein while they are in the Arctic. He discovers that Victor is chasing someone. This leads to Victor who narrates his side of the story. He is ambitious and very driven. He decides to create a being made of human corpses...and later realizes the mistake he's made and the prize that comes with it. Then the creature who Victor created tells story, and I learn the pain and discrimination he goes through.

Notice that I said creature, and not monster? Well, that's because towards then middle and end of the book...I really didn't know who the true monster was. Was it Victor who spat and hated his creation? Or was it the creature who acted on the society that feared and loathed him because of his appearance?

Since I'm all about character development, this is probably one of the reasons I love this book. I love how Ms. Shelley made Victor and the creature into dynamic characters. They were both protagonists and antagonists at the same time. I thought it was brillant, and she did it so well.

This is one of the best I'd ever read this year. While it didn't change my life, Frankenstein really made me think. It's one of the books that will stay with me.

Recommendation: Highly recommended! I think this is one of the books that should be in one's library. I'm not a horror book fan, but I enjoyed this one. Don't let it scare you because it's a classic. I found it easy to follow.

New Books From the Mail

After a busy week at work and catching up on some rest, I finally had the chance to go through my mail yesterday. The books I ordered from Barnes and Noble came in on Tuesday. I really prefer to buy my books at the bookstore. I like to browse through the book and decide if I like it enough to buy it. However, if I can't find a certain book, I am forced to buy online. Anyway, here are the goodies:

I do apologize for the quality of the picture. The first one is Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome. (That's some name, don't you think?) I heard good things about it from Becky's Book Reviews. The next one is Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami. Ever since I read After Dark, I became a Murakami fan. Then there's David Copperfield by Charles Dickens. I always wanted to read it. Finally, there's Fathers and Sons by Ivan Turgenev. It's about a son who rebels against his father. I know. I know. There's nothing new about the plot, but this is set in 1862. In Russia, I might add. I think it will be an interesting novel.

What do you think of this haul? Have you read any of these books? What did you think about the story?

First Snow on Fuji by Yasunari Kawabata

Publisher: Counterpoint
Original Pub. Year: 1958
Pub. Date: October 2000
Translated by: Michael Emmerich
Pages: 227
Rating: 4 out of 5

Summary: None really. This was a compilation of short stories written by Yasunari Kawabata.

Review: First Snow on Fuji was the third book I chose to read for the Japanese Literature Challenge 3 (or JLC 3 for short). To this day, I really have no idea how many books I will read for the JLC3. I'm having way too much fun! (Thanks, Ms. Bellezza!) I just might see how much I can complete until the deadline even though I had originally planned to read just one book.

Let's talk about First Snow on Fuji. I never heard of Mr. Kawabata until I decided to read this for the JLC3. My verdict: I liked it. I liked it a lot. I admit that as I write this review that I haven't even read The Boat Women, the last story (which is actually a play) in this collection. That's okay though because Mr. Kawabata had already won me over.

There were short stories that I enjoyed better than others: This Country, That Country; Nature; First Snow on Fuji; Silence; and Yumiura. Some were downright creepy like Silence, Chrysanthemum in the Rock, and Her Husband Didn't.

I noticed that there were recurring themes of cheating wives and husbands (or characters fantasizing about cheating) and life post World War II. Yet all the stories had one thing in common: beautiful and poetic words. The endings were abrupt and were left for the reader to make interpretations. That suits me fine since I like to use my imagination.

Recommendation: Mr. Kawabata used a lot of descriptive sceneries. I think that people who want their stories straight forward with solid endings might get frustrated. I would still recommend to those who enjoy stories with vivid imagery and ambiguous outcomes.