The Cormoran Strike Mysteries by Robert Galbraith

This blog post is a two for one special! I recently reread The Cuckoo's Calling and read The Silkworm for the first time (since it was just released). The Cuckoo's Calling and The Silkworm are the first two novels in a new detective series by Robert Galbraith. For the record, this is Robert Galbraith:

That's right, the queen herself: J.K. Rowling. You may ask, "Why is she writing under a pseudonym if people know it's her?" Well, that wasn't the plan. She wrote The Cuckoo's Calling under a pseudonym to avoid having to deal with all the press and publicity, and also to see if it would sell. Unfortunately for her, someone leaked that it was her pen name. I, for one, am glad because I probably would never have heard of or read The Cuckoo's Calling. Anyway, Rowling decided to continue releasing the Cormoran Strike series under this pseudonym with the potential for 7 books!

Now, "what are this books about?" you may ask. Without giving too much away: 

The Cuckoo's Calling follows private investigator Cormoran Strike, an ex-army soldier who lost his leg in Afghanistan, as he tries uncover what really caused the death of the world-famous supermodel Lula Landry. The police have ruled the death a suicide, but Strike is hired by Lula's brother to investigate whether there was any foul play involved. Strike is helped by his secretary, Robin, who was accidentally sent to his office by mistake by a temp agency. Together, Strike and Robin must explore the glamorous and not so glamorous lives of celebrities in London.

The Silkworm follows Strike and Robin on another case, this time hired by the wife of a missing writer, Owen Quine. This disappearance is suspicious due to the fact that Quine recently sent out manuscript of his latest book that severely slandered everyone in his life both personally and professionally. As The Cuckoo's Calling dives into the world of celebrities, The Silkworm explores the literary world in which Quine works. One of the things that I could really appreciate in The Silkworm was the references to the Jacobean tragedies, which I studied this past semester in one of my classes. I also loved that Emma Watson is very briefly mentioned as being on the cover of a magazine cover. This had nothing to do with the plot, but I loved it. :)

These books are very much about Strike and Robin, and the dynamic these two have really pulls you in. The command that "Galbraith" has of the English language is also engrossing and separates these books from many other "detective stories " that I have read. My one gripe I have with these novels is sometimes the foul language can be a bit excessive, but if you read Rowling's first post-Harry Potter book you will not be surprised. The Cormoran Strike books are actually really tame compared to The Casual Vacancy, but thats a discussion for another day. 

Anyway, if you like detective stories, well-written stories, or you are just a fan of J.K. Rowling, I highly recommend that you pick up The Cormoran Strike mysteries. I, for one, can't wait for book #3!!

Love Does by Bob Goff

Okay so it's been way too long since my last post, which means I have no time for reading in my life. Well my dearest friend/roommate suggested Love Does for me to read for my next book, so you know what, I read it. If you have not read this book, PLEASE DO immediately.

After reading this book I am just want to meet the author and be his friend. This guy works at Disneyland on Tom Sawyers island AND established the Restore Leadership Academy in Uganda, I'd say he's pretty neat. And these are just a few neat qualities. This book is about Bob's journey of love for our Father, family, and anyone he meets along the way. Love Does is full of stories; stories that will make you laugh, cry, and examine your own life. Bob taught me that this love we are commanded to have is being present and sacrificing things because this type of love is costly. Sometimes I put God into a box and put limits on His love, but after reading this I see that there are no limits for His love only I, as a human am limited. God is all powerful, full of grace and everlasting love and if I'm not showing that to others in my own life I am weakening my own faith. I highly encourage this book, it's a quick read and I promise you will learn so so much! I'll leave you with one of my favorite lines in the book.

"I used to think I could shape circumstances around me, but now I know Jesus uses circumstances to shape me." 

The Giver by Lois Lowry

I remember reading The Giver back in middle school, I think it was 6th grade so it has been almost 10 years. Wow. If you were unaware they are making a movie that will be coming out later this year. This led me to decide to reread a book that I remembered loving when I first read it, but did not remember everything that happened. And boy am I glad I did.

I imagine most of you have read it, but if you haven't or need a refresher, The Giver follows a boy named Jonas who is about to turn 12 in a dystopian world. In this world everything is neat, organized, and in order. Everyone has a place and a job to do. Every year leading up to the age of 12 children in this world have a ceremony where they celebrate some new step in society, ranging from getting a new coat or bike to starting volunteer hours or getting assigned a job for life. Assigned a job for life, pretty daunting, huh? That's what happens at age 12, and what we experience through Jonas. Without giving too much away, Jonas is assigned a very important job as the receiver. It is his job to hold all of the memories of the past for his society; both good and bad. It is through these memories that Jonas begins to question the society he has always known, and his life is changed forever.

For a YA novel (yes, I'm fully aware that I've been reading a lot of these lately, but they're nice summer reads) The Giver poses a lot of interesting questions to the reader that I'm not really sure that I really could contemplate as an awkward, prepubescent tween back in 6th grade. The loss of individuality. Can you have love without knowing loss and pain. And so many more. The Giver is a super quick, easy read, at less than 200 pages, but it stays with you and leaves you thinking. It's also interesting to compare this dystopian world written in the '90s to the dystopian world's of YA literature today, such as The Hunger Games. Why is our youth so entranced by these dystopian societies? Why are we?

The Midnight Palace by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

"The fact is that nothing is more difficult to believe than the truth; conversely, nothing seduces like the power of lies- the greater the better"

Carlos Ruiz Zafon continues to impress me as a storyteller. The Midnight Palace is technically the second book in Zafon's YA series, following The Prince of Mist which I posted about back in February. The two stories, however, are unrelated and can be read in any order. The themes from The Prince of Mist are what are continued in The Midnight Palace. I'm a sucker for books with dark, gothic elements so maybe that's why I like Zafon's stories so much.

Anyway, The Midnight Palace opens with an intense chase scene through the streets of Calcutta. Lieutenant Peake, carrying two small, twin babies, flees from a dark creature who seems to be part man and part something else...
Peake finally gets the babies to their grandmother who decides that the best way to keep them safe in the future is to separate them. (Okay, it's a little cliche- "Twins! Let's split them up!"- we all knew it was coming, but hey sometimes cliche is good.) The twins' grandmother decides to take the girl and go on the run while giving the boy to an orphanage.
Fast-forward to where the bulk of our story takes place: The twins are now 16. Ben, the boy, obviously, has bonded with with other kids at the Orphanage over the years, whom have formed a secret society, The Chowbar Society, but unfortunately it is about to be disbanded. Then, shortly before they call it quits Ben's grandmother and sister show up with danger on their heals. Instead of running Ben and Sheere, his sister, decide to face the evil forces that are pursuing them as they discover their family's dark and troubling past.

Overall, The Midnight Palace was a really enjoyable story. While there are a few moments that leave the reader wondering what's going on or why certain characters are doing certain things things, The Midnight Palace remains a fun, easy read, perfect for summer.

The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty

 Well I thought it was about that time when I finally post something on the wonderful blog! Recently I was in a trendy book store and in the monthly book club they were reading this. So of course, I decided to read it. I also have a weakness for historical fiction, so that also helped my selection process. This book takes us back to summer of 1922 when Cora Carlisle volunteers to chaperone Louise Brooks, who is a sassy teen ready to take over Manhattan. The first half of the book develops the theme of youth, innocence, and change. Louise is everything that Cora fears the world and society will turn in to. As Cora tries to preserve her Victorian values and her fight for suffrage. During the first half of the book there are flashbacks into Cora's childhood... Why she ended up in Kansas and why she has such a desire to get back to New York. The second half of the book finishes the story with how both of their lives end up. Cora goes back to Kansas, while Louise pursues her acting and dancing career. 

One thing I loved about this book was the battle between Cora and Louise over values and morals. Even though they both come from extremely different ends of the spectrum, they almost find a meeting point in the middle. The summer spent together gives Cora a new perspective on life and society, and by the end of the book Cora defends her rebellious friend, Louise. I like that even though Cora started out completely judgmental and hypocritical, she changes her perspective on "social rules". Louise finds the end of her life in poverty, alcoholism, and loneliness. Cora finds the end of her life fulfilling and completely full of her own secret scandals - I'll let you find those out for yourself (I was completely taken by surprise by a couple). 

Okay this is getting long.... Can you tell I liked this book? Crazy that even though this is fiction, times are completely different and have evolved so much. I'm sure some of you will think I need to get back in the kitchen after reading this and to stop focusing on women's rights. Haha but I hope some of you pick up this book too! It's one you cannot put down :) 

From The Small Screen, To The Big Screen, To A New Book Series

While stressing out over finals I decided to take a break. It's been a while since I've read anything for fun so I decided I wanted a nice, easy read to take my mind of things. I discovered Veronica Mars: The Thousand Dollar Tan Line. For those of you who have not heard about or seen Veronica Mars it was a T.V show that lasted for 3 seasons back in the early 2000s. Unfortunately it was canceled, but this year they were finally able to get enough money to produce a movie, and now the creator, Rob Thomas is co-writing a new book series. Veronica Mars is basically your modern-day hardboiled detective, and I highly recommend the show if you haven't seen it. For those of you that have seen the show and the movie I highly recommend this book. It picks up shortly after where the movie leaves of as Veronica returns to life as a private eye. I was pleasantly surprised as to how the feel of the show was translated to this new medium so well. It has wit, humor, suspense, and basically everything you could want from anything Veronica Mars. The plot follows Veronica as she tries to figure out what happened to two young girls who have gone missing while on spring break in Neptune, California. I won't give anything else away, but I couldn't put the book down. I wouldn't deem the novel a great work of literature or anything, but it was entertaining, a really fun read, and essential to anyone who likes Veronica Mars.

Defending Jacob

First off I know y'all are shocked I'm even writing this, or that I even finished a book haha.

This book was one of the most interesting books I've read in awhile. It's about a murder happens in a small town and the prime suspect is the DA's son. The way the author writes the book is amazing, he is also in law in real life so it just adds to why the writing and plot are so good. The book will grab your attention and keep you guessing till the very end. I personally never saw the ending coming and was left in shock. If you enjoy law and crime this is a great read :).

Rage Quit Turns Positive

I haven't contributed anything yet and since I actually read a real book, I thought I'd share...

A couple weeks ago I was reading my Social Psychology textbook preparing for a test, when a studying rage quit of epic proportions happened (I did finally pick up that textbook yesterday for the first time in a week). After a long hiatus from reading enjoyable books, I decided that I had to read something that wasn't talking about theories or medical terms. I looked through several shelves full of books I haven't read yet, but none of them jumped out at me. I found a box full of my books I packed from Dallas and saw The Outsiders. When I opened it up, I saw all my annotations from when we had to read it in seventh grade, and remembered I enjoyed it a lot. I decided to give it a go again. I successfully made it all the way through the book, which doesn't always happen with me. 

I know a lot of you have probably read this book, but if you haven't, read it! It's a short, easy read. It's a great story about how families and friends stick together to get through life. I'm not recommending walking around trying to get in fights with shanks like they do, but there's a lot of great lessons that come from this book. And who doesn't want to read a book about people named Ponyboy and Sodapop. I think my favorite part/plot of the book is the relationship between Ponyboy and his oldest brother, Darry, who works to support their family after their parents died. Pony thinks Darry hates him, when in reality he's just trying to help him achieve his potential. My second favorite part was wondering what in the world I was thinking with the annotations I wrote in seventh grade. Good to know I've at least learned a little since then!

There's a second book called That Was Then, This Is Now and I'll definitely be reading it after this semester is over!

Alyssa/WB

 

The Most Beautiful Language Award goes to....

The Secret Scripture, by Sebastian Barry

It took me three times longer than normal to read this 300-page book. Why?

1. I could not bear to let go of it. Not the story and not the people.
2. I found myself consistently re-reading passages in the same way you would say, "I must have another cup of that tea because it is absolutely perfect." Here's what I mean:

But we are never old to ourselves. That is because at close of the day the ship we sail in is in the soul, not the body.

Or...

Memory, I must suppose, if it is neglected becomes like a box room, or a lumber room in an old house, the contents jumbled about, maybe not only from neglect but also from too much haphazard search in them, and things to boot thrown in that don't belong there.

Or....

I am trying to be faithful to what is in my head. I hope it is trying also to be as faithful to me.

It has all the things you want in a novel--complex characters, interesting (but not predictable) plot, awesome setting (Ireland!)--but beyond that it is possibly the most beautifully written novel I have ever read. It isn't flowery or over-the-top descriptive or gushy. The language is completely fresh. It is perfect.

Two voices tell the story (another big plus in my book): a 100-year old woman confined to a mental institution and her psychiatrist. No one remembers why she was "committed," and she's not talking about it.

Do yourself a favor. Read this book.

Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri

Interpreter of Maladies is a collection of 9 short stories. It is quite possibly the most interesting collection of short stories that I have ever read.Take that with a grain of salt, I haven't read that many short story collections, but still. IoM is, first and for most, stories about people. In each story Lahiri introduces the reader to characters that I was immediately intrigued by. Her ability to get the reader so invested in characters in just a few pages is amazing. Each of these stories has some connection to India, either taking place in India or dealing with individuals who are from India. These characters, however, deal with universal human emotions and experiences that make them instantly relatable. Dealing with loneliness, even when not physically alone, is one of the central themes throughout most, if not all of the stories, and the way Lahiri's different characters face it is fascinating. IoM also deals heavily with the combating of different groups and cultures, whether it be older and younger generations, men and women, or between different nations. While I enjoyed some of the stories more than others (My personal favorites were Interpreter of Maladies and The Third and Final Continent), each and everyone are complex, written splendidly, and leave you wanting more. Some end with sadness, some end with hope, but all of the stories leave you thinking.

An Artist of the Floating World by Kazuo Ishiguro

This is my fourth Ishiguro novel, and his storytelling ability keeps impressing me. An Artist of the Floating World takes place in post WWII Japan, and and told from the perspective of an old artist named Masuji Ono. Throughout the novel Ono reflects on the Japan of his youth and what it is now. He spends a great deal of time reminiscing on the since changed art district of his youth. This story also deals heavily with Ono and his relationships with those around him, particularly with his two daughters and grandson. One of the most important things to Ono is arranging a marriage for his younger daughter, who is past the normal age of getting married. Ono's relationship with his daughters allows for a snapshot of a culture that is vastly different from our own. I found the most endearing relationship to be the one between Ono and his grandson. They way the interacted had be laughing one minute and getting all emotional the next. They way Ishiguro has Ono tell the story is also interesting. Much like many older individuals, Ono often starts telling a part of his story, but then goes of on a long tangent, reflecting on the past, which at times is hilarious, but also was, at times, frustrating.
Overall, Ishiguro weaves together an intriguing story of a man who is growing old and is forced to face the fact that society is changing, and in many ways, is leaving him behind. While the novel is not very long it does progress slowly, but it is well worth the read. 
Other recommended works by Kazuo Ishiguro:
1. Never Let Me Go
2. The Remains of the Day
3. A Pale View of Hills

I am not a good writer, so I will not write a review on this book.  I refuse to demean the brilliance of this story with my lack of ingenuity and creativity.  I will, however, say that this is quite possibly the best book I have ever read.  All future reads will be overshadowed by the enormity of this One Great Book.  I, in my simple mind, have found this book to connect and bind itself to my soul.  I leave you with a quote from the book that describes exactly how I felt the precise moment I finished the last word:

“Sometimes, you read a book and it fills you with this weird evangelical zeal, and you become convinced that the shattered world will never be put back together unless and until all living humans read the book.”  

The world will never be whole again until all living beings have read and appreciated the Fault In Our Starts.  

I'm not a huge fan of non-fiction, but most of this book reads like fiction.  So many of the events are wild and unrealistic so they seem as if they never could have happened in real life.  This one man's story is pretty incredible.  It's an actioned packed book full of twists and turns, tragedy and triumph.

From the intense training of boot camp, to the crazy - insanely ludicrous Navy Seal training, I had no idea what some of our best soldiers go through to fight for our freedoms.  This guy is a die hard patriot through and through, and his spirit is infectious.  He is also very proud to be from Texas.  I really appreciated my freedoms and country better after having read this book.

Yet, being partly from Afghanistan, this book hit even closer to home with me.  Marcus got to see the ugliest side of Afghanistan in his encounter with the Taliban, but yet, he also got to witness a very beautiful side of the country's culture, tradition, and hospitality.  We aren't that bad of a people after all.  :)

It was funny, sort of, because he described himself as a religious person, and there are several reverent references to God - he even quotes Ps. 23 in the book, yet he was also very fond of the f-bomb.  The profane language was a little excessive at times, so proceed with caution.

Overall, it's an easy read, and one that is definitely worth the time if a medium amount of profanity doesn't bother you. If you are looking for a similar story with out the profanity, I highly recommend UNBROKEN - the true story of the life of Louis Zamperini.  It's an excellent read and one that can be recommended without any hesitations.

The Prince of Mist by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Carlos Ruiz Zafon. I don't even know what to say. He has a knack for storytelling at the least. The Prince of Mist is the 4th Zafon novel I have read, and I've enjoyed every single one of them. You probably recognize his name; his most notable work being The Shadow of the Wind, probably my favorite contemporary novel. Also in the same "series": The Angel's Game and The Prisoner of Heaven (I always almost say Azkaban. Hehehe). Anyway, this has become a tangent, back to The Prince of Mist!

This was a s super light, quick read (only took me two days to read), and is less complex than the other Zafon I've read. This is probably, in large part, due to the fact that The Prince of Mist is targeted at young adults. This was also Zafon's first novel published and is translated from Spanish like all of his other novels. It tells the story of a young boy, Max Carver, and his family who leave their home and move to a beach home on an island to escape war in the 1940s. Upon reaching their new home, Max, his sister Alicia, and their new friend Roland begin to investigate the mystery surrounding the Carver's new home and the surrounding area where a young boy named Jacob drowned a few years prior. What follows is an interesting, sometimes creepy, story. From the beginning I was invested in the characters, especially Max, who is smart, observant, and sometimes has some great one liners. My personal favorite begin "She's my sister, not a piece of cake", which Max does not intend to be funny, as their friend Roland is staring at his sister, Alicia, but I cracked up regardless.

The Prince of Mist is not flawless. There are definitely some moments in the plot where I thought to myself "Hmm, this is kind of random", and then there are some aspects that just come with this type of novel, such as the bratty older sister to our main protagonist, the whimsical, idealistic father, and the more practical mother. Ultimately however, the positives vastly outweigh the negatives and Zafon presents us with a very enjoyable, yet eery, coming of age story.

I sign off with a quote from Zafon from an interview that was at the end of my copy of the Prince of Mist, "Read. Read. Read. I would say that advice is good for any young person aspiring to be anything - an author, an engineer, or just any human being able to live more and live better..."

With that, happy reading!
-Matt

Please Mr. Dickens, I want some more.

The well known plea from Oliver Twist to those in the work house is exactly how I felt upon reaching the end of Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist.

I'm double-dipping with this one as this was a novel I had to read for my Victorian Lit. class so I understand if none of you rush out to read it for next month. When finding out I had to read Oliver Twist I was overcome by mixed emotions: 1. Excitement, as an English major I feel as if I have not read nearly enough Dickens (the only other works of his I've read is A Tale of Two Cities & A Christmas Carol). 2. Overwhelmed because I had to read this 500+ page novel in less than 2 weeks, and 3. Dreadful because the last time I read Dickens was when I had to read A Tale of Two Cities junior year of high school....and was not a fan. But since it's the beginning of the semester and slacking has not set in yet, I pressed on, and to my surprise, was thoroughly impressed.

Like most of Dickens' works the prose takes a bit of getting used to, what with its sometimes pompous feel and diction that leaves you reaching for the dictionary, but once I got used to it I was able to really enjoy the fascinating characters that Dickens creates. Ironically enough, Oliver Twist himself is not really that fascinating, but looking at characters like Nancy, Mr. Fagin, Mr. Sikes, kept me reading. For me, it was Dickens' characters that kept me going because the plot dragged at some moments and was a little convoluted in others. This, as I learned in my class, was partly due to the fact that Dickens serially published Oliver Twist in a series of magazines so he just wrote it as he went along with no outline for where the story was going.

In addition to his characters, Dickens also explores (whether intentionally or not) some interesting social issues such as poverty and class structure, greed, and anti-semitism (the character of Fagin is called "the Jew" and very over the top stereotypical, despite Dickens' claims that this was not his intention).

While you may not rush out to buy Oliver Twist,

it is definitely worth the read, despite its flaws. If you've read it and have any other thoughts feel free to share in the comments!

And as always, happy reading!

-Matt

Testing...1...2...3

Hey guys!

I figure that we won't be able to meet every single month so I think having a blog could be a fun why to share what we're reading. I've never had a blog before so it'll be interesting figuring out how all of this stuff works, but here we go....