Double-Stacked Bookshelves

Originally part of my A-Z Reading Challenge, though removed because I was on a long waiting list at the library, Pittacus Lore's I am Number Four was worth the wait.  The story follows the life of Lorien Garde "John Smith" and his Cepan (keeper/trainer), Henri, as they try to evade the Mogadorian race who are hunting the remaining Garde down one by one. John's been on Earth for ten years after escaping, along with eight other Garde members and their Cepan's, the total annihilation of his planet and has done well staying hidden and blending into society, but when he and Henri move to Paradise, Ohio, things change in unexpected ways.  Having moved constantly since arriving on Earth, John's become socially isolated and doesn't make the effort to meet people when he settles into a new place.  Queue the entrance of Sam and Sarah. Of course this wouldn't be very entertaining if the novel just followed the nomadic life of John; so he's given a love i...

I had to check David Besmozgis's The Free World out twice just to finish it (stinking two week limit and other responsibilities).  I just got it back this past Thursday and finally finished the last 200 pages or so and I have to say that I really enjoyed this book. The novel centers around the Krasnansky family; three generations of Russian Jews.  Their goal throughout the entire book is to escape the Iron Curtain and make it to the West and the "Free" world.  The story is told from several different perspectives; mainly Samuil, the patriarch of the family, Karl, the straight-laced oldest son, Alec, the charismatic playboy and youngest son, and Polina, Alec's wife.  There are other members of the family who've made the journey:  Emma, Samuil's wife and Karl and Alec's mother, Rosa, Karl's wife, and Zhenya and Yury, Karl and Rosa's sons.  The journey they go on eventually lands them in Rome, Italy.  It is here that the majority of the story plays...

It took me quite a while to finish this book.  I don't know if it was the style, the language, or the story in general that kept me from getting settled and engaged.  DBC Pierre's Vernon God Little was the 2003 winner of the Man Booker Prize , the award for the very best literature written for that year.  Somehow I don't think I agree with this decision.  Yes, the book is good, but I did not think that it was great.  There were so many great novels published in 2003, and, forgive me, but Pierre's isn't the best.  The novel centers around Vernon Gregory Little and the aftermath of a school shooting, of which he is accused of participating, in small Martirio, Texas.  The reader is taken on a journey encompassing Vernon's thought process, attempted escapes, border crossings, and eventual incarceration.  All of these segments are separated into five acts that chronicle the events leading up to the conclusion of the story...the trial and it's conseq...