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...

I have been having a hard time coming up with a way to even start my review of Suzanne Collins's Mockingjay , the final book in The Hunger Games trilogy.  It's almost like letting go of a beloved friend...though perhaps not as devastating as the final installation of Harry Potter , in which I sobbed almost uncontrollably at 3am.  Once again I must warn you...if you have not read the two previous books in this trilogy, read no further !!! The revolution against the Capitol is in full effect and Katniss Everdeen is, currently, on the losing side (the rebels).  She's been recovering from the 75th Annual Quarter Quell Hunger Games in the underground city of District 13, along with fellow survivors:  Finnick and Beetee.  District 12 has been destroyed and people are dead and dying.  All of the districts are rebelling against the Capitol, save a few, and are meeting heavy opposition.  The fate of the districts lies in the hands of District 13 and Katniss....

CAUTION:  SPOILER ALERT!!! Seriously...if you haven't finished or even read The Hunger Games do not continue reading!  I warned you...that's all. Suzanne Collins's sequel to The Hunger Games, Catching Fire , does exactly what it sets out to do:  catches everything on fire.  The reader is brought back into Katniss Everdeen's life as she gets ready to embark on her Victory Tour, along with Peeta Mellark, her District 12 co-champion, for winning the 74th Annual Hunger Games.  They survived and outlasted 22 other tributes from various districts by employing a tactic that showed, though unintentionally, a strong sense of rebellion toward the Capitol, thus placing the two of them (more-so Katniss) on the governments Black List, all so they could return home and live in luxury.  Little does Katniss, or anyone else know, that luxury is not exactly on the agenda.  Yes, when the duo first return home, they are given new homes in the Victor's Village of Distr...

WHY!!!  Why did I wait so long to read this?!?  Suzanne Collins's The Hunger Games , the first in the trilogy, is absolutely brilliant and impossible to put down!  The young adult novel is set in a post-apocalyptic America in which there is one government (very Communistic) ruling over 12 scattered districts.  It centers around Katniss Everdeen, a sixteen-year old girl from District 12 who volunteers to take Prim, her 12-year old sister's, place in the annual Hunger Games.  In the games, two tributes, one boy and one girl, are selected randomly from each district.  These 24 tributes are then required to fight to the death in an undisclosed location in order to return home.  This is done for several reasons:  to ensure complete control of the government and as a reminder to the districts of the power that the goverment holds over them. The acts that these children, ages 12 to 18, are required to withstand in the Games are absolutely atrocious....

Marybeth Bond's Gutsy Women: Travel Tips and Wisdom from the Road is just that, a book of traveling tips and tidbits specifically geared toward women of all ages.  The book is divided into chapters that walk you through preparations for packing and departure, for eating, shopping, and meeting people, and designated traveling types.  Interspersed into each chapter are quotes from well-traveled writers that pertain to the section.  Some are entertaining, some are true, and some are unnecessary. Bond opens the text with a quote from Alexandra David-Neel , a French explorer and writer, who stated that "travel not only stirs the blood...it also gives birth to the spirit."  Honestly, I could not agree more.  As a fellow traveler, I can attest that the times where you venture into unknown territory, though at times frightening, leads to some of the most rewarding experiences of your life.  Whether searching for a fellow traveler in the middle of the night by ca...