Books and Movies

Sea Changes by Gail Graham is one of the most unique books I’ve ever read. It’s not straight modern lit, nor is it completely fantasy. I suppose it falls into the genre of “magical realism,” though even the Wikipedia article can’t seem to agree on what exactly that is.

Sarah Andrews is a widow. Her husband Charles died two years ago, but she has not been able to move on with her life. Her daughter, Felicity, is angry. She thinks Sarah should move on; she thinks Sarah should have taken the lump sum inheritance and not the annuity so that there would be something left for her when her mother dies; she thinks her mom should sign up for a dating service. Mostly, she thinks about herself, and she doesn’t like her mother very much.

Sarah’s only other human contact is her psychologist, Kahn, who isn’t much help at all. He’s more interested in saying things like, “I wonder why you think your daughter doesn’t like you,” and “I wonder what your childhood was like,” than in saying anything that would help Sarah in her grieving process.

Sarah decides that there is no reason to go on with her life, and heads to the beach. She swims out into the ocean, planning to keep going until she’s too tired, and then let the ocean take her. She doesn’t drown, though. Instead, a young girl appears, introduces herself as Bantryd, and guides Sarah to her world under the ocean. Bantryd tells Sarah that she’s a vestigal, a being that is able to move between her world and the ocean world. She meets Xaxanader, a man about her age, and feels drawn to him.

When Sarah returns home, she can’t decide if her experience was real or a dream. She wonders if she’s going insane. When she is able to return to Bantryd and Xaxanader’s world, she is convinced that this world is truly there, an alternate reality to her own. Xaxanader and Bantryd ask her to do a favor, a favor which she reluctantly agrees to, but which makes her a person of interest to the police who are investigating the possible kidnapping and murder of an Australian heiress.

As Sarah tries to help Bantryd, her exterior world begins to unravel. On the inside, however, Sarah is healing and finding her own strength. The time comes when Sarah must make a decision - which world is her real home?

Gail Graham’s writing style is simple and precise. She writes in present tense, which makes the action immediate and intense. I really, really liked this book. It was very unusual, unlike anything I’d read, and was a complete page-turner. I couldn’t wait to find out what happened to Sarah and Bantryd. I loved the ending, and turned the last page with a satisfied sigh.

4 out of 5 stars

Sea Changes by Gail Graham

It’s only a dozen steps from the house to the car and Sarah is taking most of Bantryd’s weight, but even so, the effort exhausts her. Once she’s in the car, Bantryd slumps sideways against the door, head hanging and eyes shut.

To read other book bloggers’ teasers, or to leave a link to your own, visit Should Be Reading.

I am at my home in Sydney, Australia. My husband died two years ago, but I’ve been unable to move past my grief. My daughter doesn’t understand; my counselor isn’t helping me. I decided to swim out into the ocean as far as I could and then let myself drown. Only I couldn’t. A young girl named Bantryd found me and took me to her world at the bottom of the ocean, and now she’s in my world with me, only everyone thinks she is a missing heiress. It’s all very confusing, but intriguing.

I’m also at my husband’s home, Lallybroch. I was thrilled to be at home with him again, until a woman from the past showed up and destroyed our domestic bliss.

Where is your reading taking you? Leave a link to your answer at An Adventure in Reading.

Monday’s Movie is a weekly meme hosted by Sheri at A Novel Menagerie. Click over to check out all the great reviews, and add your own.

I may be one of the few book bloggers who didn’t read Marley and Me. Not only did I not read it, I had no idea what the story was. I’m not a dog person. I do, however, like Owen Wilson, and like comedies, so Kevin and I watched the movie. I had no idea that we would both be wiping away tears at the end - and that’s saying a lot, because I can only think of five other times I’ve seen my husband cry, and four of them involved the birth of our children.

In Marley and Me, Owen Wilson plays journalist John Grogan - and plays the character well. John and his wife, Jenny, have just moved to Florida, and Jenny is starting to talk about having babies. As a delaying tactic, John brings home Marley, a yellow lab, and behavior-wise, he is the worst dog ever. In spite of his behavior issues, however, Marley sees John and Jenny through early parenthood, career changes, and geographical moves.

Most romantic comedies cover the courtship period and end with the wedding. I liked that Marley and Me started with the wedding, and didn’t gloss over how much work marriage can be, and how exhausting it is to have small children.

The only negative for me was Jennifer Aniston’s performance as Grogan’s wife. I loved Aniston as Rachel in Friends, but have found most of her movie performances since to be boring. Same deal with this movie - I think just about any actress could have stepped into the role and it would have been the same movie.

4 out of 5 bags of popcorn

I’m currently about halfway through Sea Changes by Gail Graham and have just dipped my toe into Watchmen. Probably won’t have a lot of time for reading today - singing at church, then have to pick up my son at my parents house (he had a sleepover last night), then choir practice in the evening. I’d like to finish Sea Changes - I need to review it and two other ARCs before I can move onto my Spring Reading Thing list without guilt.

Since we have started a new season, I thought it would be good to check out how I’m doing with my reading challenges for the year. Here are the stats:

100+ Challenge
Goal: 135
Completed: 20

It doesn’t look like I’m doing very well on this one, but I do the majority of my reading during our summer break from homeschooling. I think my goal is still possible.

Read Your Own Books Challenge
Goal: 70 of my own books
Completed: 8

I have to quit giving into book blogger peer pressure! I was so on track for this, but then people started talking about Uglies, and I keep getting sent ARCs, and I’ve bought some books that don’t count, because I didn’t have them before January 1st….

Support Your Local Library Challenge
Goal: 25 books from my public library
Completed: 8

This one will be a cinch to complete, because I get all of my audiobooks from the library, plus the rest of the Uglies series, and I promised my daughter I’d read Lois Lowry’s The Giver - all library books.

Audiobook Challenge
Goal: 12 audiobooks
Completed: 3

Another one that will be easy to complete before the end of the year.

The Art History Reading Challenge
Goal: 6 books
Completed: 0

Haven’t started this one yet. We’ll see - this may be one I have to drop.

Essay Reading Challenge
Goal: 30 essays
Completed: 17

My list only says I’ve finished eight; I’ve finished nine more but haven’t found time to post about them.

The Outlander Challenge
Goal: 7 books
Completed: 2 and a half

I am so glad I signed up for this challenge; I love these books on audio!

Graphic Novels Challenge
Goal: 6 books
Completed: 3 - but not any on my list. ~shrug~

I did just start Watchmen, which is on my list.

To Be Read Challenge
Goal: 12 books
Completed: 1

I plan to make a dent in this list during spring and summer.

Classics Challenge
Goal: 6 books
Completed: 0

100 Shots of Short
Goal: 100 short stories
Completed: 33

I don’t have to worry about this one, because it’s ongoing - I don’t have to have it finished by the end of the year.

So, are you doing reading challenges this year? If so, how is it going? Did you bite off more than you can chew - as it is becoming apparent I did?

Spring is here! It’s been beautiful in our neck of the woods, and the kids are extremely excited that the snow has finally melted at the park. We have spring break in a couple of weeks, and I am looking forward to afternoons at the park - lots of reading time while the kids run and play. Has spring hit at your place yet?

~ With spring comes April, National Poetry Month. If you’d like to receive poems in your e-mail inbox every day during April, click over to Poets.org and Borzoi Reader and sign up.

~ For those of you who like historical fiction, Devourer of Books has a review of The Tory Widow by Christine Blevins.

~ Seattle’s Central Library had a Harry Potter vs. Twilight debate. Guess who won?

~ If you’re a fan of paranormal fiction, Wendi’s Book Corner has a review of Kitty and the Midnight Hour by Carrie Vaughn - plus a chance to win a copy.

~ At 5 Minutes for Books, author Erica Bauermeister talks about how a lifetime of reading prepared her to write The School of Essential Ingredients.

~ Write for a Reader has a review of Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson. I’ve seen so many positive reviews of this YA title - I’ve added it to my wish list.

~ How well do you know your dysfunctional families of literature? Take The Guardian’s quiz to find out.

~ Is the economy getting you down? Linus’s Blanket is giving away two copies of Fight For Your Money by David Bach.

~ Speaking of giveaways, there’s still a chance to enter my giveaway and win a copy of The Laws of Harmony by Judith R. Hendricks.

In the past few weeks, I’ve done posts about my favorite read-alouds and audiobooks. I thought I’d continue the series with my favorite books in each genre that I read, starting with mysteries. One thing that I love about mysteries is the sense of tidy resolution at the end. Even though mysteries deal with the rough, scary side of life, the bad guy loses, the good guy wins - at least usually. I guess that’s one of the reasons that I was so dissatisfied with the ending of Tana French’s In the Woods. I know that I am in the minority, though, because many critics proclaimed her “brilliant” and “gutsy” for leaving one of the mysteries unsolved.

Another thing I love about mysteries is that they usually come in series. When I read the first in a series, and love it, I have the thrill of knowing there are more books with the same character, written in the same style. P.D. James is the author of two series I enjoy.

Cover Her Face is the first in James’ Inspector Adam Dalgliesh series. I’ve read several - not in order, which is unusual for me - and I love the way James writes her characters. She explores the intricacies of human nature and keeps you guessing until the very end, when the culprit is revealed. Dalgliesh is a fascinating detective, a combination of poetry-writing intellectual and shrewd investigator.

An Unsuitable Job for a Woman is the first in James’ Cordelia Gray mysteries. I’ve only read this one, but I loved the character and will definitely be reading the rest of the series.

Booked to Die by John Dunning is the first of the Bookman mysteries. Cliff Janeway is a Denver homicide detective who loses his badge after taking justice into his own hands. As a second career, Janeway turns to his passion: books. He opens a used book store and starts to deal in collectible books, solving mysteries on the side. I love the character of Janeway, and I love all the book talk. I’ve read the first four books in the series; they’re all great.

If you’ve been reading this blog for long, then you know how much I love Laurie R. King’s Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes mysteries. The Beekeeper’s Apprentice is the first in the series. King combines history, mystery, the iconical Holmes character, and the inimitable Mary Russell to brilliant result. I’m on book six in the series, which I plan to read soon.

Sue Grafton’s Kinsey Milhone series is one of the first mystery series to truly hook me as an adult. I read A is for Alibi the summer of 2007, and proceeded to read all the way to R is for Ricochet before the summer was over. They make perfect lakeside and poolside reading. I’ve since read volumes S and T, although I didn’t care for T is for Trespass as much as I did the rest of the series. I’m looking forward to the release of the next volume.

I’m new to the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich. I listened to the first two on audibook, for which C.J. Critt is the brilliant reader. Stephanie Plum is a lingerie-salesperson turned bounty hunter, and these books are filled with humor and action. The supporting cast of characters are so well-written that you can see them: Stephanie’s mother and father, Grandma Mazur, Joe Morelli, Loula. I have book three ready to listen to after I finish Diana Gabaldon’s Voyager.

There you have my mystery series addictions. Which ones have you read, liked, loved, hated? Which great series am I missing out on?

Other posts in my “favorites” series:

~ 55 Must-Read Novels
~ My Top Twelve Audiobooks
~ Our Favorite Read-Alouds

I was fortunate enough to receive two review copies of The Laws of Harmony by Judith R. Hendricks. I won one copy in a blog giveaway, and another through Library Thing Early Reviewers. Which is good news for you, my readers, because I will give one of you the superfluous copy.

Sunny Cooper has been running since she was eighteen—from the New Mexican commune where she grew up . . . and from the haunting memory of the freak accident that took the life of her younger sister. Now, at thirty-two, Sunny voices radio spots in Albuquerque while struggling to hold on to a floundering relationship. But when a second tragic accident—and the devastating truths that come to light in its aftermath—turns her world upside down, Sunny runs again.

In the town of Harmony on San Miguel Island, she takes a new job, learns to ride a motorcycle, and makes some surprising new friends. But the past is never far behind. A startling discovery—along with an emotional and revelatory reunion with her estranged mother—is forcing Sunny to step out from the shadows of yesterday to embrace an uncertain future.

For one entry, leave a comment on this post telling me your favorite work of contemporary literature.

For a second entry, subscribe to my blog on Bloglines and Google Reader, and then come leave me a separate comment telling me you subscribed. If you’re already a subscriber, leave me a comment telling me so - that counts, too.

For a third entry, tweet about this giveaway on Twitter, and then come back and leave me a comment with your Twitter user name.

For a fourth and/or fifth entry, Stumble or Digg this giveaway (you can use the handy little icons at the bottom of this post) and then leave me a comment telling me about it.

This giveaway will stay open until 11:59 pm PST, Friday, April 3rd. On Saturday, April 4th, I will use Random.org to draw a winner.

Good luck!

This giveaway/contest is being run by the independent writer of booksandmovies.today.com and has not been reviewed or endorsed by the webhost, Today.com.

I just finished Uglies by Scott Westerfeld five minutes ago - and I am so mad that I don’t have the sequel here to start right away! I placed a hold at the library web site, but it has to come from another branch, so it will take several days. I had no idea that it would end on such a cliff-hanger!

Uglies is the story of 15-year-old Tally Youngblood. She is an Ugly, and all of her friends have already had their 16th birthdays and left her behind. Tally’s waiting for her turn to have the operation that everyone receives on the day they turn 16 - the operation that will transform her into a Pretty.

While waiting, Tally meets Shay, a fellow Ugly who has the same birthday as Tally. As they spend more and more time together, it becomes apparent that Shay doesn’t want to become a Pretty. She thinks the idea of everyone becoming the epitome of beauty is boring, and she doesn’t want to lose her individuality. She tells Tally of a place called The Smoke, where Uglies live in hiding, surviving off the land, never becoming pretty. A few days before they are scheduled for their surgeries, Shay takes off for The Smoke, leaving behind cryptic instructions in case Tally decides to join her.

Tally is convinced that the secret to happiness is to go through with the surgery and become a Pretty. After all, her friends are already in New Pretty Town, waiting for her. But when she arrives for her surgery, she is taken to Special Circumstances instead of the operating room. The evil Pretty Dr. Cable informs Tally that the only way she’ll ever get the surgery is to infiltrate The Smoke and then send out a signal to Dr. Cable so that the rebel camp can be raided and destroyed.

When Tally arrives at The Smoke, though, all of her preconceived notions about beauty, happiness, and loyalty are challenged, and she has to decide what’s more important - the new relationships and sense of family she has found, or the prospect of becoming Pretty.

I loved this book - it hooked me completely and kept me turning the pages. I’ve always liked dystopian fiction, especially when it seems to expand on concepts and trends that are already evident in today’s society. Our society is so obsessed with beauty that the premise of this book is not far-fetched at all, which I find very scary. I absolutely cannot wait to read the sequel and find out what happens to Tally, Shay, David, Croy, and all the other characters.

4 out of 5 stars

Sandy from You’ve Gotta Read This and Jess from Barney’s Book Blog were both sweet enough to honor me with the Sisterhood Award! Both of their blogs are fantastic - be sure to check them out.

Now, it’s my turn to pass the award on to other bloggers who interest and inspire me. Here are my sister bloggers:

Kathy from Bermudaonion

Wendi from Wendi’s Book Corner

Lezlie from Books ‘N Border Collies

Avisannschild from She Reads and Reads

Nise’ from Under the Boardwalk

Sheri from A Novel Menagerie

Those are just a few of the wonderful bloggers who inspire me - check out my sidebar for more.

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

Tally searched for signs of anyone remaining in the Smoke. It seemed entirely deserted, but there might be a few Specials in hiding, waiting for stragglers to reappear.

To read other book bloggers’ teasers, or to leave a link to your own, visit Should Be Reading.

I am now smack-dab in the middle of Uglies, so I am in the middle of a rebel outpost known as the Smoke. I’m learning how these people live, and realizing that the fact that I am a spy in their midst will threaten a whole way of life and many people’s lives.

I am also in Edinburgh, reunited with my husband after 20 years of absence. I don’t know what has happened to him in the past twenty years, I haven’t told him what has happened to me in the past twenty years, but it doesn’t matter - we’re together again, and that’s everything. Sigh.

Where is your reading taking you? Leave a link to your answer at An Adventure in Reading.