2. Why Shoot a Butler by Georgette Heyer

Why Shoot a Butler? was written in 1933.  As I read it, I could tell it wasn't contemporary but couldn't really place the era.  It's sort of a timeless book.  Frank Amberley finds a woman standing by a car in which he discovers a dead body.  Being of considerable intellect, he determines the woman, Shirley, didn't commit the crime; but sets out to find who did.  Okay, Frank and Shirley are not names authors use these days for the hero and heroine so that did date the book a bit, plus I could have looked at the cover more closely.  Anyway, Frank is brash, rude and a pain-in-the-butt for the local police; but he always solves the mystery.  He reminded me of Sherlock Holmes in his condescension and his uncanny ability to unravel even the most meager clue.  But his sarcastic remarks are so funny to the reader even if they typically go right over the head of his intended target.   Frank may be quite the cad, but he also showed a soft side to his friends and relatives.  There were some other great characters in this book: Frank's country squire uncle who can't understand the bothers of such unpleasant events as murder; his seemingly dimwitted aunt who is actually very sharp; the police sergeant who almost knows better than to question Frank's opinion and the chief inspector who is always wrong.  Frank Amberly would have been a great movie role for Cary Grant.  I guess we won't get to see that but it would have been fun.  This was a delightful, well-written book with clever repartee and an interesting mystery. 
Rating:  4

CATCHING UP CHALLENGE

Catching Up Challenge

I used to be such a challenge queen.  One year, I completed over twenty challenges.  Guess I got a little burned out because I didn't join any challenges last year, completing two joined the year before and my personal challenge, Book Around the States.  Once again, I've decided not to join any challenges this year except for a personal challenge I am setting for myself.  At the first of every year, I review my TBR list (which you can see for yourself by clicking on the link on my sidebar), and I've noticed that I tend to get sidetracked by my latest acquisitions.  The first list I ever published on January 1, 2007 had 225 books on it.  (My last count of the TBR list was 472)  Many of those have been read and many have been deleted because my interest in them waned (lovely word); but I found 30 books still on my list and on my shelves.  So the challenge is for me to get those books read this year.  That still leaves me lots of leeway in reading other books that strike my fancy at any given time.  Here's a long list of the languishing literature left to be looked at.

1.  Gideon the Cutpurse by Linda Buckley Archer
2.  Arthur and George by Julian Barnes
3.  Tara Road by Mauve Binchy
4.  Farewll Summer by Ray Bradbury
5.  Jany Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
6.  And Then There Was None by Agatha Christie
7.  Dispatches From the Edge by Anderson Cooper
8.  The Whistling Season by Ivan Doig
9.  The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke
10.  Inside the Dream by Katharine and Richard Green (had this book for years)
11.  The Secret River by Kate Grenville
12.  Floating in My Mother's Palm by Ursula Heigl
13.  Boston Jane by Jennifer Holm
14.  Armed Funmen, True Facts & Ridiculous Nonsense by Richard Kallam
15.  Father's Arcane Daughter by E L Konigsburg
16.  The Great Divorce by C S Lewis
17.  Norman Rockwell by Karal Ann Marling
18.  1776 by David McCullough
19.  The Great Bridge by David McCullough
20.  Atonement by Ian McEwan
21.  Eye Contact by Cammie McGovern
22.  Savage Beauty - The Life of Edna Vincent Millay by Nancy Mitford
23.  Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas by James Patterson
24.  Sam's Letters to Jennifer by James Patterson (I may have already read this one.  I'll remember when I start it again.  If so, this one comes off the list.)
25.  Mort by Terry Partchett
26.  The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett
27.  How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff
28.  Franny and Zooey by J D Salinger
29.  The Rug Merchant by Meg Mullins
30.  Cage of Stars by Jacqueline Mitchard

Why have I never read these books?  I certainly meant to.  By the end of the year, I will have.  This may become an annual assignment to read the books that interested me three years before.  I'm just afraid that the list is going to be considerably longer in the coming years.  I can't seem to quit buying books.  There's eight more books on the way.  I don't have two years of food storage and may starve to death; but at least I won't be bored. 

1. Time and Again by Jack Finney

Time and Again is called an illustrated novel.  It's story of travel through time to New York City in the 1890's is both unique and ingenious.  I loved looking at the pictures of the city 90 years before the story takes place (1970).  The hero, Si Morley, is an artist drawing boring little pictures of butter and such at a NY ad agency when he is recruited by a secret government agency to take part in a secret experiment.  He accepts the offer and soon is learning all about customs and culture in the late 19th century.  His instruction also includes learning self-hypnosis.  It is through hypnosis that he is able to actually transport himself, mentally and physically,  back in time.  He has requested to return to a certain time when a letter was posted by an unknown person to his girlfriend's grandfather.  He later committed suicide because of that letter.  On Si's first visit, his girlfriend is actually able to go with him because of her physical contact with him.  Subsequent visits are made alone.  He uses his artistic talents to draw pictures of how the city appeared before towering skyscrapers, automobiles, and pollution.  On one visit he meets a photographer who luckily gives him copies of prints of pictures he has taken with his new camera.  The art and the photos add a wonderful quality to this book.  Here is one of The Dakota, an apartment building still standing in NYC, but taken in 1892 from a point in Central Park.   You can hardly imagine all those tall buildings which eventually surrounded what was once an isolated structure. 

The story does become a bit tiresome with all the detailed information about the past times but there is the storyline about the mysterious letter that adds some real adventure and intrigue right when it is most needed.   Then the are the moral issues that crop up when people start messing with time that added a twist to the story as well.  I liked the book even though it lagged a bit in the middle.  It is a wonderful look at the past and Si Morley is a great character.
Rating:  3.75

CATCHING UP CHALLENGE

2009 Reading Review

The year is over and it's time to look back at the great books I read or listened to.  I reached a grand total of 113 books read with 36,340 pages and 14 audio books listened to.  Woohoo.  I finished the following challenges: 

Book Awards Challenge

Canadian Challenge

Book Around the States Challenge

While I have enjoyed challenges in the past, I did not enter any new challenges in 2009.  I don't plan on entering any this year either except for one personal challenge (I'll discuss that on another post.).   At the start of the year, my TBR list was close to 500 books which I have whittled down to an astonishing 472 books of which I own 356.  For the first time in years, I've actually read more books than I've added to the list.  That deserves another big WOOHOO.  Here's a list of my favorite books read from the past year:

Going Postal by Terry Pratchett

Still Life by Louise Penny

A Fatal Grace by Louise Penny

Animal Dream by Barbara Kingsolver

North River by Pete Hamil

West with the Night by Beryl Markham

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Broken for You by Stephanie Kallos

The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart

Framed by Frank Cottrell Boyce

Peak by Roland Smith

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Stargazing:  Memoirs of a Young Lighthouse Keeper by Peter Hill

A Rule Against Murder by Louise Penny

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C S Lewis

The Silver Chair by C S Lewis

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

There were a lot of other books read this year that I really enjoyed almost as much.  In fact, only two books got tossed aside and a mere handful received ratings below a 3. (5 being the highest)  Right now, I have an audio book on the Walkman that I have been trying to finish since October.  There are only a few chapters left but I keep forgetting to put the earphones on.  I'm also reading Time and Again by Jack Finney.  I've been working on that since the 20th.  It's pretty interesting but not in a I-can't-put-this-down-until-I-finish-it kind of way.  True, there's been a lot going on in my life the last two weeks; but this is a long time for me to spend on one book.  Hopefully, I will post reviews on both books in the next week.  I hope you all read some great books in 2009 and here's wishing you all a Happy New Year filled with health, happiness, and great literature.

127. Forest Born by Shannon Hale

Forest Born is the fourth in the Bayern series of fantasy books which Hale has so wonderfully created.  The Goose Girl remains my favorite but I can get carried away in any of her books.  I loved her foreword where she states that the series was supposed to end at three but then she had to tell this tale but it is the absolute last except . . .  She has a great sense of humor and that shows in her writing, plus she is gifted in her wordcraft, creating characters and descriptions that pull you in.  This book tells the story of Razo's sister, Rin, who has the gift of tree-speaking; but also the terrible gift of people-speaking.  Rin is so afraid that she will misuse her gifts, that she doesn't use them at all.  There is a lesson here to develop your talents but to also make up your mind immediately to use them for good and not be swayed by selfish and unworthy intentions.  If you haven't read Shannon Hale's books, now is a good time to start. I've read all but two and loved them all.  Rating:  4.5

123 - 126. Short Christmas Stories

The Mitford Snowmen by Jan Karon  This is a very short story about the townspeople of Mitford spontaneously building snowmen on Main Street.  It has many of the characters we come to know and love in the other Mitford books and is written with the same gentle humor and love. 
Rating:  4

Christmas in Haggerty by Betsy Brannon Green  Green's Haggerty series involve a young LDS mother, her FBI husband and their odd Southern neighbors as they work together to solve mysteries.  In this fun Christmas tale, the mystery involves geneaology and finding out about the crying baby Kate dreams about each night.  The side tale covers the town of Haggerty's Christmas door decoration contest and how several women try to one-up each other in order to win the prize.  It's all good fun and heart-warming as well.  Rating:  4.25

 Up on the Rooftop by Jean Z Liebenthal  It's Chritmas, 1937 in the small town of Wind Valley.  Through the mouth of  a seven-year-old girl we fee the nostagia of a more simple and wholesome time.  The Christmas spirit comes through as we follow the tales of children being children and neighbors being neighbors.  There is a Christmas pageant and a wonderful ending as the narrator learns the truth about Santa Clause and the true meaning of Christmas.  Rating: 

 I Heard the Bells of Christmas Day by Lloyd and Karmel Newell  For several years, my mother has given all of her kids and grandkids Christmas books to be opened before Christmas.  This is the one she gave me this year, saying this is her favorite Christmas Carol.  The illustrations by Dan Burr and absolutely breathtaking as we follow Henry Longfellow through his life up to the writing of this poem.  The Newells also includes historical facts about the customs of the era, the Longfellow home, and  other interesting tidbits.  At the end of the book is a piece written by Daniel Warner called, "Longfellow's Christmas."  In an accompanying DVD, Edward Hermann does a wonderful dramatic presentation of this piece from the LDS Conference Center in Salt Lake City with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra in the background.  And listening to the Choir sing this song with the bells ringing at the end gave me chills.  Thanks, Mom, for a great Christmas experience.  Rating:  4.5

122. Comfort and Joy by Kristin Hannah

I don't read too many romances and really only care for those that include a healthy dose of humor.  But I felt a romance with a Christmas setting would probably be more palatable so I hunkered down with Comfort and Joy, looking for some love and Christmas spirit:.  Joy Cabellero is not feeling the Christmas sprit in her home or her job as a high school librarian.  She is recently divorced after finding her husband in bed with her best friend who also happens to be her sister.  One night, she arrives home with a scrawny Christmas tree strapped to the top of her car only to find her sister waiting on the front step.  Stacey begs forgiveness but also needs to tell Joy that she is pregnant and to invite Joy to the wedding.  Losing it completely, Joy drives to the nearest airport and boards a charter flight to a place called Hope.  The place crashes, but Joy walks away from the crash and finds herself at an almost defunct bed and breakfast.  Here she meets 8-year-old Bobby and his father, Daniel.  You guessed it, love is in the air.  Up to this point, the story is well-told.  The author does a great job of portraying Joy's despair and loneliness, Bobby's sorrow at the death of his mother and anger at the father he hasn't seen for four years; and Daniel's confusion and ineptitude in dealing with the son he knows so little about.  Still, it is all very predictable but sweet and Christmassy.  Then the story takes a huge twist which should have made it more interesting but which was so unbelievable and odd that I couldn't get past it.  Like all romances, it ends happily.  I just didn't like the plot twist. 

Rating:  2.75

121 Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

There must be dozens of versions of the Cinderella fairy tale, but this one belongs at the top of the list.  Ella is a great character who was given a terrible gift at her birth.  That gift curses her throughout her life as others learn about it and take advantage of her because of it.  But she manages to be a fun, intelligent, courageous girl in spite of the curse.  The story includes the standard fare of the mean stepmother, two ugly stepsisters, a handsome prince, and a fairy godmother; all much more enjoyable characters than in the basic story.  There is just more substance to them, bad or good.  I really enjoyed this fun, light story and hope that the other book I have by Levine is just as good.  I haven't seen the movie based on Ella Enchanted, but I heard it wasn't as good as the book.  Too bad as I enjoy Ann Hathaway.  Maybe I'll watch it anyway.  Stay tuned.  Rating:  4.5

120. Silent Night / All Through the Night by Mary HIggins Clark

This book contains two short novels that Mary Higgins Clark wrote specifically for the holiday season. My problem is that her mysteries have always seemed formulaic so I haven't read her books for quite some time.  After listening to her autobiography, I thought I would give her mysteries another try. She is just very likeable.

Silent Night  Catherine is in New York City with her two sons, Brian and Michael, on Christmas Eve.  Her husband is in the hospital being treated for cancer.  She and the two boys decide to pass some time seeing the Christmas sights but she accidentally drops her wallet.  Brian, the younger son, sees the wallet fall and be picked up by another woman.  He knows it contains the St. Christopher medal which they are taking to Dad the next morning which he knows will guarantee Dad's recovery.  He follows the woman to try and retrieve the wallet and the medal.  Cally had picked up the wallet without thinking.  She is desperately poor and thinks the rich woman who dropped it will probably never miss it.  Unfortunately, her escaped convict brother is waiting when she arrives home, sees Brian, and decides to use him as a hostage.  The rest of the story deals with how Cally and Catherine deal with their circumstances and the police investigation.  It is really a story about the power of faith and prayer.  While it is sappy, it is still a good read for the Christmas season.

All Through the Night  This story features a couple Higgins has written about before, Willy and Alvirah.  A young woman gives birth in her hotel room and leaves the infant with a note at the front door of St Clement's church.  However, at the same time, a man is stealing money and a silver chalice from the church, sees the baby pram and uses it to help him make his getaway.  He is surprised to find the baby inside and takes her home to his great aunt.  Seven years later, the man is planning to take his "daughter" to Mexico; and the woman is searching for her child.  Willie and Alvirah see her visiting several times at the church and take her under their wing.  At the same time, a friend has been disinherited by her sister; and Alvirah is sure the will has been created under shady circumstances.  This story is even sappier than the first, but Willy and Alvirah are such fun characters that it makes the drippy ending more bearable. 

I doubt if these two tales will become standard holiday reading at my home, but they are short and filled with Christmas spirit; so I will probably read them again in the future.

Rating:  3.75

119. Ender's Shadow by Orson Scott Card

Ender's Shadow is the third in the Ender series that I have read.  I loved Ender's Game  and really enjoyed Speaker for the Dead.  I just find the character of Ender fascinating and interestingly complex.  But Shadow is actually more about another character, Bean, a young boy incredibly small for his age who is even more brilliant that Ender.  I found I had to work hard to suspend my disbelief at how much the infant and toddler Bean was able to do in order to survive.  Eventually the story explains some of his unnatural abilities and ably ties that information into explaining some of Bean's shortcomings.  Card wrote this book quite a while after Game, but wrote it as a parallel story, just from Bean's perspective.  More than anything, it made me want to go and reread Ender's Game with this new perspective on what happened.  And also, because I loved the character of Ender, and this book almost expalins his abilities away.  Having said that, I still thought Card wrote a brilliant book with such a creative premise for the future.  I just want Ender to remain a hero in my mind like he was after reading the first book.  Now his heroism and talents are more ambiguous.

Rating:  4.5

118. A Redbird Christmas by Fannie Flagg

Oswald T Campbell is a loser.  He's an alcoholic, has emphysema but still sneaks a smoke, his ex-wife is his only friend and his doctor has just told him he only only a few months to live.  In order to prolong his life, Oswald moves to a small town in Alabama.  Again, Fannie Flagg has created a townful of quirky characters including Jack, the redbird who lives in a small grocery store.  In this sentimental tale, Oswald grows to love the town and its citizens especially a small child named Patsy who has been abandoned by drifters.  In an effort to get Patsy the medical attention she needs, Oswald and the town grow even closer together with a culminating event right after Christmas.  Yes, it's predictable and super sweet; but at Christmas time, it fit right into my mood and gave me a good Yuletide lift. 

Rating:  4.25

117. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

A few years ago I listened to A Thousand Splendid Suns by this author and found it dark and dreary.  I wished I had read instead of listened to it because I sensed I would have enjoyed it much more.  But because it was quite depressing to me, I put off reading The Kite Runner.  About all I knew was it took place in Afghanistan; and I haven't really liked the books I've read about that country.  I should have paid more attention to the reviews of others because this is a fantastic book.  The author begins the story before the overthrow of the Afghan monarchy, before the Soviet invasion, and before the regime of the Taliban. So I was able to get a sense of what the country and culture was like when it enjoyed a more peaceful and prosperous time.  Peace and prosperous are relative terms here as I believe many of the inhabitants were always quite poor; and it has always had a history of violence.  But I liked getting a look of that earlier time period. 

The story revolves around a young boy, Amir, and his relationship with the family servant's son, Hassan.  There is a pivotal event which shapes and colors Amir's actions for the next twenty years.  The reader also follows Amir's complicated relationship with his father through this time period as they flee Afghanistan to settle in the United States.  Amir eventually returns to his boyhood home to finally redeem himself for his actions when he was twelve. 

I loved Hosseini's writing.  It is lyrical, expressive and haunting.  This book will stay in my mind for a long time.  The story itself is so compelling.  At first I didn't really like Amir or his father; but as the characters develop and the book follows them over the course of the years; I developed more feelings for them.  And the theme of redemption is wonderfully presented.  Halfway through the book, as Amir returns to Afghanistan, I could hardly put the it down.  This is one of the few books I've read that makes me want to see the movie.  I highly recommend it.  There is some profanity (not much), some violence; definitely filled with stark realism; but so beautifully written and such a moving story that you shouldn't miss out on it.

Rating:  5

116. Bloodroot by Susan Wittig Albert

This novel departs from the usual China Bayles mysteries.  It doesn't take place in Pecan Springs; and the usual eccentric Texas characters are missing.  China travels to her mother's childhood home, a plantation in Mississippi, to help care for the aunt who raised Leatha.  Aunt Tullie is old, grumpy and suffers from a rare genetic disease.  This discovery is just one of the many things whihc concerns China about her aunt's situation.  Shortly after China arrives, an old childhood friend is found in his truck which has been covered by the Bloodroot River.  An young servant at the plantation turns up missing as well.  She remembers seeing a body being dug up in the garden when she was ten.   There are a lot of mysteries and drama going on and China eventually solves all of them.  I just missed the Pecan Springs setting and people.  They make the books so much more fun and interesting.  This one was a little flat for me.
Rating:  3.75

115. 13 1/2 by Navada Barr

I love the Anna Pigeon mystery series that Barr writes which all take plae in National Parks.  Anna is such a great character and I love learning more about the parks.  I was excited to read this book which is a departure from the other series. 

I would call 13 1/2 a psychological thriller rather than a mystery.  There are flashbacks in the lives of the two main characters:  Dylan, who is sent to prison at the age of 11 for killing his parents and baby sister, and Polly, who runs away from her abusive mother after her stepfather attempts to sexually abuse her.  The details of the family murder are pretty brutal and so is Polly's life before she leaves home.  Of course, the book has a twist.  I figured that  part out quite quickly, but I'm not sure that the author was trying to keep it a big mystery.  The true suspense comes form wondering if the characters in the book will figure everything out before history repeats itself.  Barr does an incredible job in keeping the reader on the edge of her seat as the final drama unfolds.
Rating:  4

114. The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance by Elna Baker

Let me begin by telling you what this book is not.  It is not an LDS mystery or romance; it is not an LDS conversion story; and it is not an exposé of unsavory secret Mormon practices.  Elna Baker is a single, Mormon comedian living in New York City and this is her story of how she tries to reconcile her belief system with the social practices of the Big Apple.  Throughout the memoir, Baker shares her experiences at seven Singles Halloween Dances.  Her costumes are a riot, but her hopes of meeting "The One" Mormon male are dashed each time.  Then there are the other single pitfalls (pratfalls?) just lurking for the naive young Mormon.  At first, she is overweight, but losing the weight brings a whole new set of problems:  dating a lot more but with non-Mormons who don't understand the "wait until marriage" mentality.  I think her experiences are spot on for a lot of young single LDS women.  What I really liked about Baker was the way she would turn to God and the scriptures for answers and help.  I liked how she shared the peace she felt when receiving answers.  I loved some of her stories, so hilarious; others made me cringe, what was she thinking to share that with the whole world.  Her complete honesty was totally refreshing except for a few times when it was too too much.  To be fair, in her dedication; she does warn her parents:  "This book . . . aside from the nine F-words, thirteen Sh-words, four A-holes, page 257, and the entire Warren Beatty chapter . . . is dedicated to you.  You might want to avoid chapters twenty-one, twenty-two, twenty-three, anything I quote Mom saying, and most of the end as well.  Sorry, am I still cute as a button?"   It's always a good thing when you start a book laughing, isn't it?  I like that she tested her beliefs which in the beginning only strengthened them.  What I struggled with was the way she tried to make deals with the Lord, never a good idea because what you want may not be the best for you.  As in any life, faith is on ongoing process; and it seems fitting that it is still ongoing for the author as well.  I really did enjoy the book except for the profanity and some sexual encounters, again way too much information there. 
Rating:  4.25

113. This House of Sky by Ivan Doig

Let me start by saying that I loved Doig's English Creek.  And House of Sky contains the same lyrical, breathtaking prose and cowboy realism.  After getting his PHD in history, Doig decides instead to write a book about his father, a Montana sheeprancher; and his grandmother, the mother of Doig's mother who died when he was six.  The two have a hate/dislike relationship but overlook that in the interests of raising Ivan.  Still, they're both quite the characters.  I learned a lot about sheep ranching, enough to confirm that sheep really are stupid animals and a lot of work.  I learned that a family can live with so little, overcome so much; and still develop that binding love that remains with you all your life.  As I said, Doig writes beautifully and tells a good story.  However, midway through the book, I lost a little interest.  The final scenes were pretty gut-wrenching and I was glad to have Kleenex close by.  While I didn't like House nearly as much as Creek; I'm still looking forward to reading the rest of Doig's books which are sitting on the shelf.  I classified these as western literature.  If you like the great outdoors, ranching, horses, tough men and tougher women; you should read this book.

Rating:  4

112. The Fairy's Mistake by Gail Carson Levine

Every once in a while, it is fun to read a book in just one night.  I can do that when there are only 84 pages involved.  The Fairy's Mistake tells the tale of twin sisters, one good and one bad and her mother's favorite.  Rosella does all the chores including fetching water from the well.  She graciously gives an old woman (the fairy in disguise) a drink and is rewarded by spewing jewels from her mouth every time she speaks.  Myrtle (bad sister) tries to find the fairy to get a similar reward but offends a knight (again, the fairy in disguise) and is punished with bugs and snakes coming from her mouth whenever she speaks.  Yuck.  Shortly, a prince joins the tale and things don't go quite as the fairy envisioned them.  It's such a cute, funny story, written very simplistically so children will enjoy it as well.  Great way to spend an evening.

Rating:  3.75

111. English Trifle by Josi Kilpack

English Trifle is the second in a series of culinary mysteries starring Sadie Hoffmiller.  This book sees Sadie and her daughter, Breanna, visiting England with Breanna's boyfriend, the next Earl of Garnett.  As they wait in the manor's sitting room for Liam to come down to say goodbye before they head back to the States, Sadie and  her daughter discover a body pinned to the wall with a fireplace poker.  Naturally, they miss their flight and tumble into all kinds of trouble as Sadie pokes her nose into everything, getting more things wrong than right until it all works out in the end.  While I loved Sadie in the first book, now I found her to be a sort of a caricature of the busybody, gauche American.  Some of her actions just didn't seem to be believable, although she does become more likeable as the investigation progresses.  The story also had your stereotypical patronizing English lord and snooty British servants.   And it just didn't seem as humorous as the first one.  Having said all that, the book did become more interesting the further I got into it as it was a good mystery.  And there were some fun recipes for English cuisine.  I just feel bad that I didn't feel the same connection with Sadie that I did in the first book.  I still plan on reading Kilpack's next book, Devil's Food Cake.  Sadie is back in America and I hope I find her more appealing.
Rating:  3

110. Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult

After reading six books straight from the Narnia series, I felt I needed a good dose of adult realism.  Ahh, Jodi Picoult, just the ticket, get myself immersed in some real life issues and away from children's fantasy and C. S. Lewis' Biblical retelling.  Like the other Picoult books I have read, this one deals with some social, medical, political; and, to my dismay, religious issues.  While it is certainly not children's literature (a man is stabbed in the throat with the end of a broom handle), there is definitely an element of fantasy to this book as well.  It took me about halfway through the book to just suspend my disbelief and read the story for what it was.  Here is a synopsis from Amazon:

Picoult bangs out another ripped-from-the-zeitgeist winner, this time examining a condemned inmate's desire to be an organ donor. Freelance carpenter Shay Bourne was sentenced to death for killing a little girl, Elizabeth Nealon, and her cop stepfather. Eleven years after the murders, Elizabeth's sister, Claire, needs a heart transplant, and Shay volunteers, which complicates the state's execution plans. Meanwhile, death row has been the scene of some odd events since Shay's arrival—an AIDS victim goes into remission, an inmate's pet bird dies and is brought back to life, wine flows from the water faucets. The author brings other compelling elements to an already complex plot line: the priest who serves as Shay's spiritual adviser was on the jury that sentenced him; Shay's ACLU representative, Maggie Bloom, balances her professional moxie with her negative self-image and difficult relationship with her mother. Picoult moves the story along with lively debates about prisoner rights and religion, while plumbing the depths of mother-daughter relationships and examining the literal and metaphorical meanings of having heart. The point-of-view switches are abrupt, but this is a small flaw in an impressive book. 

Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc.
Eventually I began to enjoy the religious issues that Picoult presents because she lets the reader draw her own conclusions.  I've heard very little about the Gnostic Gospels and found that information very interesting.  I felt that she did carry the Messianic comparisons a little far, but she also capably portrayed the polarizing effects of religion; something mankind has yet to find a way to overcome.  I like the use of four narrators as it allows you to get to know those characters so well as they unfold the story.  Picoult's research into so many different topics never fails to astound and impress me. I always learn something when I read her books.  It's always good to see other viewpoints.  Even though I struggled with this book at first, I ended up liking it very much.  Except for the epilogue; that was over the top.
Rating:  4.25

104 - 109 The Chronicles of Narnia by C S Lewis

A year ago, I decided to begin at the first reading this series of books. Loved The Magician's Nephew. There's no explanation for the fact that I had not read the rest, but now I have remedied it. I wanted to read all the books before any more movies are made to color my reading. I'll do a brief synopsis of each book for those few who, like me, have never read them. I understand there is some controversy over the order of the books, but I'm calling The Magician's Nephew number one and going on from there.

2. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe  If you haven't read this book, surely you've seen the movie. I had and maybe that's why I hadn't read the book. I thought it was fun, James McAvoy cute, and the entire production quite inventive. Overall though, it was just okay for me. So I was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed the book so much and didn't have images of the movie in my mind as I read it. Basically, Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy explore a house they are staying in during the evacuation of London in WWII. They come upon a wardrobe, hide in it and magically find themselves in the land of Narnia. There is an evil witch who uses Edmund for her wicked purposes. The other three find their way to Aslan, the Lion ruler, who helps in the battle against the witch. Strong Biblical symbolism like the first book.

Rating: 4.5

3. The Horse and His Boy  What's not to love about a talking horse. I'm sure Mr. Ed was patterned after Bree, the Narnian horse who helps Shasta escape from Calormene. Shasta is a very heroic boy who does what is right even though he is petrified. Susan, Edmund and Lucy play small parts in this book, but as adults. Rating: 4.25

4. Prince Caspian  I also saw the movie based on this book and enjoyed it very much. Therefore, I was disappointed in the book. There is not nearly as much interaction between the Pevensies children and Prince Caspian as was depicted in the movie. Romance between Caspian and Suan? Not at all. In fact, Susan whines a lot. There just seemed to be a lot more traveling in this book and not as much action. The talking animals were fun though, and I love the descriptions of the trees awakening. Rating: 3.5

5. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader  Edmund and Lucy return to Narnia bringing their obnoxious cousin, Eustace Scrubb, along. They join King Caspian on his ship, the Dawn Treader, as he goes on a quest to find the seven noblemen banished by his uncle in the last book. They must sail to the End of the World to complete the quest and have some great adventures along the way. Joining them is Reedicheep, the fighting mouse, who brings some great comic relief to the whole voyage. This book is one of my favorites in the series. Lewis shows great imagination and his descriptions are so vivid. Rating: 4.75

6.  The Silver Chair  Isn't it sad that as the children age, they are no longer able to return to Narnia?  I miss the four Pevensies; but fortunately, Eustace Scrubb is no longer obnoxious and can still visit.  On this go-round, Scrubb and a schoolmate, Jill Poole, are sent into Narnia with the task to find and rescue Price Rilian.  Puddleglum, a Marsh-wiggle, serves as their guide and is one of the funniest characters in the series.  He is such a pessimist but also brave and resourceful.  Scrubb, Poole, and Puddleglum have some great adventures as they travel to the northern world of the giants and then underground into the lair of the wicked witch.  Another fun read.  Rating:  4.75

7.  The Last Battle  In this book, Scrubb and Poole return to Narnia where many years have passed since their last visit.  An ape has convinced many Narnians that a donkey wearing a lion skin is really Aslan and commands them to do things in Aslan's name.  In this way, he slowly gives Narnia over to its enemies.  Tirian is the king and along with his friends makes a last stand against the Calorenes and evil.  While I know there is a lot of Biblical allegory in all the books, it is certainly the strongest in this one, which may explain why I didn't like it as well.  In the others, I could enjoy the adventures and the fantasy; but Battle is so Biblically heavy-handed that the story suffered for me.  Or maybe I just got tired of the whole series.  Or I'm not into stories about Armageddon.  Whatever.  Not only that, but I really hated what happens to Susan.  Sorry, can't tell you more.  Rating:  3.25

My seven books in this series were published by different publishers.  The first four were from Harper Trophy and I definitely liked them the best.  Each book had a map of Narnia and outlying areas in the back, plus a map in the front which showed greater detail of where that book's action takes place.  I love maps.  Plus the cover art on these four by Chris Van Allsburg was wonderful, reminded me of The Goose Girl cover on the first edition.  The Silver Chair did have a map and a listing of the main characters of all seven books.  Always helpful.  I know there are those who feel the books should be read in the order that Lewis wrote them as it helps the reader to understand the allegories better.  I read them chronologically and liked that just fine.  It's pretty hard to miss the symbolism anyway.  I liked reading my own feelings into them except for the last book pretty much spelled it all out.  I think my favorite book was The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.  My favorite characters were Puddleglum and Shasta.  Overall, I really liked this series and wished I had read it when I was younger.