Book reviews

I've been reading quite a few books. Here are some I've read this year so far and a few words about each:

Enchantment, by Orson Scott Card
What if Sleeping Beauty was real, and the princess awoke in modern times? Set between our familiar world and 850 AD Ukraine, this book interweaves Russian history, Jewish custom, folk tales from each, popular and obscure fairy tales, and makes it mostly believable. I resent when stories wrap up too cleanly, though. I want to sit down with Mr. Card and say, "Sometimes it's ok to have an unhappy ending. Really." While a bit over-researched and under-humanized, the book is enjoyable and difficult to set down.

The Year of Magical Thinking, by Joan Didion
Not as gut-wrenching as it could have been. It is a fascinating account of bewilderment and dealing with change, but I did not find in it the despair I would expect. Didion is removed and very careful about what she reveals of her experiences in the year after her husband suddenly died and her daughter lay ill in the hospital; what she says of those times is studied and self-conscious. One would expect no less of an accomplished writer, though it makes the book slightly less human, less sympathetic.

Sometimes reading like a laundry list of exotic vacations and exclusive restaurants, the point of it -- that Didion's and Dunne's wealth and privilege did nothing to cushion Joan from the grief -- is still clear.

Whitethorn Woods, by Maeve Binchy
Utterly delightful. It is a collection of short stories set around a particular place and event, each one told from a different perspective and through an entirely different personality. Each story is rich and varied, some humorous, some tragic, all of them engaging. This story could not be told without the glimpses into every person, without the knowledge in every history and an understanding of all motives and shortcomings.

The Pearl, by John Steinbeck
This was a challenge for me. I am innately opposed to Steinbeck. But I was challenged by someone I admire and the book is very short, so I read it. I am still in shock. While I understand the message (it's pretty clear), I find the turning point in the plot difficult to locate. It's a masterpiece. I hate to admit it.

Uglies, by Scott Westerfeld
A novel for the YA crowd. This is like Brave New World for a slightly younger audience. It is a futuristic book, taking place in a time when boys and girls undergo an extensive operation at age 16, to fix their features and become pretty. Before that they are known as 'uglies.' While objectionable in itself, there is something even more malicious to the operation.

I didn't find the book very intriguing until the halfway point, but I am still stunned by where it went from there. Stephenie Meyer fans will understand this analogy: What if, at the end of Twilight, Bella had turned into a monster, completely forgotten herself, went on endless rampages, and then the book ended?? I can barely wait to see what happens in book 2, Pretties.

The Goose Girl, by Shannon Hale:
Don't think that I set out to read retellings of fairy tales. I promise it's just a coincidence.

While that's ultimately what this book is -- a retelling of the Brothers Grimm story by the same name -- it is also much more than that. I have rarely read anything so captivating. It is simply charming. The characters are so splendid and the situation, going from bad to worse until it resolves unexpectedly (some of you will likely think of it as predictable -- "Oh, I saw THAT one coming a mile away -- of COURSE she's the king's long-lost child", that sort of thing) but it was a wonderful adventure getting there. Not a two-dimensional book at all, and there are more books that explore this world (Enna Burning, River Secrets). This is a story I can hardly wait to read to my daughters.
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Also, I reread the Twilight series. And I attended two births, made 8 capes, threw two parties for a certain 5-year-old, gained 3 more doula clients, and hold a nervewracking calling in my church that requires hours of my time. And I haven't fallen behind on my homework.