Catching Fire has been sitting in my to-read stack for almost a year. This summer, I finally got around to reading the second book in The Hunger Games trilogy. When I first began reading the book, I was sorely disappointed. It didn’t begin with the spark that I had come to expect from Collins. I almost put the book away in order to move on to something else. I suppose I was picking up on the feelings that my youngest niece had expressed about the book. As I continued to read, I found extremely thought-provoking writing about revolution and rebellion that fascinated me. When the twist of the games finally appeared, I was hooked and couldn’t put it down. I’m anxious to read the final volume of the trilogy to learn how the story ends. I’ll pick up the book next week and add it to my bedside collection in order to guarantee that I return to the adventures of Katniss, Gale, and Peeta before the summer is over.
#30: Winter Garden (Kristin Hannah)
Can love be defined solely by a person’s actions? Is it possible that past experiences and pain shape human interaction? These are two of the main questions raised by Kristin Hannah’s beautiful novel. Meredith and Nina are adult sisters reunited by their father’s death. As a dying request, their father asks that they attempt to get to know their unfeeling, distant mother. As she spins a Russian fairy tale that they have never heard in its entirety, Meredith and Nina begin to understand the experiences that have shaped their mother. Strangely, the fairy tale resounds with elements of truth. Who are the characters in the tale? Where does their mother fit in?
Transporting the reader from the winter gardens of the Pacific Northwest to Russian in the early 20th century, Winter Garden captivates from the outset and explores the pain of the human heart as well as the reality of unconditional love. It’s a beautiful story for anyone who has ever loved and lost.
#29: The Reluctant Fundamentalist (Mohsin Hamid)
Like most Americans, I clearly remember where I was on that fateful Tuesday morning when I first learned of the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. I was filled with anger, fear, and confusion over the attacks. It was impossible to understand why these things were happening. We held our collective breath as we wondered if these were isolated incidents or the first wave of attacks against our country.
Time has passed and the wounds have healed for many. Many authors have added their voice to the memories through works of fiction addressing the tragic events. The Reluctant Fundamentalist was an unusual review for this American reader. Still, I found the book thought-provoking as it explored the events resulting from the attacks from a Middle Eastern point of view.
The novel is set in Pakistan and is told entirely in first person narrative. Our narrator, Changez, studied at an American university and was in the early stages of a lucrative career when the attacks occurred. Changez finds himself living in dual reality of sorts; he is enjoying the American way of life while remembering his heritage as a Pakistani. The novel is uncomfortable to read at times as Hamid mingles criticisms of the American way of life (some might view these as anti-American statements) with a profound affection for other aspects of the nation that has forever changed him. The novel’s conclusion is both ambiguous and disconcerting; the final act is left to the reader’s interpretation. This is not a novel that I think most readers will truly “enjoy”, but I do believe it will become an important part of the dialogue regarding the American role in the global community and our ever-changing understanding of the modern American melting pot.
#28: Fall of Giants (Ken Follett)
First of all, I feel the need to gloat…..I DID IT!!! I survived the 920 pages of this massive novel!
Okay….now that THAT’S out of the way, let’s get down to talking about Fall of Giants. The novel is the first book in The Century Trilogy and was a thrilling read. The story centers around the events surrounding World War I — from the earliest political rumblings and the Archduke’s assassination to the final cease-fire and the earliest appearance of Adolf Hitler in Germany — the novel is amazing in scope. In addition to the presence of historical figures (including Woodrow Wilson and Winston Churchill), the events come to life as we see the crisis through the eyes of six families. The plot is too complicated to attempt to summarize, but let me assure you that it is definitely worth the investment of a few weeks of your reading life. While it was overwhelming in the early stages of the novel to keep up with so many characters, their lives quickly intersected and the saga clarified itself.
I am excited to read the next novel in the trilogy (Winter of the World) and expect I’ll start it in the next week or so. For the moment, I need to come back down to a safer reader altitude and enjoy something not quite as expansive.
Fall of Giants is certainly one of the five best books I’ve read so far this year…..and is the longest of them all, without a doubt!
#27: Only Time Will Tell (Jeffrey Archer)
Let’s just cut to the chase: I think I have found another author to add to my list of favorites! Only Time Will Tell is the first book in Jeffrey Archer’s Clifton Chronicles. The series traces the life of Harry Clifton from his childhood through his adult life in America. I’ve always been a fan of these types of works (I’m working my way through Ken Follett’s Century Trilogy now) and was excited to see how Archer would handle the drama.
Personally I fell in love with Harry from the very beginning. His introduction to a better life through education that was made possible because of his musical talent resonated with my own story. Intrigue is found on each page as we learn more and more about Harry’s life and the lives of those he encounters. It appears that Archer is in the process of writing the Chronicles with volume 3 released in April of this year.
What’s my plan? I figure I’ll put this one on the back shelf for a while and pick up the print edition of Only Time Will Tell and read the entire series. After all, I have to know what happens to Harry as his adventure continues in the New World!
#26: Inferno (Dan Brown)
I have had the release day of Inferno on my calendar for months. I had monitored my reading in the weeks before to make sure that I would be ready for a new book on the Tuesday of the book’s release. On that Tuesday, I found myself driving into the mountain community of Eureka Springs, Arkansas for a few days of relaxation. This is going to be perfect…..I’ll be able to sit in the mountains and in my hotel room and just read all day long. I get directions to the local book shop only to discover that the store has closed for the day. I’ve been driving all day long, but there is NO WAY that I am not going to have Inferno in my possession on release day. So what do I do? I google the nearest Barnes and Noble and make the 55 minute drive to a store just outside of Fayetteville and start reading over dinner. Then I head back to Eureka Springs and lose myself in the book for the rest of the night!
Inferno is quite possibly my favorite of Dan Brown’s novels. This smartly-written tale again features our favorite art professor and symbologist, Robert Langdon. In addition to the usual emphasis on masterpieces of the art world, Brown expertly weaves a fascinating read around the epic poem by Dante Alighieri from which Brown’s novel takes its name. Throw in references to classical compositions by Franz Liszt and Richard Wagner and I am one happy camper!
Inferno features lots of twists and turns that leave the reader wondering who can be trusted and what has actually happened. The only thing that is missing this time around is the graphic violence that I have come to expect from Brown’s novels. (I still find Angels and Demons to be terribly disturbing!) Making the novel timely is the underlying discussion of the world population crisis and the threat of a viral pandemic. Add to the mix a brilliant (or mad?) scientist, a mysterious organization that operates without concern for ethics, and the religious sites in Florence, Venice, and Istanbul and you have the recipe for an exciting page-turner! I am thrilled to have read the book and highly recommend it to thoughtful readers everywhere.
#24: Calico Joe (John Grisham)
Last week, I decided to take a mini-vacation. Since summer is upon us and baseball season is under way, I chose the short novel Calico Joe for the drive to northwest Arkansas. I have seen the audiobook on the shelf many times, but always opted for other stories. I’m not sure why either. I enjoy Grisham’s novels, but wasn’t sure that a book about baseball was what I was looking for.
Calico Joe is the story of a baseball player from Calico Rock, Arkansas who makes his way into the major leagues as a player for the Chicago Cubs. His rookie season is nothing less than magical and the entire baseball world watches with fascination, including a young boy in suburban New York. The boy is fascinated with the skyrocketing success of Calico Joe. Requests for autographed pictures are sent to the young athlete — much to the distress of the boy’s father, a pitcher for the rival New York Mets. Calico Joe and the Cubs find themselves facing the Mets with the disgruntled pitcher on the mound. The infamous game that results will forever change the men’s careers, the lives of their families, and baseball itself. Calico Joe examines how a single moment in time can forever alter our destiny while exploring the healing power of the restoration of broken relationships.
Next time you find yourself on the road, consider picking up a copy of this short novel (roughly 4 hours in duration) and lose yourself in the game again. You’ll be glad you did.
#22: Safe Haven (Nicholas Sparks)
I’ve gotten behind in my reviews and need to catch up. I actually finished listening to this book while driving back and forth during one of the last weeks of the semester. There was a lot of time on the road and a lot of time to listen.
I found Safe Haven a difficult book to listen to since it told the story of a woman who had run away from her abusive husband. To add to the irony, her husband was a police detective — one who was charged with protecting victims! I wasn’t fully aware of the subject matter when I selected the book. I am especially sensitive to the topic because domestic abuse has rocked the lives of members of my family. My sister and her two daughters suffered at the hands of an abusive monster for nearly 5 years before getting out. (Since many of my Christian friends read these posts, I’ll refrain from calling Gregory Prince her ex-husband the names that he truly deserves. Just understand that I feel that any man who fails to pay court-ordered child support is about as worthy of mercy as the cockroach I squashed under my sneaker. Perhaps someone in the Tennessee Department of Child Welfare will stumble across this post and actually investigate. A guy can hope anyway. Hey….it’s my blog and my opinions!)
Without revealing too much of the plot, when the abusive cop finally chases down his victim in her new home, I was frantic for her to get away from him. I drove extra miles out of my way to get her to a safe place in the story…..I couldn’t leave her hanging! When the animal got exactly what he deserved, I cheered out loud in my car. I was only saddened that he couldn’t suffer more.
It’s a riveting story. It didn’t bring out Christ-like mercy, grace, or forgiveness in me. It certainly felt good to see the bad guy get what he deserved though.
A movie adaptation was released earlier this year. I haven’t seen it and given my emotional response to the book, I’m not sure I want to see it.
#19: Gone Girl (Gillian Flynn)
Amy and Nick have it all — the perfect marriage, the perfect jobs, and the perfect family — until everything starts to unravel. Both of them lose their jobs as journalists from prestigious New York City publications. Amy’s parents have lost their fortune and need to borrow money from her trust fund. Nick’s father is demented and his mother is battling cancer. The only thing they can do is return to Nick’s childhood home in Missouri to help care for his parents and together face their challenging financial situation.
While they are enjoying a simpler life, Nick receives a disturbing call from a neighbor: there seems to have been a disturbance at his house. Nick rushes home to find the front door open, the living room in absolute disarray, and his wife missing. As the hours turn into days, the investigation into Amy’s disappearance turns into a murder investigation with Nick as the prime suspect. Let the reader beware! Don’t assume you know what’s ahead….you’ll find yourself surprised.
Flynn’s novel explores marriage, infidelity, and family relationships under the light of “truth.” Gone Girl is an excellent novel intended for a mature audience due to graphic adult themes and strong language.
#18: The Forgotten (David Baldacci)
John Puller is back in this exciting novel. We first met the character of Puller in Zero Day. This time the Army special agent finds himself in Paradise, Florida to visit his aunt because of a mysterious letter she sent John Puller, Sr. Puller arrives in Florida to discover that his aunt has died, tragically drowning in a shallow pool in her backyard. As Puller investigates his aunt’s death, he discovers that things are not as they seem in Paradise and that several other senior citizens with connections to his aunt are also dying.
Opposite powerful, witty, and insightful John Puller is the character of Mecco, a Bulgarian giant-of-a-man who is in Florida defending the honor of his family and village. The two men’s paths cross in a most unexpected turn of events. Is Mecco a friend or foe?
Once again David Baldacci provides an intelligent thriller with plenty of exquisitely developed characters and enough plot twists and turns to keep your head spinning while you read this fast-paced thriller. You won’t be able to put it down without knowing what happens next! Wonderfully written as usual, Mr. Baldacci!
