Reading for Me

I must admit that I am very excited that the first novel of the year was such a delightful read! The Perks of Being a Wallflower is the coming-of-age story of Charlie, a high school freshman who is incredibly gifted despite his own low self-esteem. Through a series of letters written by Charlie that are addressed to “Dear Friend,” we see the young man come to terms with his unique family situation while exploring relationships, sexuality, and the individual’s role in community. Just when the reader thinks he has figured Charlie out, Chbosky masterfully weaves new revelations into the novel’s fabric. (Now that I have the entire picture of what makes Charlie who he is, I’m excited to revisit the novel in the future to see how the book reads differently with these new insights.)

While written about a teen, this novel is definitely best suited for adults due to the frank discussions that are sometimes graphic.

I had forgotten how good it feels to be consumed by a good book and let the rest of the world (and responsibilities) lie dormant for a while. The book that reminded me was One Breath Away. The story centers around a school in the midwest that is in lockdown because an unidentified gunman has entered the 3rd grade classroom of Mrs. Evelyn Oliver. Although the entire community is effected by the events, the narrative focuses on 5 central characters.

At the center of the novel is Augie, a tough teenage girl who finds herself living with her grandparents and younger brother while her mother, Holly, is recovering in an Arizona hospital from 3rd degree burns. Will is Augie’s grandfather who has been estranged from his daughter ever since she left the family farm and never looked back. Will’s crisis is heightened as he realizes that Augie and PJ (the younger brother) are both in danger due to his own decisions — similar to decisions that chased their mother away from him years earlier. Add to the mix the charming Mrs. Oliver and Meg, a local police officer whose daughter is a student in Mrs. Oliver’s 3rd grade class and you have a wonderful formula for a riveting read.

Character development was at the heart of Gudenkauf’s writing. Each chapter shifts point of view between the 5 characters and provides insight into their back story as well as their emotional state. Generally, I really enjoy reading works written in this manner. I found Gudenkauf’s novel a bit jerky in the early stages due to the extremely short chapters. Just as I was settling in with a character, my attention was diverted to a different (and often unrelated) scene.  As the book continued, the story lines began to converge and pulled me in despite its rough start.

As the novel begins to wind down, the plot became sadly predictable and the ending left several threads unresolved — especially those related to the relationships between Will, Augie, and Holly. At its heart, the story’s strength was really about a family in crisis; the novel’s unsatisfactory conclusion is attributed to the author’s choice to make it merely a story about a school hostage crisis.

Even though I wasn’t pleased with the ending, I’d still give this book 3 out of 5 stars.

After reading a ginormous novel like Gone with the Wind, I needed some fluff. I was ready to read something simple and charming with a bit of sappy romance. Nothing explicit….no 50 Shades here….just a simple story of courtship. What I found was Christmas with Holly. It’s not high literature, but I must admit that it was actually a fun read.

Holly is a little girl whose mother was tragically killed in a car accident. She is now cared for by her Uncles Mark and Sam, two bachelors living on the islands outside of Seattle. Since the accident, Holly has not spoken to anyone. Everything changes when Mark takes Holly to a toy store on the island and they meet Maggie, the shop owner. As if by magic, Holly begins to speak and Mark begins to fall in love. Maggie is a bit of a tragic figure herself. She lost her first husband nearly two years ago to cancer and is trying to figure out what the rest of her life will look like without the man she loved.

Set against the charming scenery of Friday Harbor, Washington, Christmas with Holly is filled with wit and humor while warming the heart with its authentic characters and heart-warming story. I was especially pleased that the requisite “love scene” doesn’t occur until the very end of the novel and was handled with dignity and none of the graphic language that could easily slip in. Looking to be transported for a few days in the busy Christmas season and captivated by a neat love story? Consider checking out Christmas with Holly.