The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory

If you're into intriguing historical fiction then this book is for you. And if you saw the movie and loved it you can't miss the book, it and the movie differ very little. The book starts out with Ann Boleyn returning to the court of King Henry the 8th of England, after spending a period of time at the French court, to be a lady in waiting, with her sister Mary, to the queen Catherine of Aragon. The two sisters have always been rivals and yet the best of friends, with Mary the more timid of the two and married to a man high in the king's favor, and Ann, though older, is yet to be wed. From the moment she stepped foot in the castle Ann wondered why King Henry was married to Catherine, who she viewed as old and possessing no unique qualities. When her sister brought up this question Mary would always reply that it was a great love story, when Catherine's husband, the King's brother died and she was widowed he in a way rescued her, making her his queen. Ann, however was not fond of this story and had begun to take a liking to King Henry herself. A mixture of things including the failure of Catherine to produce a male heir, the king's growing interest for Ann, and disputes between the king and the church over his marriage lead to a new course being charted for Henry, Ann, the rest of the Boleyns and England as a whole. You'll have to find out what changes occurred for yourself when you read the book, but if your a well-versed history lover you probably already know many of the details.

Philippa Gregory's lusciously descriptive style of literature is pleasing to readers and gives them an opportunity to see into the vivid world of the past. This tale full of intrigue, lust, love, and betrayal cannot be missed.

The House at Sugar Beach by Helene Cooper

Helene Cooper lived a sheltered childhood in a very wealthy part of Monrovia, Liberia called Sugar Beach, where all the wealthy Congo people, that is the non-natives, lived. She lived with her mother and father, sister Marlene, and various other extended family members such as Vicky, Janice, John Bull and many more. She grew up in a very americanized household and enjoyed all the privileges money could buy, including a bounty of faithful servants. Helene's parents even adopted a foster child from a local native village to be her playmate. At first the two don't see eye to eye but soon they're the best of friends. Yes, the Cooper life was one of sheer perfection, up until a point that is. As Helene and her siblings grew older their parents divorced and the Liberian government was taken over by a military coup lead by Samuel Doe. At first the torn apart family, will daddy no longer in the picture and family members scattered, tried to maintain their previous life at Sugar Beach. Soon enough though the soldiers had come for them and in exchange for not killing the whole family in one swoop the soldiers gang raped Helene's mother. Shortly after the harsh reality of Liberia's state of affairs set in the family fled to the united states, Tennessee to be exact. Though life in the U.S. was at first a hard transition Helene goes on to achieve many of her dreams despite obstacles she encounters. However, there was always an empty void in her heart; her sister Eunice didn't make the transition with them and readers will be shocked by how different her life would have been if she had. In the mood for a true life story of great complexity, harsh realities and the power of familial ties? pick up a copy now.

There couldn't have been a more perfect way for Helene Cooper to shed light on what occurred in her home nation of Liberia than with her autobiographical story of childhood, loss and gain. She made it to the prestigious post of New York Times White House Correspondent, so clearly as readers will see throughout the book, she was right all along about following her instincts, when she started to realize what a passion she had for writing and journalism.

The Last Song By Nicholas Sparks

Nicholas Sparks is the writer of so many beloved love stories: the notebook, a walk to remember, and many more so its no surprise one of his latest works is just as charismatic as the rest. His style of alternating perspectives every chapter makes the story extraordinarily compelling, since it gives the reader the opportunity to see the storyline progress through differentiating views. I have also found that Sparks' style is one that offers the reader a lot of insight into the true emotions of each character, which for me at least, makes me feel as if I'm sharing the weight of each situation they encounter right along with them. Though I do think Sparks' works are more for the teenage set, the love stories of his classic tales can fall into the category of those "timeless love stories" as well.

In this particular novel the main character Ronnie has had a hard past couple of years: her dad left, she got in with the wrong crowd, she stopped following her passion for piano, and she's gotten into some recent trouble with the law. As her punishment, in hopes of knocking some sense into her daughter who has rejected the chance to attend Juliard and seems to be unconcerned about her future, Ronnie's mother sends her and her brother to her father's for the summer, and Ronnie couldn't be dreading it anymore. At first it seems like it will be the worst possible thing that could have happened to her but Ronnie's luck turns around when she starts to form a romance with a boy named Will. Will is quite different from Ronnie in matters of family, personality, and many other areas but yet the two seem to fall head over heels for each other. Just as Ronnie's relationship with Will is heating up, and her and her father begin to get on better terms bad news strikes that changes everything. Will the bad news be enough to tear Ronnie apart from Will or can their relationship withstand it all? Find out for yourself when you pick up a copy of the last song.

Genre Reflections and Plans

I have read various works of literature from a variety of genres over the past three quarters, but as my genre requirements for each quarter I have read memoir, mystery, and classic genres. This leaves me with the Historical fiction/ play/ poetry genre still remaining to be completed in the fourth quarter. This year of fulfilling genre requirements has lead me to read certain types of books I never thought I would enjoy before. Reading many different styles of literature has given me a sense of diversity and opened up my eyes to genres such as mystery and nonfiction that I had previously doubted my interest in. The Dan Brown Davinci Code series, consisting of The Davinci Code, Angels & Demons, and The Lost Symbol lead me to realize how intriguing and exciting a well-written a descriptive mystery can be. However despite my many realizations of love for new genres this quarter, I have also found that I prefer classics and memoirs most of all. Sense and Sensibility as well as Mrs. Dalloway, Emma, Breakfast at Tiffany's and many other classics have gotten me hooked on the genre. I find the language of classics very vivid and challenging, yet pleasing to read; they transport me to another world and another time, which I guess I love so much because thats part of what reading is for me and what I really look for in a book, an escape. Eat Pray Love and The Last Lecture, though differing greatly in their subjects, are two memoirs that stuck with me because they weren't just the everyday life story, they were both about life-changing experiences told through voices which are very conversational. You feel like you know the authors in both cases and almost wish you had a personal connection with them or were somehow apart of their journey, but their books make you feel like you are by putting the reader right in the middle of their real-life scenarios. I have to say my favorite book for the quarter was Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert because I've never before read a story where the author is so openly honest, vividly descriptive, and down to earth as Gilbert is in this book. I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a transformative and fun read. Overall I think this quarter went pretty well in independent reading standards and look forward to fulfilling what remains for the forth quarter.

My Response to the NY Times Review of Eat Pray Love

This blog is a bit different than my usual ones, because instead of simply giving my opinion and a detailed summary of a book I've been immersed in I have chosen to give my feedback to a review of a novel I read at the beginning of the third quarter. Here is a link to the review by Jennifer Egan, just in case anyone is interested in checking it out for themselves: .

I strongly side with Egan on her point that Elizabeth Gilbert's ability to, "make friends with anybody," as she herself states at the opening of the novel, is evident through her manner of writing. Egan shows this through her remark that, "Gilbert's prose is fueled by a mix of intelligence, wit and colloquial exuberance that is close to irresistible, and makes the reader only too glad to join the posse of friends and devotees who have the pleasure of listening in,". This critic also wisely points out that a trip around the world, financed as an advance for the novel seems the perfect outlet for Gilbert to set free her "odball sensibility on an international stage". I have to take her side on this one as well because that little tad of quirkiness or diversity that Gilbert gives to her descriptions of each of her travel sites is quite refreshing and really allows the reader to picture them as if they were there themselves.

I was intrigued by Egan's insight that Gilbert's disdain and pain over not having the traditional life, or essentially ending her attempts at it are really a way to make herself realize that this sort of life is never that which she wanted, nor what she was cut out for. Egan admits she is, "willing to believe that Gilbert despaired over having failed at a more conventional life even as she sought out its opposite — complications like these are what make us human. But she doesn't tell that story here, or even acknowledge the paradox. As a result, her crisis remains a shadowy thing, a mere platform for the actions she takes to alleviate it." And once again I have to agree; Gilbert's novel is not about the struggles she is facing but the journey she embarks upon and therefore it is an interesting and quick read because there really isn't a whole lot of whining.

Well, I'd have to say Jennifer Egan hit the nail on the head with this review and I would definitely put my trust in her judgement of authors and books in the near future. Hope you enjoyed this change of style!

the curious incident of the dog in the night-time by mark haddon

This novel begins with the strange and sudden discovery of a neighbor's

tragically and cruelly murdered dog in the wee hours of the night, by a teenager

of "15 years and 3 months and 2 days" named Christopher John Francis Boone.

Now one might wonder just what was Christopher doing out at such an hour of

the night that he happened to stumble upon this brutal murder site?

He was just on one of his normal, middle-of-the-night walks when he happened to

end up in the wrong place at the wrong time. He becomes caught up in the affairs of

the police on the case and gets himself into a bit of a pickle withe them because he isn't

the best at controlling his behavior. However he makes it his mission to track down the

dog, Wellington's murderer? And believe me he won't let the case go unsolved.

One of the books most interesting assets is that since it's told from the view-

point of an autistic child we get a glimpse into the brilliance of this young boy's mind.

Christopher knows that which not many others do: how to determine all the prime

numbers of the world, how the milky way is aligned, and even the greek roots of the

word metaphor. He has many special gifts but is still often misunderstood by many

of his peers, but Christopher is truly a kind spirit who tries not to let it trouble him.

Throughout his quest to find out who killed Wellington, Christopher analyzes the ways

of our world that don't quite make sense to him, and the reader realizes that maybe our

society doesn't make so much sense in reality after all. According to Christopher he finds

people confusing, "this is for two main reasons. The first is that people do a lot of talking

without using any words... the second main reason is that people often talk using metaphors."

When you stop and think about it he is so very right; how can we ever really understand exactly

what someone means when they say much of what they want us to know, nonverbally and through

body language and facial expressions? And metaphors? Come on now, the apple of my eye, what

does that really mean? When you sit there and think it over it just doesn't make sense.

This novel's ability to make us question the ordinary occurrences of our world simply stunned and

moved me more than any book has done in quite a long while. I credit the author for being extra-

ordinarily creative with this tale, and for turning a simple plot line into a novel that is so thought-

provoking. The tale itself may not be that interesting but this author's writing style and flow make it

a quick and enjoyable read. Care to figure out for yourself who killed Wellington? Join Christopher

on his journey and prepare yourself for some insight into your own life. This is definitely a read

you cannot pass up. Enjoy!

eat pray love by Elizabeth Gilbert

Elizabeth Gilbert has had it tough; throughout the past year she has come to the realization she no longer wants to be married to her husband, suffers a brutal divorce, and on top of this wanders through an off again, on again relationship with a man named David, who she loves deeply but something always seems to go wrong for the pair. She is tired of the house in the suburbs and the apartment in the city, she's looking for something but she doesn't know yet quite what. But Elizabeth knows she needs to get a taste of something different and being a writer she manages to get herself an advance to travel and find herself, on the condition that she writes about these experiences. So on her search for herself and what she truly wants out of life where better for a gal to go than the three great "I's": Italy, India, and Indonesia.

In Italy Gilbert learns Italian a language she thinks is the most beautiful in the world, meets fabulous free-spirited native friends, and eats her way through the culinary finesse of the region, gaining back more weight than she lost during the rocky time after her divorce. Though her apartment is in a beautiful area of Rome filled with many museums and architecture Elizabeth doesn't quite get a true sense of it until her sister comes for a visit guidebooks in tow, but prefers to search around for herself and see what she'll enjoy. Next stop, India. Elizabeth goes to an Ashram where she battles to quiet her mind and feel truly fulfilled in her meditation. She meets many from all around on her spiritual retreat who help her to acknowledge her control issues and thus free herself from her thoughts, even if only momentarily. Elizabeth interacts with god on her own level and next up is Indonesia, I'm about to begin this last portion of the novel myself and am very excited to see what happenings are in store.

Even when the book starts out with tales of her tumultuous divorce period (filled with incessant tears and wondering) Gilbert finds a way to make her writing very lighthearted yet meaningful that really strikes the reader and makes the book enjoyable but not in the least weak of emotion. Midway through the novel Gilbert brings up a wise point that an old woman once told her, " 'There are only two questions that human beings have ever fought over, all through history. How much do you love me? And Who's in charge?'". She makes the reader think about what they value most in their own lives and get a grip on their life struggles as well. By evidencing the cultural differences of many areas Gilbert teaches us no one area is superior, they all have the perks and their downfalls and just like us each is a whole new world to experience and discover. One portion of the book discusses labeling certain areas with words and being a New Yorker as Gilbert is, I'd have to agree that her designation of NY's word as "ACIEVE" is very fitting, but to tell you the truth I think that's part of the thrill of this state. So if your looking for an excellent read to see the world through the eyes of a fellow New Yorker with some dilemmas of her own, pick up a copy, it would be a great vacation read.