The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society

By: Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows 4/5

On the Story:
Interesting story, unexpected in the nature of the topic (I would have known if I read the back -YES). I give this book the 4 stars because maybe I am tired of the WWII stories. For a while in the late1990s there was a huge move to put out many books and movies with the same topic. I am not dismissing the importance of the topic and the gruesome things that happened.

This book has many interesting characters, and unexpectedly is written in letters back and forth.  Juliet and her alter ego Izzy are the main writers of the story, focusing on her friendship with the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society.  The main draw is Juliet's stay on the island to write a book on reading during the Nazi occupation of the British Guernsey Islands. Here she meets fantastic characters: Isola - the looney postion maker, Dawsey- the silent brooding guy, Ameilia - the older motherly figure, Kit, and most importantly Elizabeth.

There are other characters, such as Sydney and Sophie and Mark, and they all play an integral part of the story at large. So why place the story on the island? Yes historical fiction, and learning about an occupation that you don't hear very much of. This I appreciated than stories in Berlin or the French occupation. I also think that the book setting made the war feel differently, and it was a different war for those people - or at least I can assume. There were different interactions between the islanders and Nazis. Can anyone truly imagine the isolation of that island and the unrest of not knowing? Is that any different than any other country and their lack of communication during the war.

 

This book is unlike other books, because maybe it is not as harsh, it certainly has humor in it, including the pig roast and the two drinking buddies story.

So what is the author trying to say?!?!!? Was it easier to write the story in letter form so that you can get a better sense of each individual's belief and background? Maybe.... I feel like I know Juliet better because it is from her own hand that I am reading. I feel like understand Elizabeth's character because  of how everyone viewed her. What if in the truth, Elizabeth was a conniving person that wanted to use everyone and it was her appearance that the islanders really knew. We never know. 

The ending... yes it was like many fictional books and I wished it had more more real.

SPOILER ALERT.

I wish she didn't get with Dawsey and have Kit as her own kid. It would have been more real if she and Mark got married and he whisked her off to America. I feel like life is harsh and it shouldn't not have ended as such a happy fairy tale.

Water for Elephants

Sara Gruen 4.5/5

 

Yes a truly amazing book just like everyone says. The beautiful story of life on the road, of a smart elephant (and they are), of a toothless lion, a boy that becomes a man, a Romanian acrobat, and the harsh realities of the circus during The Great Depression.

Marlena, the delicate; Jacob the boy and Rosie the wonderful pachyderm. This book is harsh, and at the same time I think it romanticizes the life of the circus. It was a hard life, that people didn’t see behind the curtains. I learned that the circus also had a prostitution ring.

I did know the ending but you became very close to the characters, so much so that you can feel what they were feeling. I guess that is what a great book is considered. I do have so say “Modoc: The World’s Greatest Elephant” was significantly better because I am a non-fiction reader.

A Piece of Cake

By: Cupcake Brown 4.5/5

The not so sweet story of La’Vette to those she hated, Cupcake to those she loved.

Taking place in the 1970s, Cup was forced into foster care that age of 11 due to the death of her mother. At the age of 11, Cupcake lost her child hood and became part of the system.

While this book really is reminiscent of “White Oleander”, there are comparisons that would never happen. There is a racial undertone to the book, as well as unbelievable positive ending with a great message of loving yourself.

Cup endures every hardship there is out there, gang violence, drug abuse, rape, prostitution, racism, battery and more.

This is a not a book for the feign of heart!

Wicked... Again

By: Gregory Maguire.... 5++++

I was a little apprehensive to reread this book again, having enjoyed it so much the first time. What if this time, I found flaws in it that would make me not like it? What if I had a different state of mind and didn't enjoy it as much? And most importantly, what if I misread all those things on evil and religion as the sub-connotation of the book?

Well guess what, it was even better this time around... I feel I even understood all those foreshadowing events. It opened my eyes to better understanding the characters, and the links between them, because I wasn't rushing to finish to see the ending of the book.

I absolutely adore Elphie, Elphaba, The Wicked Witch of the West! I feel that she is easily understood especially in our society today. She can be viewed as anyone of the people that we see in today's world. Upset by racial injustice of her skin color, being reprimanded because of her choice on religious beliefs, scorned by love, a politico, and finally rejected by friendship, made her into the antisocial hardened female that she became.

Do I think Elphie is evil, obviously not, as I like to use the endearing terms. I think life kicked her down, and she kept fighting. I found her strong to her beliefs, I found her amazing to fight for the Animals, when they were to 'lower" race... I wish I could be as strong to fight for something that I can 100% believe in. Was she a terrorist? I don't know if Elphie did anything that was considered a terrorist act, and she never went through with the presumed bombing of Madam Morrible. Had she... I believe it would be a completely different story. Though in light of the terrorist attacks in AZ, it is hard to put Elphie in the same category as a hero, one to admire for her strong political beliefs against Animal cruelty.

The Wicked Witch of the West has always had a stigma, one of evil, that in our fairy tales made us fear her. This books changes that perspective and makes you wonder what is the true meaning of evil? Was Elphaba born evil? The first questions has been debated upon for many years in our world. What is the root of evil? Is it always based on religion and the devil? I can't start to begin where does evil lie and where it comes from, but I don't think the Elphie was born evil, she was born different and that doesn't mean evil. She "became" the WITCH so that she can create a self protection bubble against the cruel outside world. Why shouldn't she go with the gossip of evil. Nessarose was significantly harsher of a person and dictator than Elphaba and for that matter Galinda/Glinda with all the pretending of being better than most.

 So why do people after reading this book still hate Elphaba? She loved her sister, even if it was tainted with a hint of jealousy of the love Frex had for her? She truly loved Fiyero, not her fault he is cheating on her; she loved her Nanny, especially when Nanny showed up at Kiamo Ko; she learned to care for Sarima, even if Sarima would not listen to her; and these qualities really humanized her.




THE WORLD OF OZ
The world is truly magical, from talking Animals vs animals, to magic shoes, and spells and flying monkeys. There are many mirror images of Oz to today's America. Where do we draw the line of cruelty between Animals and animals? Is it because one can talk vs the other who can't? How about the parallels between the social classes of Oz; Munchkin Land Middle Class, Lower class Glikkun, the Outcasts of Vinkus, and the Nomads the Scrow; Compared to: Racial separations in America? Can that still not be seen even in 2011? The religious strife of the Unnamed God vs the Lurlainists vs the pleasure faith; Compared to: Christianity; Judaism and the Muslim faith. Can't the Muslims see Christians as pleasure faithfuls drinking and yes sex before marriage? Can't Christians looks at Jews and say they are crazy waiting for their Lurlina to come out?


This books brings about astounding resemblance between Emerald City and Nazism, as it was. The Gale Force and the saluting and how Elphaba fought against taking that control of her hometown of Cowlen grounds. And even furthur back with sexism in the schools and keeping it seperate, the difference of materials that were available to the girls as Shiz vs the guys at the school.
And lastly and most obvious the blatant racism of Animals and colored people like Fiyero, Elphaba and Turtle Heart.

I am surprised at how much I enjoyed this book the second time around. This makes me curious if Son of a Witch will be better the second time around as I didn't think it was very good.

2011 Challenge List

So for the 2010 Challenge List I completed 7 of the 18 books I wanted to read. Here it is for everyone to keep track.

	2011 Challenge List
1	White Fang  By: Jack London
2	Hoodwinked
3	Finding Alaska
4	Notes From a Small Island  By: Bill Bryson
5	The Crimson Petal and The White By:  Michel Faber
6	The Life of Pi
7	The Red Tent
8	A Piece of Cake
9	Little Women
10	The Way of Zen
11	One for the Money
12	Take Good Care of the Garden and the Dogs
	Replacements
13	Water for Elphants
14	Humbolts Gift
15	Atonement
16	Oh No We're Gonna Die
17	The Te of Piglet

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest

By: Stieg Larson 5/5

This was by far the most intriguing of all of the Trilogy of books. I believe this one was the most intertwined mess of characters. You never knew who had the upper hand. As the second books ends with not knowing what happens with our heroine, Lisbeth Salander, this one takes you through the continuation of the story. 

The story has those same characters from books one, such as Erika Berger and Mikael Blomkvist and their crew at Millenium, though adding fantastic characters such as Zalachenko, Monica, Edklinth, and over 20 others. Your hands feel bound during this book, as Lisbeth can't do anything to help her out, and you watch the next move of the characters to see how they are willing to act and what they are going to do next. 

This book unlike "The Girl Who Played With Fire" wasn't as disturbing in that sense. It follows much of the current history of Sweden, and places in Stockholm, but it is not nearly as disturbing. It is however a political discussion, which I can not comment on, having not ever paid attention to Swedish politics. 

The ending, well you feel good about the ending, with of course one last and surprising twist and turn! I feel highly satisfied after having read this book. I also feel like I would have read this book much faster if I had had the time to read it. 

Great! 

The Girl Who Played with Fire

By: Stieg Larson 5/5

So the drama continues, we keep delving deeper into the lives of Mikael and Lisbeth as 2 gruesome murders happen, and one that most don’t mind. Lisbeth seems a lot more mortal in this book, and Mikael becomes a bigger hero. This book seems to be even more disturbing than the first one, and I believe the 3^rd book will even out do this one. It does leave you hanging and wanting to know more, which is why my next stop after work is Title Wave books to buy the book second hand and hardcover because I want to read it so badly.

I love how capturing and enthralling these books seem to be, and enjoy reading what happens next in ever part of the books. The characters are so well formed, sometimes there are so many well formed characters that you assume they would have a bigger role in the whole plot of the story. Way to go Larson! Can’t wait to crack open the next one!