Book Reviews by Today, I Read…

It shows.

Have you ever started reading a book and then paused because one of the characters did something entirely out of character?

Don’t get me wrong, a good story will challenge a well-established character to step outside her normal boundaries and push the limits, yes, but that changed behavior rarely has an Invasion of the Body Snatchers feel to it. You’ll see the character is being tested and her actions will typically be in line with her personality.

For an example, I was reading a book (which shall remain nameless) wherein the main character was said to be independent, strong-willed, and an honour student. And every single one of her actions throughout the story contradicted these established personality traits. Every single one.

It was as though the author was trying to wedge the character into a mould which simply didn’t suit her. What it really boiled down to was the character having no motives for her actions and it screamed this author doesn’t know the first thing about who I am. And it made for painful reading.

This is something I see more of in contemporary Young Adult literature and I have to wonder if it’s because the authors believe they can “get away with it” because the young are less inclined to look beneath the surface? It also plagues some contemporary mainstream adult fiction and I have to wonder if it’s because the masses in general are less inclined to look beneath the surface, too.

Then again, maybe I’m the only one to notice this, or care. Maybe it is only all about the plot. Maybe characters don’t matter. Maybe I’m asking too much when I ask for both good characters and an entertaining plot. (But I believe strong character development can make a weak plot better and a good plot great. I could be wrong about that, too.)

OK, rant finished.

Title: Still Missing
Author: Chevy Stevens
ISBN: 978-0-3125-9567-8
Story Length: 352
Genre: Adult/Thriller

Back Cover of Still Missing

Eh hem…well…I’m rather embarrassed.

Normally this is where I’d type out what’s written on the back cover of the book, but I can’t because this book is currently on loan to a few people and heaven only knows when I’ll see it again—if ever. (You’ll understand why I say that when you read my thoughts.)

Three Quick Points About Still Missing

• Point 1: Morbidly captivating. This book deals with some strong subject matter, but it’s so captivating you can’t pull your eyes away from it.
• Point 2: An easy writing style. Annie’s words flowed in such a conversational manner that reading from one page to the next was perfectly natural.
• Point 3: Some minor contrivances. There were a few inconsistencies in the story, but in the grand scheme of the novel they were minor. Continue reading »

The short story Weights and Measures by Jodi Picoult can be found in Stories: All-New Tales Edited by Neil Gaiman and Al Sarrantonio.

Short Synopsis

A man and his wife who are mourning the loss of their young daughter begin to grow apart in a disturbing way.

My Thoughts on Weights and Measures

I’m probably the only person on planet Earth who hasn’t read something written by Jodi Picoult, so when I saw that she was one of the contributors I was excited. This would be a good way to test the waters, get a feel for her style…and I wasn’t disappointed.

First there is the prose style: smooth and lyrical. Her story was most definitely a character study and not only did each of them come alive, their grief did as well. It’s easy to feel the realness of this story.

And then the fantasy element sneaks up on you. When you realize what’s happening to the man and the woman, you’re forced to pause and let it soak in. Yes, the fantasy element was woven quite nicely into the tapestry of the story.

When I finished reading, the bittersweet story haunted me. It’s beautiful, and somewhat chilling, though nothing overtly frightening actually happens.

Now I know I’ve waited too long to read Picoult. She has officially been moved up on my author wish list.

Final Rating: A

Happy Tuesday! It’s time again for another edition of Teaser Tuesdays…

Here are the rules:

• Grab your current read
• Let the book fall open to a random page
• Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• You also need to share the title of the book where you get your teaser from…that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given
• Please avoid spoilers

This week’s teaser:

"And then it happened again–my mother gasped. Gasped and pressed her hands flat against her chest and smiled her most gorgeous smile, reserved only for fireworks with my father, my blonde hair, and Jesus." pg. 149

I Now Pronounce You Someone Else by Erin McCahan

I’m not sure what to think yet. I just started this book, and I’ll admit the opening has thrown me for a loop, but the description just makes it sound like it will be hilarious and poignant and that’s something I can’t resist. Here’s hoping it lives up to expectations.

Every so often I come across a scene that is so potent that it lingers long after I’ve finished reading it. That’s where the idea for this feature came from. Each Monday I intend to share with you a memorable scene from one (or more) of my reads.

If you like the idea I invite you to join me in sharing a memorable scene on your blog and link to it in a comment or just share the scene in the comment itself. (Please remember to include the book’s title and author so our wishlists and TBR stacks can grow. Also, if your scene is a spoiler, please clearly mark it as one.)

This week’s scene comes from Broken by Karin Fossum, a unique thriller/mystery novel translated to English from its original Norwegian.

I am sitting in front of the computer. My fingers skate quickly across the keyboard. There are times it becomes flexible like a ribbon in my hands and I can bend and twist the language any way I please. Alvar comes up behind me, shifting nervously from one foot to the other.

“Are you really going to burden me with your sleeping problems and anxiety?” I turn around and give him a somewhat patronizing look.

“Everyone struggles with anxiety,” I say. “Can you feel how it eats away at you? In here, behind your ribs?” I tap my chest with my finger. “A cowardly rat sits in here gnawing its way through your ribs. It hurts.”

“But I’m a decent man,” he says. “I always keep my affairs in order.”

I turn off the computer, then turn around in my chair and look at him again. “Yes, that’s true. At the same time, you’re all alone. It’s dangerous to go through life without someone you can lean on. In certain circumstances it might well prove to be extremely dangerous for you.”

“In certain circumstances,” he echoes, “that you are about to put me in?”

I get up from my desk and go to my armchair, sit down, and light up a cigarette.

“What will be will be,” I say to him over my shoulder. He follows me. He stands with his hands folded. It is gray outside the windows. Heavy and wet, no hint of wind or movement.

“That rat,” I continue, “that gnaws at us all, it never feels satisfied. We constantly seek relief in every way possible. And on rare occasions it allows us a brief respite. Do you know what it’s like when everything suddenly falls into place, when that feeling floods your body? It’s like taking off from a great height. We float through the air and everything around us is warm. For a few brief seconds we think how great life can be. You’ll have such moments too, I promise you.”

He sits down on the sofa, on the edge as usual.

“Are people supposed to settle for a few brief moments of happiness?” he asks, dismayed.

“That’s a good question. It’s up to each and every one of us to decide. The majority spend most of their day looking for some kind of relief. A cigarette, a bottle of red wine. A Cipralex, going for a run. I won’t deprive you of sleep, Alvar, I promise you. But you have come to my house. I have seen you close up, and some events are inevitable. At this point in the story I’m no longer free; there is a clear structure and I have to work within it.”

-pg 55-6 (from the ARC)

Let me back up a little bit and mention that this is a book within a book. The author sees a line of people outside her door, each of them waiting to have their story told.

One evening, the author is awoken by one of those characters who pays her a visit and begs her to write his story because he’s worried she’ll die before she gets a chance to. However, he’s cut in front of another young woman holding a possibly-dead baby. Despite this, the author is somehow engaged by him and decides to start writing his story. During the process, like whenever she takes a break to eat or sleep or write letters to people, he pops in to chat her up about the progress of his story.

Frankly, that entire premise is the reason I decided to read this book. It sounded so fascinating that I couldn’t pass it up and so far, I’m not disappointed. This is more of a character study than a typical thriller/mystery, but I enjoy that. It’s pace is leisurely, but not slow and a few of the passages so far has made me stop to think…about life in general and writing in particular.

The book is scheduled for publication on August 1st, 2010, but it’s available for pre-order on Amazon.