The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom

Go to Bora Bora.  Skydive.  Own a personal jet.  These are all things I imagine normal Americans have on their bucket list of items to accomplish before death.  To contrast, my mostly boring bucket list included joining a book club — and this past month I did just that!  Much to my chagrin, I learned our first book’s main themes were isolation and slavery.  Like any high school student of the fifty states, I have read a great deal of books on the latter topic and was hoping to branch out into lighter, perhaps more romantic, fare to get lost in when not working.  Finishing The Kitchen House turned out to be incredibly gratifying all the same.  The emotions that the characters express and deep longing successfully and different time not too long ago.  I highly recommend this book to those with a high pain tolerance.

4/5

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

What started out so well has seemed to drag out for an unnecessary final episode. Had I been publisher of Collins’ Mockingjay, I probably would have requested a long period break for the writer to take a nice vacation to gather some inspiration since, well, inspired this was not. The first 180 pages are mostly thoughts within the protagonists head of fear and sadness. What happened to that role model, the girl I loved so much in the first novel? If you readers are like me and absolutely must know the ending, then by all means, pick up the book;  However I do hope that the writers of the movie’s third installment make their own drastic artistic interpretation that removes the endless exorbitant happenings and dull ending.  (And a nerdy ramble: having studied Moore’s Law more times than I have fingers, I found it outrageously dated to constantly use TV propaganda as the main means of campaigning in the future. Really, Collins? Boring.)

2/5

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

A fitting second installment, Collins divulges into a very surprising twist.  I thought my sister had spoiled the plot for me already so I was pleasantly surprised to find an integrator new slash old situation with a tasty assortment of characters.  If it is not clear in the first that Peeta is the prevailing suitor in a solid love triangle, the reader will be victim to his charm in the second.  Much praise goes to the author for the ability to create an intricately detailed world without the complication that Lord of the Rings fans are used to.

4.5/5

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

I like to see my foray into teen fiction as a means of rebellion— because even though I am a grown man of 22, I am a proud survivor of the entire Harry Potter and Twilight series, which undoubtedly takes an integrity of sorts (especially the latter). So it seemed only natural to tackle Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games. And I loved it. My heart has never palpitated with as much excitement since Harry’s kiss with Cho Chang (Asian pride y’all!). The first novel of the series paints an intriguing dystopia at the center of which is a strong female character. Katniss Everdeen volunteers to take the place of her sister in a sick sacrificial ritual enforced by a government of the Big Brother family line. However violent Collins’ games amount to, I think it is refreshing that young girls and boys will have a mature, sensible character to emulate besides the  typical Disney damsel or ABC Family dimwit. A thrilling and at times chilling tale of unwanted adventure, The Hunger Games is a must read

5/5

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer

Joe gave me Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close as a birthday present this year and I have both him and the author to thank for making me pick up a book after college.  I heartily enjoyed the narrations from a very Woody-Allen-neurotic type adolescent, which felt generally refreshing.  The story’s focus on his overwhelming feeling of grief, though told humorously, illustrates how the mourning stage can keep a person from enjoying others still within reach.  Foer’s use of illustrations and mirrored narrations felt modern and at times trivial, but the novel succeeds in pushing the reader through a full range of emotions.  It did feel strange to have such compelling wit voiced by such a young character, but I guess it means something if the book has inspired me to start reading for pleasure again.

4/5

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

Richard LaGravanese must have had an easy time writing the screenplay for Water for Elephants, because each scene in the novel was set with luscious imagery destined for the silver screen.  Author Sara Gruen surely has a knack for detail, as any reader can tell by the depth of research she wove into the story line.  I found the sparkle of the ring to be delightfully contrasted with hardships behind the curtain.  Also surprising was how the cliche of an aging protagonist retell stories of yore turned out to be a helpful tool for additional sentiment.  My only qualm is that the major love triangle plot that Gruen focused on was perhaps the least compelling.

3.5/5

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

Hype.  It’s a publisher’s dream.  You get critics talking, which gets readers curious and ultimately leads to them to buying the book.  But is it good for the author?  Things I’ve heard about Stieg Larsson’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo fluctuated around phrases like: “It’s so thrilling!” and “You’ll be sucked in!”  These statements are what pushed me through 600 ultimately stale pages.  By the books end, I could not understand why the book was named after the title character.  Why dedicate the title to such an unlikable character who barely has a presence in the book?  I also found the interplay of two plots distracting.  Would I have liked the book upon reading it without recommendation?  Perhaps.  But to save my fellow friends from the hype, I will recommended skipping the book and waiting for the movie.

2/5 stars