Book 98: Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit

Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson

 

Though a fiction novel, it feels very biographical, and the narrator's name is even the same as the authors.  The novel tells the story of the narrator's childhood and her developing sexuality.  Raised in a very strict Christian church, some of her stories about grade school are incredibly amusing because she continuously misses the mark when trying to understand the students and the teacher.  She may make the most intricate and carefully designed projects but teachers really don't quite know how to react to embroidered sayings along the lines of "repent" or some of the other darker themes that the narrator explores as a result of her upbringing.

 

Once the narrator reaches her teens, she begins to develop feelings for other women, and though at first this is ignored, she soon finds herself in conflict with her church.  Despite her devotion to her religion, she also cannot see how her actions are in conflict with her church, leading to some tough lessons for her.

 

While I thought the novel was well-written, and also enjoyed that Winterson approached the narrative with a certain amount of humor, I can't say I was always that moved by the story,  Overall, I liked it and thought some of the relationships were very well-written.  I would have loved to learn more about some of the older women in the church who have learned to balance their beliefs and their sexuality, since a few of them suggest that they know what Jeannette is going through.  This novel was published in the mid '80s, so I'm sure part of the issue is that while the novel was groundbreaking at its time, at this point the story it tells is rather familiar.  I can certainly understand why it is an important novel, and as I said I mostly enjoyed it, though it didn't leave a huge impression on me.

Book 97: Shift

Shift by Hugh Howey

 

While I ended up liking this novel, or collection of three novellas, it didn't grab me in the same way that its predecessor, Wool, did.  The three stories combined tell the story from the beginning of the silos, and take the reader up to the end of Wool, where Silo 18 has become aware of at least part of what is going on.

 

The first novella flashes back and forth between Donald, who has been elected to Congress, and is involvement in building the silos though he isn't actually aware of what is going on.  Instead he believes he is building a temporary fall out shelter.  Much of this plan is set into notion by the powerful Senator Thurman, a man that helped Donald campaign, and who is an old acquaintance due to Donald's relationship with the senator's daughter Anna. The other half of this section covers Troy's first shift in Silo 1, and what he slowly discovers as shift supervisor.

 

The other two novellas contine to focus on what is going on in Silo 1, revealing more of the end game behind Thurman's plan, and his motivations for his actions, while chronicling one of the rebellions of Silo 18 in one of the novellas, and sharing more of Jimmy's story after the fall of Silo 17 in the third.  The side stories about the other silos were the most engaging for me, though Donald's story is of course the important one for the progression of the series.  Donald was a character that was easy to sympathize with, but he was also approaching his life through a bit of a daze which made the others characters easier to invest in.

 

At this point in the series, I am really curious to see what the outside world actually looks like beyond the 50 silos in this small area.  What happened to the rest of the world?  I'm definitely looking forward to finally getting Dust, and hopefully getting that answer as well as seeing how it all concludes.

Book 96: The Night Circus

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

 

I feel like everyone read this book about two years ago and raved about it.  I actually bought it back then, but was afraid I would be the one person that didn't like it.  Some of the reviews made me worry that maybe it wasn't my cup of tea, and then I started seeing reviews that were less excited about it, which made me feel like I was justified in holding off on reading it.  As it turns out I shouldn't have been worried at all, and I'm so glad I found some of the book challenges I did this year that inspired me to finally read this since it meets requirements for three or four of them.

 

The main premise of the plot revolves around a challenge between two magicians and their opposing theories on the practice of magic.  Rather than face each other, the two have been pitting apprentices and students against each other for an indeterminate time.  It seems that quite some time has elapsed since the last challenge, but when one of them realizes he has a daughter, he decides to use her in the challenge, even when his opponent, Alexander, gives him a chance to bow out considering that the challenge only ends with death.  Alexander quickly finds an orphan to teach, and thus Marco and Celia are set up as contestants in what will become a life long challenge (while neither of the older men is exactly admirable, I liked Alexander and his methods much more).

 

The challenge doesn't begin immediately as both men must train their chosen representatives first, but eventually, the venue is picked, and the challenge begins, showcasing the different things the two can do with their magic.  The venue of course is "Le Cirque des Reves" or the Circus of Dreams, and Marco and Celia do not realize exactly what type of contest they are in for a long time - they only know they are competing and that they are not allowed to interfere with each other.

 

Interspersed with the story of Marco and Celia and their growing attraction to each other are stories about the circus and its visitors.  Some of the short chapters describe attractions and how a visit might feel, while other chapters focus on some of the people involved with the circus, or the effect it has on its visitors.  One prominent guest of the circus is Friedrick Thiessen, the man that designd the beautiful and playful clock that graces the entrance of the circus (after reading this novel, I totally want a clock designed by this man).  As magical as the circus is, it is clear that there is also something darker going on and not everything is perfect.  Obviously, the challenge itself is not going to lead to a happy ending, and the oddities surrounding the circus take their toll on some of the people closely associated with the circus without actually being part of the circus.

 

The descriptions of the circus are very enchanting, and the novel's success has very much to do with the details and the atmosphere it creates rather than the plot itself.  There are so many little vignettes and different characters, all of which are quite enjoyable so that even though Marco and Celia are the main players, they are also just part of a large ensemble.  In a way, it reminded me of Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, though that one was much more complex and dense novel.  Still, it had that same type of feeling to it for me, though this one was a bit lighter and fluffier.  I'm definitely curious to see what else Morgenstern has in store for her future novels.

Book 95: Code Name Verity

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

 

This was such a great novel!  I was very impressed with the story and how much research the author incorporated into the book.  The novel begins with the written confession of "Verity," or Queenie as she refers to herself, a British agent captured in France by German agents.  After being tortured, she has agreed to give the Germans the information they want and has already revealed codes.  Given her status, she knows she has very little time left before she dies, and realizes that once they have her confessions she will likely die or get sent somewhere even worse than the Gestapo headquarters.  As a result, her confessions may seem a bit long, chronicling her friendship with Maddie, an English pilot, before she finally reveals more about herself and her mission, but her captors are both impatient and oddly tolerant of her tangents.  The commander of the Gestapo frightens Queenie but often surprises her with his knowledge of literature, even stating that she is a student of the novel, and writing her story in that way.  Queenie does an amazing job of telling her and Maddie's story while interspersing her present day predicament and the fear she faces.

 

I tend to focus more on the Holocaust when I read about World War II, so it was fascinating to read about the French Resistance and the way the British supported them (don't call Queenie English - she is Scottish!).  Additionally, the two women, Maddie and Verity, are just such great characters and it was a joy to see their friendship develop, even knowing that the ending wasn't going to be good.  Maddie is the one that flew Verity into France, and the plane crashed after Verity had to jump out, leaving Maddie's fate questionable.

 

I really loved this novel, and definitely recommend it.  My only complaint isn't with the novel but with the version I had which had a description inferring that there was a twist, so I spent the first few chapters thinking that Queenie was actually Maddie since she was writing so much about Maddie ... there's no crazy twist like that though there are surprises to the narrative and more going on than at first meets the eye. 

Book 94: The Maze Runner

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

 

The concept behind The Maze Runner is intriguing but unfortunately, I became less interested in the novel as it went on due to poor pacing and characters that were rather lacking in development.  Thomas arrives in the Glades one day with no memory of his past though he feels like the place may be vaguely familiar.  He joins a group of fifty or so very well organized boys ranging from 11-17.  None of them remember who they are, either, beyond their names, and they have arrived a month apart at the Glade for the past two years.

 

Thomas tries to get answers the first day he is there, and while I understand his desire, I'm not sure if I was more annoyed with him or the other characters when they told him he would get his answers on a tour of the Glade on his first full day.  I understand Thomas wanting answers before then but maybe he could have been a bit less obnoxious about it given that they promised him answers on their own time line.  The area is surrounded by a maze, and a group of the boys are maze runners, who chart and run through the maze daily, looking for clues or an exit.  Every night the walls to the maze close, keeping the boys locked in the Glade and the monsters (things called grievers) outside in the maze.  Despite these creatures and the danger they pose, Thomas develops a feeling early on that he is meant to be a maze runner.

 

Before Thomas can settle into his new environment or get too comfortable, something happens that completely shifts the balance in the Glade.  The day after Thomas shows up, a girl is delivered to the Glade with a note saying that she is the last.  No other girl has ever shown up in the Glade, and no more than one person has ever arrived in a month, let alone on consecutive days.  This raises suspicions about Thomas due to his timing, and also leads to an even greater desire to find a way out of the maze as the supplies also stop coming through the delivery system.

 

The premise was good, and I certainly wanted answers about what was going on as I was reading.  The problem with this type of concept, however, is how to keep it interesting - the whole story and plot revolve around the idea of getting answers.  I feel like this novel got the pacing off - it wouldn't even have had to reveal answers earlier than it did if other parts had been better written or more engaging.  As far as making this a trilogy, once these questions are answered, there needs to be something else and more to maintain interest.  For example, the Chaos Walking trilogy started out in the same way where something was being hidden from the main character, and he finally has a good portion of the answers by the end of the first novel.  While Ness actually had developed a lot of other things for beyond that novel, for me, the rest of the series was never quite as engaging because I no longer had that nagging desire to know what was going on, but I kept reading based on the strength of the first novel and the fact that I actually liked and cared for his protagonists.  I feel like the only reason I kept turning the page in The Maze Runner was to know why because I certainly didn't care about the main characters.  I didn't like Thomas that much, didn't care about Chuck, and some of the other characters had moments were I thought they were interesting but their actions seemed inconsistent and conflicted.  It seemed like their actions and words were based more on what would serve the plot than on what would be consistent for the character.

 

I admit part of it may be a preference for women authors and protagonists when I read YA.  I don't feel like I have this preference in general since I love the Dresden series and the Codex Alera, both by Jim Butcher, I love George R.R. Martin, Patrich Rothfuss, Brandon Sanderson and enjoy many other male authors.  Sometimes I don't always feel a connection to coming of age stories about adolescent boys but I have read and enjoyed plenty of books by male authors with male protagonist.  And yet, both of the big YA trilogies by men that I have either started or read completely, I just didn't enjoy that much.  I find that odd.  The other thing, and I brought this up on someone else's review of this novel, is that I find it very weird that both recent pieces of dystopian YA I've read by men focus on communities of men or boys where a lone woman showing up is the trigger for change.  I can't think of a single YA novel by a woman I've read where there aren't any guys (that doesn't mean they don't exist but they are obviously not quite as popular as The Hunger Games, Daughter of Smoke and Bone, Graceling, etc).  In fact, Thomas states that he hadn't even noticed that there weren't any girls until the girl showed up.  I mean I'm sure there are probably novels that take place at a girls' boarding school, but I feel like boys or guys would still at least be mentioned.  Patrick Ness actually had a bigger message with his and I liked where he went with it, and from what I hear about the sequels I'm sure Dashner had a purpose, too, but I still find it slightly weird that women are just completely written out (because really the girl in The Maze Runner wasn't a character, she was a plot point), and that Thomas wouldn't even notice that there aren't any women around.

 

Having said all that, the ending was both intriguing and also kind of pissed me off.  When I say ending, I'm referring to the last two pages specifically, because the rest was just in line with the rest of the book - I didn't care too much.  Not a single character death actually affected me, and some readers were talking about one death being incredibly moving when to me that was one of the most annoying characters.  However, the very last two pages throw in just enough to make it interesting again, and make me want to know what happens next.  However, I feel like the book itself should have made me want to read the rest of the series, not some little comment thrown in at the end that promises more answers, so I will not be picking up the rest of the series.

Book 93: The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne

 

I'm actually surprised I haven't read this earlier since it is a fairly well known novel dealing with the Holocaust, a topic I always tend to gravitate towards.  Perhaps it was the fact that it seemed to be very much marketed for a younger audience (not that this prevented me from reading and loving The Book Thief).  Upon completing the novel, I thought this felt like a fairy tale of the Holocaust until I flipped back to the front and noticed the title page actually read as "The Boy in Striped Pajamas: A Parable."  Boyne mixes realism with events that could maybe have happened because some crazy unbelievable things happened involving the Holocaust, but mostly feel like something that never could have taken place, at least not for a prolonged period of time.  As a result, I think adding that word parable to the title helps - Boyne isn't trying to give his readers an entirely accurate impression of the Holocaust but wants to tell a small personal story involving the Holocaust.

 

Bruno, the main character, is nine years old when his father gets a promotion, and the family has to move from their large home in Berlin to a smaller house in "Outwith."  His father has been placed in charge of a camp, and Bruno has a view of this camp from his bedroom window, where he can see lots of people in striped pajamas.  While Bruno hates his new home, the lack of friends and the soldiers that are constantly in and out of the house to speak with his father, he eventually decides to explore and walks the perimeter of the fence around the camp until he sees a boy in striped pajamas on the other side.  Bruno and Shmuel strike up a conversation, and continue to meet every day, each on their side of the fence.

 

Obviously, the idea that a young boy could go undetected while sitting next to a fence of aconcentration camp for a long period of time is the part that seems somewhat fantastical.  The other part of the book that may or may not be believable is Bruno's cluelessness about what is going on.  He has to be told that the people in the camp are Jews, and he feels a bit jealous of Shmuel being on the side of the fence with all the people.  Adult readers of course know exactly what Shmuel means when he says certain things while Bruno just doesn't get it.  He notices that Shmuel is very skinny and even tries to bring him food on occasion, but he still eats the food he brings with him while he is on his way to the fence half the time.

 

At nine, it probably is easy for Bruno to be wrapped up in his own world, which makes the silences on Shmuel's part all the more poignant for the knowledgeable reader.  Not only does Shmuel not know how to disillusion Bruno, but saying too much might very well get him into trouble since he is speaking not only with a German but with the commandant's son.  That isn't to say that Boyne leaves out all the dark moments - he simply writes them from a nine year old's perspective - Bruno witnesses some things that leave him confused and frightened but he doesn't necessarily know how to process it or how to put it in a context beyond a personal experience with a sadistic soldier.

 

While I think there are many more powerful Holocaust pieces out there, I would say this was a rather sweet story, and could be enjoyed by both children as an introduction to the Holocaust or older readers that have the ability to fill in the blanks.  It's also rather short, which works in its favor because if the novel had been much longer, I probably would have wanted more meat in the story rather than a simple story of friendship set against a very complicated and horrifying time.

Book 92: Industrial Magic

Industrial Magic (Women of the Otherworld, Book 4) by Kelley Armstrong

 

Picking up a few months after Dime Store Magic, Paige, Lucas and Savannah are living in Portland, Oregon.  Lucas continues to do pro-bono lawyer work in defiance of his father, the CEO of the Cortez Cabal (think head of the most important mob but run by sorcerers and employing supernaturals), while Paige attempts to start a coven of her own.  However, she is rather lacking in success, and part of it is due to her boyfriend being a sorcerer (sorcerers and witches are portrayed as enemies in this series) and her ward being the daughter of a witch with a reputation for practicing dark magic.

 

While Lucas has been trying to protect Paige from family politics, she gets pulled in when his father Benicio visits their apartment in Portland.  Someone is targeting the children of Cabal employees, and Benicio would like to hire Paige or Lucas to investigate, and is also concerned for their safety.  Despite initial hesitations, Paige and Lucas are drawn into the investigation, and spend a large part of the book in Miami, the Cortez headquarters.  Cortez is not the only Cabal that has been targeted, and working with the other Cabals raises some issues, especially since one of them played such a prominent role in the previous novel, and Savannah's custody case.

 

After Dime Store Magic, this one is very much action packed, and very quickly paced.  So far Armstrong has done a very good job in the series balancing between new and old characters without distracting from the plot.  Of course, I don't think this was an issue for Charlaine Harris, either, until further into the Stackhouse series, but I hope that Armstrong can keep up that balance.  As a result, Elena and Clay make small appearances as babysitters and back-up, the book gives more insight into Cassandra, the vampire rep on the interracial council, and introduces the readers to Jamie Vegas (who actually was already mentioned in an earlier novel) and Lucas's family.  Even better, while there is a lot of flirting between Lucas and Paige and implications of sex, the awkward scene from their last novel is not repeated.

 

I'm having a lot of fun with this series so far, and would definitely recommend reading the books.  Dime Store Magic was the slowest one so far, but they have all been good, fun reads and Armstrong does a very good job of expanding her universe and building on previous story lines without making it overwhelming.  The next one up is Haunted, and I think after that, there may be another Elena focused novel so I'm looking forward to that.  However, I have warmed to Paige as she has developed and matured over the last three novels, and her character just continues to improve.