And all the others: Books 53-87

And the rest of the novels for 2012 that are unreviewed:

 

53. Stories I Only Tell My Friends by Rob Lowe

54. In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson

55. Ella Minnow Pea: A Novel in Letters by Mark Dunn

56. Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown

57. Drift: The Unmooring of American Military Power by Rachel Maddow

58. A Dance With Dragons by George R.R. Martin

59. War by Sebastian Junger

60. Secret of the White Rose by Stefanie Pintoff

61. Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson

62. The Patron Saint of Liars by Ann Patchett

63. The Cranes Dance by Meg Howrey

64. The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements by Sam Kean

65. Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

66. The Exotic Marigold Hotel by Deborah Moggach

67. Playing Dead by Julia Heaberlin

68. 22 Britannia Road by Amanda Hodgkinson

69. There's Cake in My Future by Kim Gruenenfelder

70. Maine by J. Courtney Sullivan

71. Testimony by Anita Shreve

72. Always Something There to Remind Me by Beth Harbison

73. Cold Days (The Dresden Files, Book 14) by Jim Butcher

74. Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson

75. The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson

76. The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson

77. The House at Tyneford by Natasha Solomons

78. The Yard by Alex Grecian

79. The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan

80. The Throne of Fire by Rick Riordan

81. The Serpent's Shadow by Rick Riordan

82. My Custom Van by Michael Ian Black

83. Size 14 Is Not Fat Either by Meg Cabot

84. Big Boned by Meg Cabot

85. Size 12 and Ready to Rock by Meg Cabot

86. Gone, Girl by Gillian Flynn

87. The Map of Time by Felix J. Palmer

 

I didn't read as many books as I have in previous years, and definitely didn't review nearly as many.  While I tried to mix up my reading, it turns out that I read a lot more fantasy than I thought.  I also started quite a few books in 2012 that just couldn't quite hold my interest, and that I didn't finish, many of those non-fiction, which may also explain my lower number than usual since instead of moving on, I would just not read for a few days before finally admitting that I wasn't returning to whichever book it was.

Book 52: Graceling

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

 

It seems odd but it turns out that I ended both 2011 and 2012 with the first in a YA trilogy.  Kristin Cashore doesn't spend too much time world building, instead letting the reader's imagination/familiarity with other fantasy and historical periods fill in lots of the details.  Her main character, Katsa (what is it with female heroines with "Kat" in their name) is the niece of one of the Kings of the Seven Kingdoms (there are the five main ones whose names are basically variations of middle, south, north, east and west, and then the island kingdom and the kingdom over the mountains).  In this world, some people are "graced" with special skills, and they can be distinguished because their eyes are different colors (Katsa has one green and one blue).  The skills change from person to person; for example, some might be really good at swimming, or cooking, or other things such as that.  Katsa is graced with killing, and her uncle uses her as an enforcer, sending her throughout the realm to make examples of people that have broken the law or disobeyed him in one way or another.

 

However, Katsa doesn't enjoy being an enforcer, and she and her cousin have set up a secret council that tries to counterbalance some of the king's wrong doings.  More importantly, the council extends into other kingdoms so that the council has been able to help out in varios kingdoms that all seem to be mismanaged by power hungry kings.  During one council mission to save a kidnapped prince, Katsa stumbles across another graceling who appears to have superb combat skills as his talent.  He ends up tracking her back to the palace, and introduces himself as Prince Po, seventh son of the island king.  Katsa and Po develop a friendship, partially because Po is the only person that has come even close to giving Katsa a challenge during combatives training.  They work together to determine why the prince was kidnapped, and their discoveries and suspicions lead them on a mission to some of the other kingdoms.

 

It's probably not a surprise to hear that there is a bit of a romance in the novel, but I liked Cashore's approach and while it was obvious, it also developed somewhat organically instead of just being the usual love at first sight story, and it is based on more than simple attraction.  Katsa has long been wary of her grace but as the novel progresses she begins to discover good things about it, and changes her view of herself as a savage killer and thug.  This is the first in a trilogy though from what I've heard it is less of a trilogy and more of a series of three interrelated novels with different main characters.  I like this idea because while I'm sure there is more to Katsa's story, I feel like it concludes in a good place for her.  Therefore I'm perfectly okay with the idea of her simply showing up as supporting character or guest star in one of the other novels because too much more of her would probably only take away from the conclusion of this novel.

Book 51: To End All Wars

To End All Wars: A Story of Loyalty and Rebellion, 1914-1918 by Adam Hochschild

 

While this is the third Adam Hochschild book I've read, it is actually the first one that caught my eye.  I simply wasn't willing to spend money on a hardcover for an author I was unfamiliar with, and started reading some of his older books first, both of which I loved.  While this one was just as informative and well written as the other two, I think I slightly preferred the other two.  However, I think this may have a bit to do with the subject matter.  I am very much interested in World War I but I already know a bit about the topic.  As a result, I learned a lot from this book but not as much as when I read his book about the British abolition movement or the Belgians in the Congo, topics I knew basically nothing about.

 

Still, Hochschild takes a different approach to World War I.  While he talks about the war to help contextualize everything that is going on, his actual topic is the anti-war movement, and the pacifists.  While they heroically spoke out against a war that now everyone would agree had absolutely no point and simply led to another war, at the time they were villainized and seen as criminals.  One of the pacifists in this book was actually an important person in his book King Leopold's Ghost, the investigative journalist that helped bring the Congo's blight to the public eye.  Some of the people that Hochschild introduces have various faults and seem extreme in their views, but there were others whose fate it was impossible not to feel bad about.  I would definitely recommend this one, because it adds a perspective that isn't often focused on during studies of history.

Book 50: Furious Love

Furious Love: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton and the Marriage of the Century by Sam Kashner and Nancy Schoenberger

 

We read the play and watched the film Cat on a Hot Tin Roof my senior year of high school but besides that I don't think I've ever seen an Elizabeth Taylor movie, and certainly not one of the ones with Richard Burton.  Still, it's basically impossible to not know at least a little bit about Elizabeth, her various marriages, Richard Burton, and not be impressed by her standing in pop culture and film history.

 

Maybe I would have enjoyed this more if I'd also watched some of the films while reading the book.  However, while I think the book gave a very good portrayal of the famous couple, and was very sympathetic to them, at some point it all got to be too much.  Then again, given the book's subject that actually makes sense: Taylor and Burton enjoyed their quiet moments but being "Liz and Dick" took its toll, and their life together was certainly defined by excess - alcohol, food, diamonds.  I liked the book for the most part, but it just got to the point where I was ready for it to be over.  Perhaps like their marriage, it just went on a bit too long.  Still, it was a very comprehensive discussion of their marriage, and put some of the Hollywood legend into context for me. I'm not sure if I would quite say it humanized her because the life Taylor led still seems very excessive and so removed from normality but it certainly illuminated what it was like to be Hollywood royalty in the past.

Book 49: Girls in White Dresses

Girls in White Dresses by Jennifer Close

 

When I picked this up, I was basically expecting chick lit, but possibly a more realistic version of it.  Instead, it was more of a collection of vignettes told from various different characters that are all in the same social group.  Some characters have more than one vignette, while others have only one from their perspective but are referenced in later discussions.  While this novel wasn't a page turner by any means, and it actually took me a while to get into the format, overall I felt like the novel rang rather true.  Or at least it rang true of what I hear other people's lives are like.

 

The various character drift in and out of relationships and jobs, but none of them have the perfect life as seen in a chick lit novel.  Instead, they seem representative of lots of college grads trying to figure things out, some taking longer to figure out what they want or to just get lucky and find the right guy or profession.  While none of the characters are necessarily super developed, I think that is what helps make it so relatable.  Basically, it's a quiet novel, and while it's not necessarily a book that I would run out and recommend to everyone if only because it's not something that I would even think of, it also isn't a waste of time.  I realize I haven't given much plot summary but there isn't necessarily much of a plot - it just chronicles the lives of various friends and their relationships with each other, men and their success or lack thereof professionally.

 

Book 48: The Wise Man's Fear

The Wise Man's Fear (Kingkiller Chronicles, Day 2) by Patrick Rothfuss

 

This is the second novel in the Kingkiller Chronicles trilogy, and while it was still an engaging read, it also suffered a bit from similar issues as other second novels in trilogies.  Due to running into some problems at school, both with people and with money, Kvothe decides to take the semester off, and heads to another city to try to get a patron in the form of the Maer, a very powerful man in Severen.  If Kvothe can prove himself and help the Maer woo a woman, he hopes that the Maer would agree to be his official patron.  His work for the Maer leads to several different adventures, including an interlude in the land of faeries, and an explanation of where Kvothe learned his fighting skills.  Some of these side tasks lead him to cross paths with the Amyr or Chandrian that he has been pursuing but he doesn't learn too much more.

 

Basically, the two book of the series have been hinting all types of adventures and intrigue that involve Kvothe, and while the book reveals some of it, I don't feel like it went nearly far enough, considering that there is only one book remaining.  Especially since it seems like there is upheaval in the current day of this world, and I assume at least part of the third book may deal with having to face forces in the present rather than just talking about the past.  For example, the novels have been hinting at Kvothe's expulsion from the University, but two books in, and Kvothe is still a student, even if he is one that took a year off.  That means there is only one book for the reader to get any type of closure with the Chandrian, for Kvothe to get expelled and for the reader to find out why he is also referred to as the Kingkiller (other than the obvious, more importantly how it happened).  As a result, while I enjoyed the novel, I was also disappointed that it didn't reveal more.  It just seems like the third novel is either going to be huge or incredibly rushed which would be disappoining after how well-paced the first two were.

Book 47: The Emperor of Maladies

The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer by Siddhartha Mukherjee

 

While science lost its appeal for me during high school's AP Chemistry class, I still enjoy the occasional science book for the laymen such A Short History of Nearly Everything, The Disappearing Spoon, etc.  I like to know the ideas and the processes behind science, just don't ask me to get into the actual details.  I've also read a few books (and added others to my wishlist) related to medical history that I've enjoyed, including The Great Influenza, so this tome seemed like a natural addition to my reading pile.

 

It definitely did not disappoint.  Mukherjee frames the book with a patient's story, a woman who is diagnosed with an aggressive type of leukemia.  While he refers to her on occasion, he then delves deep into the history and some of the science behind cancer.  While there are references to diseases that appear to be cancer to the modern eye going as far back as the ancient Egyptians, cancer's current prevalence is rather recent, and for good reason: our life expectancy has increased quite a lot.  By eliminating (or at least reducing the occurence of) other killers, such as tuberculosis, typhoid and many other diseases, humans now have the opportunity to live long enough to develop cancer.

 

While the book is subtitled a "biography of cancer," it doesn't have straight time line.  Instead, he picks different topics and approaches, and discusses them in a detailed manner.  The reader can then connect the dots and be baffled by the type of treatments that were occuring while other groundbreaking research was showing how ineffective that treatment was (such as radical mastectomies not adding any more life span than a smaller surgery would have in a similar case).  The American Cancer Society was originally a small group but once certain donors became interested in the cause it became a political force.  Of course, while they did a lot to get more funding for cancer and such, Mukherjee also discusses the idea that historically, most diseases and illnesses have been eradicated due to prevention rather than treatment, and while cancer treatment is of course important, ACS's constant pushing for cures may have also diverted some people from focusing on the cause, or getting to know and understand the disease more intimately.  He talks about the history of lung cancer as one of the most obvious one as far as causes while for other cancers there is still much to be learned.  While he discusses breast cancer, I was surprised that he didn't mention Suan G. Komen - it just seems like there is so much talk about breast cancer being ignored before those types of organizations but it seems like most cancers were kind of quietly hidden and not talked about for a long period of time prior to last century.  He also discusses the idea of cancer patients being at war, and how cancer is portrayed as a battle so that in some cases the hardest thing is to simply accept that there is a point where nothing else can be done, and simply let the patient die with dignity without the patient feeling like they have somehow failed in their battle.

 

Overall, I thought it was an absolutely fascinating read, discussing cures and treatments that can sometimes seem worse than the disease, what research has revealed recently, and the way people's understanding as evolved over the years, and how understanding could be culturall influenced.  It was definitely worth the time, and Mukherjee never forgets the people involved, be that the scientists, the doctors, or the patients.