My Year of Meats by Ruth Ozeki

My Year of Meats

Now that Michael Pollan's New York Times bestsellers have opened up a national dialogue about where food really comes from, conscientious readers everywhere will want to devour My Year of Meats. When documentarian Jane Takagi-Little finally lands a job producing a Japanese television show that just happens to be sponsored by the American meat-exporting industry, she begins to uncover some unsavory truths about love, fertility, and a very dangerous hormone called DES. A modern-day take on Upton Sinclair's The Jungle, veteran filmmaker Ruth Ozeki's novel has been hailed as "rare and provocative" (USA Today) and "up-to-the-minute" (Chicago Tribune).

4.5 Stars

I think this book was VERY good, despite my distaste for postmodern fiction. The main character was believable and fierce and I wanted her to round-house a million scheming meat industry idiots in about two chapters. Besides that, the novel really touches on the universal humanity we all share and the injustices we are suffering because we are unaware of what the meat industry is doing to our foods (hormones... MANNYY hormones). Ozeki emphasizes the point that there is SO much debilitating ignorance; this ignorance paralyzes the people that would mobilize protests against unfair practices in business. She based the novel's facts on valid research, so I had a bit of trouble eating beef after reading this novel.

Final Verdict: Fresh-Ground Goodness

Mona in the Promised Land by Gish Jen

Mona in the Promised Land

In this ebullient and inventive novel, Gish Jen restores multiculturalism from high concept to a fact of life. At least that's what it becomes for teenaged Mona Chang, who in 1968 moves with her newly prosperous family to Scarshill, New York, where the Chinese have become "the new Jews." What could be more natural than for Mona to take this literally--even to the point of converting? As Mona attends temple "rap" sessions and falls in love (with a nice Jewish boy who lives in a tepee), Jen introduces us to one of the most charming and sweet-spirited heroines in recent fiction, a girl who can wisecrack with perfect aplomb even when she's organizing the help in her father's pancake house. On every page of Mona in the Promised Land, Gish Jen sets our received notions spinning with a wit as dry as a latter-day Jane Austen's.

4 Stars: This book was quite good. Though this was a book I read for class, I would have read it on my own. The main character, Mona, has a brilliant sardonic wit and is a hoot - if you can keep up with her. The characters are well-formed and purposeful and the dynamics of different ethnic communities are distinguished in a clever and distinct way. I really enjoyed the story line as well - a Chinese-American trying to convert to Judaism is not your usual novel topic. Mona makes you feel like you aren't alone in your search for yourself and her coming-of-age leads you quickly and splashingly into the search for your identity. If you're a girl, read this.

Final Verdict: Classic Coming-of-age

The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury

The Martian Chronicles

The Martian Chronicles is a 1950 science fiction short story collection by Ray Bradbury that chronicles the colonization of Mars by humans fleeing from a troubled Earth, and the conflict between aboriginal Martians and the new colonists. The book lies somewhere between a short story collection and an episodic novel, containing stories Bradbury originally published in the late 1940s in science fiction magazines.

5 Stars - This is THAT book for me. It is the book that changed the way I see the world and makes me realize that its all worth it. Needless to say, Bradbury is a literary genius; his turn of phrase and wonderfully crafted short stories make this collection worth a read. I probably really enjoy it because there are a lot of allusions to other pieces of literature. If you aren't into symbolism, if you like having a central character to follow - still try reading it! I assure you, you won't regret it. My favorite book of all time.

The Final Verdict : Martian Masterpiece

The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley

The Mists of Avalon

The Mists of Avalon follows the stuggle of Morgaine, a priestess of the Mother Goddess, in her struggle against the encroachment of Christianity during the reigns of Uther Pendragon and his son (and her own half-brother), Arthur. When Arthur and Morgaine, neither knowing their relationship to one another, conceive a son, Modred, the seeds of conflict between Avalon and Camelot are sown. Eventually, the battle between Arthur and Modred leaves no one but Morgaine alive to tell the tale.

4 Stars - Though this book isn't necessarily a page-turner at all points in time, it's a great story from some wonderful and crisp perspectives. Personally, I love arthurian novels. I loved this one especially because it twists the story - making the women the protagonists. It's long, but completely worth the time. I almost thought of it as a trilogy put into one book. The main character is wonderful and independent - she doesn't need you to like her or support her, but you do anyway. I deeply appreciated reading this book.

The Final Verdict : Arthurian Artisanship

The Confessions of an Ugly Step-sister

Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister

The story follows Iris as she takes care of her mentally-challenged older sister Ruth and her stepsister Clara. Having fled from England to Haarlem, Iris often contemplates the value of beauty and ugliness. While caring for her sisters and keeping the peace between Clara and Margarethe, her mother, Iris spends time apprenticing with a local painter known as The Master, and his apprentice, Caspar. On the verge of losing everything after a sudden drop in their stock market, Margarethe devises a plan for Iris and Ruth to attend the ball. She leaves out Clara because she knows full well that if the girl wed the prince, she would abandon her family and they'd end up in the poorhouse.That night the fairy tale of Cinderella and her pumpkin carriage is spun, and the next morning her prince comes to collect her.

1 Star - This book was quite a disappointment. The premise is very interesting and I was looking forward to reading the book. Unfortunately the book moved at a glacial pace and was only interesting every once in a while. This doesn't seem like an ideal quality for a book to me. Few of the characters were very likable. The way the story unfolded was very jolted and inconsistent in pace. I would not recommend it.

The Final Verdict : A Fairytale Failure

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

Water for Elephants
The novel, told in flashback by nonagenarian Jacob Jankowski, recounts the wild and wonderful period he spent with the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth, a traveling circus he joined during the Great Depression. When 23-year-old Jankowski learns that his parents have been killed in a car crash, leaving him penniless, he drops out of Cornell veterinary school and parlays his expertise with animals into a job with the circus, where he cares for a menagerie of exotic creatures[...] He also falls in love with Marlena, one of the show's star performers—a romance complicated by Marlena's husband, the unbalanced, sadistic circus boss who beats both his wife and the animals Jankowski cares for.

5 Stars - This is a spectacular book. It's easy to read, the characters are interesting and original, and you MUST read it. It's told entirely from the perspective of an old man in a nursing home that traveled with The Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth after his parents die and he drops out of Cornell vet school. The animals in the book are my favorite characters by far and it was fascinating to see into the world of circuses when they were in their prime. I really enjoyed the glimpse back in time. The animals made everything more interesting and vivid - a perfect backdrop for mystery, romance, and a struggling business. Ah, I can't say enough about this book. It made me laugh, it made me cry, and it made me really appreciate the time I have on earth and the adventures that I might end up living in the future. It also made me think that it might be fun to love one person your whole life - a grand adventure. Really - Life is a grand adventure in this book.

The Final Verdict : A Spectacular Adventure (arguably the best on earth =))

The Reader by Bernhard Schlink

The Reader
When he falls ill on his way home from school, 15 year-old Michael Berg is rescued by Hanna, a woman twice his age. The two begin an unexpected and passionate affair only for Hanna to suddenly and inexplicably disappear. Eight years later, Michael, now a young law student observing Nazi war trials, meets his former lover again, under very different circumstances. Hanna is on trial for a hideous crime, and as she refuses to defend herself, Michael gradually realizes his boyhood love may be guarding a secret she considers to be more shameful than murder.

4 Stars - I gobbled this book up on a single plane ride from Greece to America (Yes, the airplane food IS that bad). Kidding. ANYWAY, though this book is a little tragic and frustrating, it effectively allows you to form your own opinion about who is 'the bad guy' and who is 'the good guy'. This is definitely not for kids... because of the contents, but the story is interesting and easy to follow. Also, the main character is very believable.

The Final Verdict: A Good Quick Read

Escape by Carolyn Jessop

Escape
When she was eighteen years old, Carolyn Jessop was coerced into an arranged marriage with a total stranger: a man thirty-two years her senior. Merril Jessop already had three wives.Over the next fifteen years, Carolyn had eight children and withstood her husband’s psychological abuse and the watchful eyes of his other wives who were locked in a constant battle for supremacy. In the FLDS, a wife’s compliance with her husband determined how much status both she and her children held in the family. No woman in the country had ever escaped from the FLDS and managed to get her children out, too. But in 2003, Carolyn chose freedom over fear and fled her home with her eight children. Escape exposes a world tantamount to a prison camp, created by religious fanatics who, in the name of God, deprive their followers the right to make choices, force women to be totally subservient to men, and brainwash children in church-run schools. Carolyn Jessop’s flight takes on an extraordinary, inspiring power. She became the first woman ever granted full custody of her children in a contested suit involving the FLDS. And in 2006, her reports to the Utah attorney general on church abuses formed a crucial part of the case that led to the arrest of their notorious leader, Warren Jeffs.

4 Stars - I think this is a must-read for any female. Though this wasn't my usual fiction novel, I really enjoyed the autobiography on her life. The reality of the situation was gripping and unnerving, and it made me feel lucky that i live in such an accepting and emotionally mature community and familial structure. The strength and resolve that Carolyn Jessop shows is admirable and incredible, to say the least.

The Final Verdict: Biography Best

The Host by Stephanie Meyer

The Host
Our world has been invaded by an unseen enemy. Humans become hosts for these invaders, their minds taken over while their bodies remain intact and continue their lives apparently unchanged. Most of humanity has succumbed. When Melanie, one of the few remaining "wild" humans is captured, she is certain it is her end. Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given Melanie's body, was warned about the challenges of living inside a human: the overwhelming emotions, the glut of senses, the too vivid memories. But there was one difficulty Wanderer didn't expect: the former tenant of her body refusing to relinquish possession of her mind. Wanderer probes Melanie's thoughts, hoping to discover the whereabouts of the remaining human resistance. Instead, Melanie fills Wanderer's mind with visions of the man Melanie loves—Jared, a human who still lives in hiding. Unable to separate herself from her body's desires, Wanderer begins to yearn for a man she has been tasked with exposing. When outside forces make Wanderer and Melanie unwilling allies, they set off on a dangerous and uncertain search for the man they both love.

5 Stars - While I wasn't a fan of the twilight series, I was a BIG fan of this book. It was fabulous. The main character was strong and resilient and the lovey-dovey stuff wasn't over-done. I really enjoyed reading about the underground colonies of the 'wild' humans. The dynamics of the society was also extremely interesting and an adventure to read about. This book is a definite page turner - I read all 700-some pages in two days. It's very original in story-line and it doesn't get old. Though the ending is - oh! Not going to ruin it. Go read it!

The Final Verdict : Out of this World SciFi Adventure

American Gods by Neil Gaiman

American Gods

Released from prison, Shadow finds his world turned upside down. His wife has been killed; a mysterious stranger offers him a job. But Mr. Wednesday, who knows more about Shadow than is possible, warns that a storm is coming -- a battle for the very soul of America . . . and they are in its direct path.

4.5 Stars
I really enjoyed this book. It was a complete page-turner and surreal, bizarre, crazy-out-of-this-world masterpiece. It was sometimes hard to follow, but I think if I read it again, I would get everything pretty easily. The storyline is a great mix of predictability and blind-siding story twists. The main character is likable enough, and the characters around him are unique and memorable. It really is an insane and incredible journey through the world of an underground society of gods, godesses, and demigods. I loved it because it brought all the gods from different religions together into one novel, making their survival dependent on those who worship them - so awesome. Read it, it's great.


The Final Verdict: A Novel Novel!

Double Helix by Nancy Werlin

Double Helix
Although Eli Samuels is barely out of high school, he's offered a job at prestigious Wyatt Transgenics by Dr. Quincy Wyatt, the legendary molecular biologist. The salary's amazing, the work is interesting, and Dr. Wyatt seems to be paying special attention to Eli. It's almost too good to be true. Is there a catch? Eli's girlfriend doesn't think so, but his father is vehemently against his taking the job and won't explain why. Eli knows that there's some connection between Dr. Wyatt and his parents - something too painful for his father to discuss. Something to do with his mother, who is now debilitated by Huntington's disease. As Eli works at the lab, and spends time with Dr. Wyatt, he begins to uncover some disconcerting information - about himself.

3 Stars- I liked this book just fine, though it wasn't memorable. I think the story is interesting and the mystery is well thought out. I think a different writer could have made this a page-turner for me. Unfortunately, that was not the case. I really don't have much to say about this book besides the fact that I picked it because I like molecular genetics and I thought it would be interesting. I thought it was worth the time, but I wouldn't read it again.

The Final Verdict : An Okay Myster-ay .... haha

The Summer of Naked Swim Parties by Jessica Anya Blau

The Summer of Naked Swim Parties

Fourteen-year-old Jamie will enver forget the summer of 1976. It's the summer when she has her first boyfriend, cute surfer Flip Jenkins; it's the summer when her two best freinds get serious about sex, cigarettes, and tanning; it's the summer when her parents throw, yes, naked swim parties, leaving Jamie flushed with embarrassment. And it's the summer that forever changes the way Jamie sees the things that matter: family, friendship, love, and herself.

1 Star After reading the description of the novel, you may ask yourself... "Dearest Savannah, what were you thinking, reading a book such as this?" Well, dear reader... I thought, when I picked up the book, it might have some sort of deeper meaning - a new and intriguing perspective on the world. Maybe, I thought as I held the novel in my hands at Barnes and Noble in front of the BUY TWO GET ONE FREE book stand, I will learn something about myself from reading this novel. Something I would normally never pick up under any circumstances. Unfortunately, I was seriously disappointed. Not only was this book uninteresting and not well-written, but the main character was weak and floppy - easily swayed and lacking in character. She reminded me of one of those people that seem washed out or diluted of character - someone you would never remember if you met them in a group, and someone that wouldn't intrigue you in a million years. She doesn't do anything because she thinks it's a good idea, and spends the entire novel trying to get tan, be liked by boys, and make her ridiculous friends like her. I'm not sure why I finished the book.

The Final Verdict: Old-school Belly Flop

Avalon High by Meg Cabot

Avalon High
Maybe it's not where Ellie wants to be, but if you have to start at a new school, Avalon High is typical enough: There's Lance, the jock. Jennifer, the cheerleader. And Will, senior class president, quarterback, and all-around good guy. But not everyone at Avalon High is who they appear to be... not even, as Ellie is about to discover, herself. As a bizarre drama begins to unfold, Ellie has to wonder, what part does she play in all this? Do the coincidences she's piecing together really mean - as in King Arthur's court - that tragedy is fast approacihng for her new friends? Ellie doesn't know if she can do anything to stop the coming trouble. But somehow, she knows she has to try.

5 stars - While the description of the book sounds like it will be on of those frivolous teen novels that Meg Cabot usually churns out, Avalon High is different, I swear. It's spectacular. While it starts out harmless enough, the changes and twists are even more startling because of the contrast with the docile beginning and first-glance storyline. The main character, Ellie, also doesn't ask that you like her or dislike her - she just is the way she is, and I like that. That makes me happier to go with her on this crazy journey. Avalon High was definitely a page turner and a twisting story that keeps you on your toes. The history and historical parallels integrated into it also taught me about the King Arthur history -much more than I ever knew. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a good read.

The Final Verdict: A Magical Must-Read

Shabanu by Suzanne Fisher Staples

Shabanu Daughter of the Wind
Life is both sweet and cruel to strong-willed young Shabanu, whose home is the windswept Cholistan Desert of Pakistan. The second daughter in a family with no sons, she's been allowed freedoms forbidden to most Muslim girls. But when a tragic encounter with a wealthy and powerful landowner ruins the marriage plans of her older sister, Shabanu is called upon to sacrifice everything she's dreamed of. Should she dow what is necessary to uphold her family's honor - or listen to the stirrings of her own heart?

4 stars - I really enjoyed this book. It takes you to a different time and place. It successfully makes you feel like you are in the culture and understand the complicated customs - a feat in itself for a book. The main character is strong, believable, and genuine. Her relationship with her family's camels is particularly original and endearing - it was one of my favorite parts of the book. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone. The only reason I didn't classify it as a 5 is because it wasn't a page turner. I could have put it down easily. That isn't to say it wasn't a spectacular book. The imagery and wording is priceless, the story-line is interesting, and the characters are memorable

The Final Verdict : A Nail-biting Trip to a Wind-swept Desert

This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen

This Lullaby
Raised by a mother who's had five husbands, eighteen-year-old Remy believes in short-term, no-commitment relationships until she meets Dexter, a rock band musician.

2 Stars - While this book isn't TERRIBLE, i found myself genuinely disliking the main character. I didn't dislike her because she was different from me - I can definitely deal with characters like that - but because she was generally warped and mean to the people around her. The book centers around Remy, a girl who got into Stanford and is not into committed relationships. I didn't like it. Maybe that's because I don't like books centered completely around romantic relationships in general, but it bugged me the way the relationship developed and the alcohol abuse and situations she stupidly puts herself into (believing she got into Stanford was difficult to believe, to say the least.) I wouldn't recommend this book. It's frustrating. And she's frustrating. Even the ending is frustrating.

Final Verdict : A Frustrating Beach Read

First Post! (Click for BetweeN the Pages Blog)

I must say I took the idea from Beth, a friend from school. She and I were musing about books and music and friends that love books and music. This was on the way back from a performance of Pride and Prejudice at UNC. I was interested, she sent me the link to her sight, and I was immediately prepared to hijack her idea. So I did, and I must say, I'm glad I did.

I'm crazy, emotionally bizarre, expressive, sensitive, loving, and goofy. I like order and planning but I'm especially fond of mixed up piles and open drawers. My mother, however, is not. I plan on attending UNC Chapel Hill next year as a freshman.

I'm absolutely in love with reading, libraries, tall bookshelves - though there isn't much time for reading at my residential high school for 'gifted' kids. Luckily for me, Spring Break is soon. I'm going to be reading The Poisonwood Bible - (assigned for class, but I've always wanted to read it.)

When I finish, I'll review it for you.

The rating system. Hm. I'm going to have to use the same rating scale Beth uses. Don't know what that means? Check out their site! It's great.

Much love and curiosity,

Savannah