The Summer of Naked Swim Parties- Jessica Anya Blau

Being a teenager is tough.  Being a teenager in the 60's and 70's  with hippy dippy parents is even tougher.  When I finished reading this book, my immediate reaction was "Man, I am so glad I didn't have her life.  There is no way I would be so well adjusted!"  Viewed through the eyes of the youngest daughter, it is interesting to see her shed some of her innocence and come into her own.  I say some of her innocence because while she begins to realize some things about her pot-smoking, nude-loving parents, she remains surprisingly innocent and ignorant about the implications of her sexual promiscuity.  Teenage sex is a surprisingly blase topic here- while the narrator is occasionally shocked by her parents' friends sexual freedom, she views her own sexual awakening as completely par for the course.  There are a few major plot points that drive the story forward, helping our protagonist grow and discover that at the end of the day, it's her parents and sister that will always be there for her.  I didn't love the book, but if you like stories of character awakening and teen coming of age stories, well then this is perfect for you!

3 bookworms- I'm realizing that this review seems like the book is all about sex but with a heart of gold.  It's not- more happens, but it is your typical of a coming-of-age stuff.  I just didn't feel like spoiling anything or analyzing a writing ruse that is so...used and reviewed

A Prisoner of Birth- Jeffrey Archer

I initially  delayed reading this book because it's approximately 500 pages and I thought it would take forever and a day to read.  I finished it in 3 days.  Yes, it's that good!  I'm not spoiling anything by telling you it is very similar to The Count of Monte Cristo, which is one of my all time favourites.  I'm also not spoiling anything by telling you that there is a brief splash of The DaVinci Code in there too- just  enough to add even more excitement and tension to the already breakneck pace.  The book starts off like bullet train with the defining event and just keeps on going.  The book is entirely plot driven; all text is focused on continuously moving the story forward.  Please do not read this book thinking it will be loaded with imagery, metaphors, or a higher meaning because you will not find it here.  The cast of characters is extensive; however, everyone serves a purpose in the overarching story.  Overall, this is a highly satisfying book.  A must-read when you have some free time!

5 bookworms!

Housekeeping (How very Martha Stewart of me)

I've realized I'm really bad at this whole writing posts thing. But somehow, with barely any promotion on my part, people are finding this blog. Which makes me more motivated to write more ramblings!

I'm also realizing that as I write more posts, I need to provide some sort of method of organization so y'all can read older reviews (as one does). Therefore, I'm going to go through and hyperlink the book titles in the Bookworm Project List on the right for easy review searching. Finally, I'm going to tag posts based on their rating. Right after I figure out how to do it.

All this should make searching this blog a tad bit easier! Happy reading :)

The thirteenth tale- Diane Setterfield

As the book cover states (and I'm paraphrasing here), this is a book for book readers. You can't help but appreciate the art of storytelling in this books,as it is done so well here. The story within the story were eventually connected, and both are equally interesting and I couldn't wait to find out what happens. I felt like at times certain aspects of the story were a bit reminiscent of Brideshead Revisited and there was a fantastic plot twist that I was just not expecting. If the book wasn't so massive, I probably would have re-read it with the twist in mind to see how my understanding of the story changed. This is an incredibly satisfying book with traditional storytelling elements. I don't even want to review it more, expect to tell you to just go and read it!


5 bookworms!

The Soul Thief- Charles Baxter

I didn't like this book- too abstract, too all over the place, and way too ambitious without any follow through. Was the protagonist crazy, or was he merely a victim of his dark horse doppelganger? I don't know. Was there a point to following the characters until the middle of their lives? I don't know. Again, I want a resolution - an unfinished story, while making the reader think about possible endings and is very abstract and all - leaves me in the lurch. Perhaps I would be more amenable to an unfinished ending if I cared about the plot but sadly, I didn't. There was nothing exceptionally original about the story and the 'villain' was more annoying than he was evil. Don't bother- there are many more books with better abstract ambitions!


1 bookworm.

Lush Life- Richard Price

There is a concept called the "The CSI Effect" - due to the incredible success of the crime-solving tv show genre, the public at large expects that real life crimes can be solved quickly and with irrefutable evidence that has been conveniently left behind by the criminal. Forensic labs have shiny, new, expensive equipment; cops work on once case at a time; cases are solved within the week. Thank goodness for Lush Life, which shows the reader the exact opposite. There is cop bureaucracy, shoddy evidence collection, and unlikely culprits. The book is about a random act of violence, the ensuing police investigation, and the psychological and emotional fallout of everyone involved. Yet the real star of the book is the neighborhood where this all happens: the Lower East Side in Manhattan. The LES is an interesting intersection of cultures (which I won't go into here) that results in an atmosphere on the verge of conflict. The book develops the neighborhood into a character in the story - it plays that large of a role. When it's all said and done, this is a great read. I thoroughly appreciated a crime procedural that wasn't an airplane book or wrapped up in a pretty CSI bow.


4 bookworms.