Sundays at Tiffany's

Title: Sundays at Tiffany's
Author: James Patterson and Gabrielle Charbonnet
Original Publishing Date: 2008
Genre: General Fiction, Chick Lit
Rating: A

James Patterson truly is a writer with the ability to capture the wide range of human emotions. I am always amazed how he can go from writing psychological thrillers to writing touching and heart-wrenching love stories.

In this story, Jane Margaux is the lonely daughter of a high-powered Broadway producer, Vivienne Margaux. Jane's mother is constantly busy making deals and producing award winning shows, but every Sunday, Jane and Vivienne make a trip together, just the two of them, to Tiffany's. It is the one chance a week where Jane feels like a loved and appreciated daughter. For the rest of the time, Jane is alone... at least outwardly. What most people don't realize is that Jane has a very special friend, her imaginary friend named Michael. Michael is a very kind, loving person with an knack for listening to Jane's childhood problems and making her feel better about herself, even when no one else seems to care. Then, as most imaginary friends do, Michael has to leave Jane. "But don't worry" he promises, "you won't remember me."

After twenty-three years, we see Jane again as an up-and-coming Broadway producer herself. Jane is still very much alone and thinks every day about Michael, her long lost imaginary friend whom she never forgot despite his promise that she would. One day, Michael reappears in her life, though neither understands why.

The story is very original (though it reminded me a lot of the movie City of Angels) and seemingly well thought out. I was left with a few questions of my own curiosity, but none of them would have had any effect on how the story plays out and probably would have just been thought to be filler. I feel that for the sake of the story, all was explained very well and should leave most readers very satisfied. It is also a very quick read, partly because of how Patterson writes and partly because I could not put it down (I love books like that!). Over all a very good read and I would recommend it to almost anyone.

Ghost Hunting

Title: Ghost Hunting: True Stories of Unexplained Phenomena from The Atlantic Paranormal Society
Author: Jason Hawes, Grant Wilson, Michael Jan Friedman
Original Publishing Date: 2007
Genre: Paranormal
Rating: B


While you have to take most ghost stories or ghost hunting books with a grain of salt, this one is completely different. Not only is it written by the founder of The Atlantic Paranormal Society (TAPS) and therefore carries more credibility with that fact alone, but it is not written with the intent to thrill or scare the reader like so many other ghost related books. Instead, it presents the facts of each case, the homeowners' complaints, the research conducted by the TAPS crew, and the findings. Each case is presented in a well constructed scientific manner (with a little of the group's antics thrown in for entertainment value).

Jason and Grant, whom you may know from the Scifi Channel's Ghost Hunters, founded TAPS on the premise of trying to debunk the bogus claims of ghosts and other paranormal activity, while documenting and analyzing legitimately unexplainable phenomena. As Jason explains in the first couple of chapters, they do not buy into the theories that doors opening by themselves or bumps in the night automatically mean that a place is haunted. They go in to an investigation armed with common sense, sophisticated equipment and intuitive problem solving skills and try to figure out what natural forces could be causing the unusual activity. Many times they are able to point to an unanchored pipe or a loose door frame as a possible cause for the so-called ghostly activity and therefore dismiss it away with an alternative explanation. Other times, after testing every possible theory they can think of, they are left with no explanation for what could be causing the activity. Even then, they are reluctant to label the activity as "paranormal."

The book opens with Jason giving a brief synopsis of the personal experiences that eventually led him to found The Atlantic Paranormal Society, or TAPS as it is more commonly known. For anyone who is a fan of Ghost Hunters, this is particularly interesting considering Jason and Grant have both been very tight lipped about their experiences before TAPS. Whether or not Jason gives us the whole story is still unknown, but he certainly has opened up more in the book than he ever has on the show. He then goes into describing how he met Grant and how and why the decided to found TAPS. The next chapter is devoted to explaining the TAPS bylaws, their crew, theories, and equipment. Once the reader has an understanding of what they are trying to do (in case they didn't already know), the book dives into a chronology of cases that the TAPS crew investigated both on and off the screen.

I found most of these cases interesting and well written. There were a couple that left me wanting to know more, however. Jason is the primary "voice" in the retelling of these fascinating cases, but Grant throws his take in at the end of every case, just so we get an idea of what was going on in both of their heads. One of the things that I found exciting was that not only were we able to see cases that TAPS had investigated pre-Ghost Hunters, but Jason was able to tell the readers a little bit about what took place off-camera on the cases that were aired on Ghost Hunters.

I scored the book a B, because even though I would probably read it again and still enjoy it, I did feel like there could have been a bit more written about each case. Jason seems to rush through a lot of them. I would have liked to learn more about the clients, the histories of the buildings and homes they were investigating, the evidence itself, etc. Maybe there wasn't more to each case and anything that could have been added would have just been boring filler, I don't know. I just got a feeling like some of them were rushed. Other than that though, I really enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys the show and is a fan of TAPS.

I only hope that they decide to write a sequel, including a lot of their more recent cases! How fun would that be!

Their Eyes Were Watching God

Title: Their Eyes Were Watching God
Author: Zora Neale Hurston
Original Publishing Date: 1937
Genre: African-American Literature, Classics
Rating: A


My husband, Jerry, recommended this book to me. He, like so many others, had read it in high school and remembered it to be pretty good. Since I have embarked on this mission to read the classics, he thought it would be a good addition to my internal library.

I began the book without any real expectations. Jerry warned me that the dialog was written phonetically in rural Southern black dialect and therefore might be difficult to read, so at least I was prepared for that. I also had limited knowledge that it was written by one of the premier writers of the Harlem Renaissance of the 1930s and 40s, Zora Neale Hurston (**Note: visit Zora Neale Hurston's official site to listen to Ruby Dee read the fist couple of pages of the book! Its awesome!).

So, I began reading the book a few months ago and while its been slow going because of my busy lifestyle and because I was ambitions enough to start two books at once, I did find it to be a very enjoyable read. The story flowed remarkably well and kept my interest piqued from the very beginning.

Their Eyes Were Watching God is the story of Janie Crawford, a beautiful, middle-aged woman of African-American and Caucasian decent. The book begins on the porches of several of Janie's neighbors in her all-black community of Eatonville, Florida. Her neighbors watch (and gossip) as Janie returns home from a long hiatus, under "mysterious" circumstances dressed in a pair of overalls as opposed to the fancy satin dress she left town in. Janie's self-appointed best friend, Phoeby Watson, is elected to go find out what happened to Janie during her absence and report back to the neighbors. They are also quite curious as to the whereabouts of the the young man, Tea Cake, that Janie had left town with. Knowing her neighbors like she does and how they would speculate until her name was dragged through the mud and back, Janie decides to tell Phoeby her story from the beginning.

Janie was raised by her grandmother, Nanny, who was born a slave and was freed at the end of the Civil War, shortly after her only daughter was born (the progeny of one of those master-slave mistress affairs). Nanny loved her daughter dearly and vowed to give her a fabulous life after she was freed from the bonds of slavery. Unfortunately it was not to be and when her daughter turned up pregnant after being raped by a white man herself, Nanny had to rethink her views on free life. When Janie was born, her mother more or less took off, leaving the baby girl to be raised by her grandmother. This time, Nanny's plan was to have Janie married off to a man of prosperity and substantial social status, ensuring the girl's security, at the first inclination of her maturity, which in Janie's case was at the tender age of 16. The man that Nanny chose was Logan Killicks, a much older farmer and landowner. But Janie longed for love and to find her own identity and she certainly did not love Logan and he certainly wouldn't allow her to be herself. Finally, after several months of mediocre married life, Janie finds the opportunity to escape and pursue her chances to fine love and her sense of self.

Janie's story takes us through her trials and tribulations and the events that lead to her return to Eatonville, alone and under a cloud of neighborhood gossip. It was beautifully told. Hurston had an almost poetic way of writing and often used powerful metaphors to drive her descriptions home. The dialog really was not an issue for me because I have read several books with that type of writing before, particularly my all time favorite, Gone With the Wind, so I was used to it. There were some instances when slang terms that have long since died were used and I had trouble understanding that she was referring to, but in most cases, I was able to discern what the author was talking about through the context.

I do plan to read this book again in the future and I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in African-American literature, or who, like me, is interested in the classics. This one definitely falls under that category. Next time I read it, though, I will be sure not to read any other books at the same time, and will spend much more time absorbing the story and the writing style.

Jango Music

Ok, ok, I know this has nothing to do with books, but I have to put this out there. I recently stumbled on Jango.com while searching for music lyrics for one of my favorite songs. I have no idea where this site has been all my life! It is fantastic! I signed up on Monday and have since been enjoying non-stop music favorites at work! For those of us who have not joined the digital age and bought an MP3 player, this is perfect. However, for those of you who do have an MP3 player, there is a "buy" feature that allows you to purchase the songs of your choice.

So what is it? Well, it is a music site that allows you to add your favorite artists and songs to a database or "station" that is exclusive to you and your tastes. The site is totally free to users, so you don't have to worry about shelling out hundreds of dollars to purchase MP3s if you don't want to. It is also intended to be a social setting. Other members can visit your stations, "email" you, chat with you, send you song, etc. You have total control over your stations and from what I can tell, you can have as many as you want and can organize them in any way that you like. Jango does throw songs and artists in that they think you will like based on your selections. This may or may not be a welcomed injection, but the bright side - there is a rating system that allows you to decided how often a song is played, if at all. The rating system goes like this: "Love it" - play this song a lot; "Like it" - play this song again; "Don't like it" - Never play this song again. So far I love it and have only had a few songs come up that I selected the "Don't like it" rating.

Other nice features include random play and pause feature. I don't know about you, but I like to hear an entire song, so when I have to get up and step away from the computer, I can just hit pause and pick up right where I left off. The random play constantly keeps your music shuffling so you don't get sick of any one song or artist's voice.

The only two cons that I have run across so far is the lack of a repeat button (yes, there are songs that I like to hear over and over again) and the fact that it is limited to the computer. Yes, if you have an MP3, its not so much a problem, but I don't have one (yet). So, if I want to get up and go for a walk, I can't have my music. Not to mention that I am listening to this at work and I work in a cubicle farm, so I use ear buds so as to not disturb my coworkers, and there is a limited range for those things.

So, bottom line, if you are by a computer all day, need some tunes in your life and don't have or don't want an MP3 player, I highly recommend this site! If you sign up to it, look me up and let me know what you think!

PaperBackSwap.com

What can I say, I'm a slow reader! Especially when I'm reading three different books at different times, juggling work, a 9 month old, a husband and a household! So, in the interest of having something to post, I'm going to have to start reviewing book sites and other book related media in between book reviews. I have also realized that I have written two posts using links and information from PaperBackSwap.com, but have yet to write a review of the site. So, here goes!

I love this site! I attribute my inspiration to pick up reading as a hobby again, entirely to this site alone. It sounds like extremely high praise, but its true! I discovered it in January of this year and have since gone on a reading spree, completing 8 new novels and using 4 self-help type books for personal pursuits. I believe that is a record for me! Also, with the help of the site, I was and continue to be able to expand my horizons into new genres and meet new authors, most of which I never would have considered in the past. I can do all of this without having to spend a small fortune on new books and storage space to keep them all when I fill up every square inch of my house (which wouldn't take long).

When I first joined the site, I was immediately hooked. I was addicted to posting and receiving books (hence the mountain of to-be-read books), to looking up new books to add to my Reminder and Wish Lists, and to browsing the message boards! But, I'm getting ahead of myself.
Site co-founders, Richard Pickering and Robert Swarthout traveled a lot on business and along the way they collected a treasure trove of airport paperbacks, most of which were stored away somewhere in their homes to collect dust after their trips. Finally in 2004, after collecting countless books and having nothing to do with them, the pair came up with the idea that there should be a place where people could post their previously-read, but no longer needed books and receive other previously-read books in return. Thus paperbackswap.com was born.

The basic premise behind the site is to post books that you are willing to part with and mail them to other readers all across the United States and Puerto Rico. In return you will earn credits that you can use to request other books from other members. The site is currently free to join (Richard and Robert have reserved the right to charge a minimal membership fee later on if operating costs necessitate it), and, as an added bonus to new members, once you post your first 10 books, you will receive 2 free credits to start requesting books right away! Sounds too good to be true, doesn't it? Well, its not! Oh, and I forgot to mention that the site have grown to include hardcovers, audio books, ex-library books, and textbooks! So, if you love to read, you've got books lying around that you are willing to send to other members, have a computer and a few minutes, you can begin swapping away! For more information, visit the "How the Club Works" page of the site.

So, now that you have the general idea of how the club works, I am going to point out some of the noteworthy site features. First of all, there is the amount of books available for swapping. As of right now, there are 2,322,177 books available (426,849 unique titles) and that number is literally constantly changing as people post and request more and more books (see top right hand corner of site for actual number). These books are coming from thousands upon thousands of members all across the US and Puerto Rico.

Given those statistics, members are bound to have something to interest almost anyone! However, for those that have something specific in mind that perhaps PBS doesn't have (yet), there is the Wish List. PBS has a database of nearly every single ISBN known to the book world and if there is a book with an ISBN that you want that is not in the system, you can add it to your wish list and be in line when that book becomes available. For those books that you plan to request, but want to hold off on for now, there is the Reminder List. This is a place for you to save the titles that you want to request eventually, but just not right away. It is also a place where I like to store the titles that are not currently is the system (that most people might place on their wish lists), but that I am willing to wait for and therefore do not want to add to my wish list. It is a great organizational tool when you have a ton of titles that you want to read, but don't necessarily have the space or credits to request yet. There has been talk of a new Wish List/Reminder List hybrid that is being developed to make both lists easier to manage, but I honestly don't see how they could be better. I have made them work to my advantage as they are, however, so that might just be my opinion. I will report back on the new list when it rolls out.

The To Be Read list is another organizational tool that allows you to see what is currently on your personal shelf, waiting to be read. These books are in your possession, but are not posted to your available-for-swapping bookshelf. This is also a good tool to see what is currently on another member's wish list, and therefore might be a good idea to read first in case you plan to swap it. Its not exactly a guaranteed credit, but its close enough, especially if you have a lot of books in your wish or reminder lists.

There is a Buddy List feature that allows you to keep track of other members within the system. It is on an invitation/acceptance basis, however, so you cannot add just anyone. The buddy list is equipped with a "tags" feature that allows you to identify your buddies any way that you choose. Personally I currently have three tags that I assign my buddies: friends from my Weight Watchers board, good trades, and large bookshelves (always a good idea for making deals - I'll explain later). I can assign any or all of these tags to anyone I want and I can add more if I find a need for them.

Last, but not least, is the members' discussion forums. These are a great place to get to know the system, ask questions, and talk with fellow members. I frequently visit the Questions about PaperBackSwap forum to help with little questions that I might have had. Everyone is very helpful in answering questions or pointing you in the right direction for answers. Also, the Book Bazaar is a lot of fun just so see what people have available on their shelves or what they are offering. Its a great place for deals. Many of my TBR books came as part of deals offered on the Book Bazaar forum.

Honestly I have no complaints about the site or the concept of the site. The rules for swapping a a little on the strict side, but I understand why they must be so. When you are dealing with so many people with varying levels of comprehension, you must be specific about what's acceptable and what's not. Even then, you are bound to get a few bad apples that slip through, but I never hold that against the PBS team. To their credit, they try to monitor "problem" members and do their best to weed out repeat offenders to make the site a more reliable place for swapping.

All in all, this is one of the best ideas I have come across. I cannot thank Richard and Robert enough for coming up with the idea and maintaining the site. When my daughter gets old enough, I plan to set up an account for her so that she can enjoy the fruits of literature like I have and will continue to do.

If you haven't already, join this site! You won't regret it!

My First Reviews from PaperBackSwap

These are reviews that I wrote on the books that I have read since joining PaperBackSwap (PBS). They are fairly brief and don't offer a lot of information, but my reviews following these will be more detailed and thought out from here on out, but I thought I'd post these anyway to get the ball rolling.


Title: My Sister's Keeper
Author: Jodi Picoult
Publishing Date: 2005
Genre: Chick Lit
Rating: B+

I have read a couple of Jodi Picoult's books prior to this one and I have always like them. This one is no exception. I like her style of writing, telling the story from several different points of view and from different time periods. Some might find it difficult to follow, but I feel like it just adds to the mystery and suspense of the story. I will definitely be reading more of her books in the future.


Title: The Other Boleyn Girl
Author: Philippa Gregory
Publication Date: 2003
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: A+

I have wanted to read this one for a while, after hearing friends discuss it. PBS gave me the opportunity when it became available and I snagged it before it acquired a long waiting list. I have always been fascinated by the history behind the six wives of Henry VIII and this book puts a dramatic spin on the factual history. The author, Philippa Gregory, tells the story of "the other Boleyn girl," Anne's sister Mary. While Anne's story is well known throughout the world, Mary's is one that has been shoved to the back burner so to speak. Mary was the beautiful younger sister of Anne Boleyn, whom we all know was Henry VIII's ill-fated second wife. Mary was the first Boleyn girl to capture the handsome king's wandering eye and while much of their relationship is speculated on in the history books, Ms. Gregory takes what few facts are known and spins a wonderfully fanciful tale of love, betrayal and the bonds of sisterhood. While the book is over 600 pages, I found it to be a fast read because you get locked in, wanting to know what happens next (even thought you already know the fate of Anne Boleyn).

Title: The Bluest Eye
Author: Toni Morrison
Publication Date: 2000
Genre: African American Literature
Rating: B+

I bought this one for a class in college and ended up dropping the class before I could read it, so it sat on my bookshelf until I joined PBS. I figured that I should read it before I posted it to be swapped. It is a short book, little more than 200 pages, making it a fairly fast read. However, with the way that author Toni Morrison writes, I often found myself going back several times to reread certain passages. Ms. Morrison tends to get a bit wordy in her writing and while it does flow beautifully, I sometimes lose the train of thought and have to go back to remind myself of what she is describing. In this book, she tells the story from a few different perspectives and voices, making it a very interesting read. The story itself is the heartbreaking tale of Pecola Breedlove and how she wishes for the beauty that is associated with blue eyes, but receives a horrifying blow to her innocence instead. I would recommend this book to someone with the caution to read it slowly and deliberately. This is definitely not one to fly through on a plane or beach.

Title: Call of the Wild/White Fang (2 novels in 1)
Author: Jack London
Publication Date: 1991
Genre: Classics
Rating: C+

Call of the Wild (1903): While this book was somewhat predictable and a bit graphic in places, it was very beautifully told. I can see why it is [considered] a classic. Jack London paints a beautiful and realistic picture of Alaska and the trials of dog sledding during the gold rush of the late 1800s from the dog's point of view.

White Fang (1906): I had a really hard time getting into this one. It ended up being very good, but it was very slow getting started and I had to force myself to keep reading several times. Jack London tends to be very wordy, often describing something several times before continuing and [repeats his description] several times during the story. I felt that some parts could have been left out as they did nothing to further the story or provide any kind of a back story. They were simply there. Other than that, the overall story was very good and heartwarming. I am glad that I stuck with it until the end.

Title: The Virgin's Lover
Author: Philippa Gregory
Publication Date: 2005
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: A-

While this one was very good, I had a hard time trying to get through it. I'm not sure what it was, maybe personal conflicts, maybe the language was starting to get to me, maybe the extent of the content, maybe I was just tired of reading all together. I did enjoy the book however, so it stumps me. The last 200 pages or so were very good and kept me going until the end. I really liked Gregory's The Other Boleyn Girl and this one wasn't far off from that, though it did have a lot more information about the political turmoil that Elizabeth had to deal with at the beginning of her reign, whereas The Other Boleyn Girl seemed to be based more on the scandals that Anne Boleyn caused, leaving out a lot of the other political deals that were going on at that time. The characterization of the three main characters leaves a little to be desired. Elizabeth is painted as a flighty woman who has a hard time making decisions on her own. Not at all the way history portrays her. Amy Dudley come across as very whiny and annoying and completely oblivious to her husband's feelings and attitudes. I would think that after 9+ years of marriage, Amy would have figured out what her husband likes, doesn't like, how he feels about certain situations, and so on. Gregory has her play the simple-minded woman part a lot. Robert Dudley is not a good person throughout the whole book and I find it hard to believe that both of these women would be so infatuated with such a person. I might have to try to read this one again when I [am] more motivated. Until then, I think I will hold off on giving it a rating, just so I give it a fare assessment.

Title: P.S. I Love You
Author: Cecelia Ahern
Publication Date: 2004
Genre: Chick Lit
Rating: A

I really loved this one. Holly is a young, grieving widow and the book takes us though her grieving and recovery process. This process is unique though, because her husband, Gerry, who knew he was going to die due to a brain tumor, guides her with little notes that he left for her instructing her what to do. It had its moments where it was entirely predictable, but in the end, it surprised me. Throughout though, there were times when I laughed out loud or was brought to tears. I love books that have that effect on me. I will definitely be reading this one again and am adding it to my personal library.

The Savannah Reader

For as long as I can remember, I have always been a reader. I love to get lost in another world, another reality. With that in mind, however, it is very sad that until now I have never felt the need to branch out beyond books and authors that I have known for years. I mean, sure, I did venture out on occasion and expanded my limited library, but those trips were always short lived. I always returned to my comfortable little well-read haven. I honestly don't know what it was that kept me so reserved when it came to reading. Maybe a fear of the unknown, maybe comfort in the familiar, maybe simply that I did not have the time to devote to new books or authors, being that I was in school while working full time and needed to focus my energies and most of my spare time on school work. Whatever the reason though, I am ashamed to admit that I have been alive for 27 years and still have not read many of the tried and true classics or touched upon many an author's hard works.

Why didn't I read many of them in high school? you might be wondering. Well, the answer is simple. I did not go to a school that was interested in the classics the way nearly every other school in the United States is. I went to a public school in a suburb of Atlanta, and while they did choose interesting books for their high school students to read, Tom Sawyer and Moby Dick were not on the lists. What classics I did read were usually brief anthologized snipits taken from our textbooks. In college, I simply had too much on my plate to revisit the works of the greats unless they were on my course syllabi, so I reserved any free time I had to give myself a "brain break" and reread those in my personal library.

I recently found (with the help of some online friends) a nifty little website called PaperBackSwap.com (Click here for site homepage). This site not only allows me access to an entire country's worth of home libraries, containing thousands upon thousands of titles, many of which I never would have found otherwise, but it has happily awakened the hardcore reader within me. Now that I am out of school and not forced to read for grades, I have found a renewed interest in the books that I should have read a long time ago, books that I hope my children will read early in life so that they can use the wisdom held in their pages for their own experiences and studies. I currently have a list of 20 titles in my To Be Read (TBR) pile and 155 titles in my Reminder List (RL) pile. There are many, many more that I want to add, but after my stack at home reached an alarming height, I decided to put book hunting on hold and begin the long, luxurious process of reading. The books in my TBR and RL piles are a combination of classics and contemporary titles in many different genres that have either interested me for a very long time, or that have recently piqued my interest due to a good review or a friend's recommendation.

And so, in order to document the books that I have read and my interpretations on them I decided to start this blog. I am also hoping (as any literary blogger does) that anyone who reads these reviews will find a new (or renewed) interest in books and perhaps pick up one that I have recommended.

Keep in mind though, that opinions will differ and my take on a book will not necessarily be the same as yours. I do welcome comments on any and all reviews that I post, as these will help other avid readers choose books to add to their own TBR piles. However, please remember to be courteous and constructive when posting comments. Any criticisms of either the book or my reviews must have a literary foundation and documentation to back up your points. I reserve the right to delete any comments that are negative just for the sake of being negative.

With that said, I begin my journey into the world of literature! I hope that you will join me and enjoy it as much as I will! Happy Reading!!!