Book Reviews by Today, I Read…

A Continuous Book Review and Vocabulary Assignment

March 28

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Currently Reading: Madapple by Christina Meldrum (Part 3)

by Ann-Katrina

RECAP: Part 1, Part 2

Several days ago I completed Madapple and my mind is still reeling a little bit.

First, the subject matter. I knew it was coming. There was this ominous feeling deep in my belly,  churning and bubbling as I read. But when the moment arrived I still reeled. It’s one thing to know it’s coming and quite another when it actually arrives.

Second, I’m not sure how I feel about the end. It felt too…easy, for lack of a better word. It was like reading a very twisted episode of Jerry Springer that wraps up with an “and they all lived happily ever after” when you know damn well that isn’t true.

Would I still recommend reading the book? Was is still very well written? Was it still a page turner? Yes on all counts (the first with the caveat that if you can’t handle child abuse/incest stories, skip it). And I do love how the story itself unfolded, switching between the two time periods and points-of-view.

Please allow me to scoop my mind up off the floor before I write a proper review. All I really know at this point is that the next book I read needs to be light and fluffy because this one was (almost) as heavy as it gets…at least where young adult fare is concerned.

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March 20

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Currently Reading: Madapple by Christina Meldrum (Part 2)

by Ann-Katrina

RECAP: Part 1

OK. So I’m at roughly page 250, and I think my mind’s about to explode.

I keep reading and I’m still enthralled by how the story is unfolding (i.e. from Auslag’s point of view and from the court transcripts) and how it all seems like a game of cat and mouse with just so much information given.

And now things are getting stranger and slightly more ominous. After Auslag’s mother dies she stumbles onto some family she never knew she had (and aunt and two cousins) who take her in. (That situation just stretch the belief muscles a little bit, but it worked out, and it’s getting explained as the book goes along.)

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March 19

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Currently Reading: Madapple by Christina Meldrum (Part 1)

by Ann-Katrina

Madapple by Christina Meldrum - Book Cover I’ve had this book on my shelf for going on well over two years now. I’m not entirely sure why I decided now would be the right time to read it–especially since I have several other books waiting to be read. But one evening as I was drifting off to sleep, I remembered the cover. The image just flashed through my mind and I tried desperately to remember the title of the book. It was bugging me no end so I finally decided to get up and look for it. Once I found it, I slipped it from it’s dusty slot and tossed it onto the bed before climbing in. I pried open the pages and before I realized it, the clock said "an hour past your bed time" and I was rounding page one hundred. And get this: I wasn’t ready to stop reading.

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November 22

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Sunday Salon: Week End Round-up

by Ann-Katrina

Sunday Salon I’m lazing away this Sunday afternoon, about to dig into a patty and coco bread. The dark clouds outside are teasing me, but I still have hope they will open up and provide the perfect atmosphere to get my creative juices flowing. In the meantime, I figure now is the perfect time to offer the “where has Ann-Kat been?” update.

For a little while, I was sick (think delirious and semi-conscious) with the flu. It’s an experience I’d rather not repeat and luckily I’m all better now (yay!). The downside is that I’m racing to catch up with everything that’s fallen behind…

Writing

NaNoWriMo 2009 Participant I’m now nearly 16,000 words behind on my NaNoWriMo project, but I hope to fill most of the gap by the end of the day—cloud inspiration permitting.

I did, however, manage to get most of my NaNo board finished and discovered the face of my female lead along with a few secondary characters. Since I promised to bring this blog back to all things bookish, you can read all about the NaNo board (and my writing progress in general) at Today, I Wrote….

Reading

After finishing Wuthering Heights, from which my head is still reeling (Kidnapping and extortion? Really?!?), I’ve moved on to The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame and Fallen by Lauren Kate. I’m about a third of the way through both.

The Wind in the WillowsFallen by Lauren Kate

The former I remember from childhood; reading it as an adult brings some new perspectives. The latter is interesting so far, but I’ve already found a few items of contention—here’s hoping it will redeem itself by the end.

Reviews

My review queue is backlogged a bit, but I hope to have that sorted just after the holidays. Some of the books awaiting review include The Man Who Loved Books Too Much by Allison Hoover Bartlett, Dawn by Kevin Brooks, and Soulless by Christopher Golden.

The Man Who Loved Books Too MuchDawn by Kevin BrooksSoulless by Christopher Golden

The Man Who Loved Books Too Much was enthralling. I thought I was in for a true crime read, but it was more a journalist’s memoir of the book collecting world and the misguided lengths to which one man would go for his passion.

I managed to get up a mini review of Dawn since I read it for the 24 Hr. Read-a-Thon, but I do need to get a proper review online. This book certainly deserves one.

I expected to like Soulless a bit more than I did. Don’t get me wrong, I did enjoy it. Then again, I’ve always been fond of those B zombie movies with cheezy overacting and that’s the feeling I got from the book. Plus, it had an original premise in how the zombie apocalypse started. There are some book notes up (and a Sunday Sketch depicting a scene), but like the others, this deserves its own full review.

Arrivals

Thank goodness the book fairy didn’t forget about me while I was infirmed. A number of books made their way across my threshold and I’m excited to read all of them. The list includes:

Finch by Jeff VanderMeerDefenders of the Scroll by Shirazi sold Andy Warhol (too soon) by Richard PolskyRaiders' Ransom by Emily DiamandMadapple by Chrstina Meldrum

Soon I’ll get a proper “recent arrivals” post up along with synopsis for each of the titles. But for now, that ends my Sunday Salon week end round-up. You have been updated. :)

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