Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Wow. Just wow. This novel blew my mind. I started reading it on Monday and I finished reading it about 5 am on Tuesday. The last book I read that fast (and also in two sittings) was the final Harry Potter.

I don't normally read mystery or thrillers so this was a new experience for me in that aspect as well. I get it now. I understand why whodunits are so much fun. It's great fun trying to peice together the clues. I will definately be reading a lot more books in this genre.

The problem is since I don't read mystery or thrillers I don't quite know how to review them either, so bear with me here. I assure you I will not give away any spoilers.

Book Description

On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick’s clever and beautiful wife disappears. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn’t doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife’s head, but passages from Amy's diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media—as well as Amy’s fiercely doting parents—the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he’s definitely bitter—but is he really a killer?

This novel was about so much more than just Amy's disappearance. This story is about the world's most messed up married couple. Whatever dysfunctional married couple you can think of, this couple will make them look like Mike and Carol Brady.

What I liked about the story is that it was told from two different points of view; that of Nick and that of Amy. It was fascinating to read about how both of them viewed their marriage and the events in their life.

What I truly did not expect was for this story to explore rather deeply misogyny and even though the word is never actuall used, misandry. I was facsinated as to how both Nick and Amy dealt with sexism and the hatred of the opposite sex. This story takes everything that is commonly assumed about domestic abuse and turns it on it's head. The book sincerely explores the idea of the male as the victim in abusive relationships, stalking, and even rape accusation.

It's hard to discuss what happens in Gone Girl without discussing radical feminism and how it has had an impact on marriage, what's expected of women in marriage and relationships, and how they should react when they are angry about it. I consider myself a moderate feminist who rejects radical feminism and as well as the misandry within feminist extremist views, so for me this book was an honest look at those issues. Whether or not Flynn intentionally criticized radical feminism, I don't know, however, I think this book puts the spotlight on real issues in the men's rights movement.

Don't get me wrong. The book is not preachy in any shape or form. Instead it is an action packed highly paced mystery where you aren't sure who the villian really is. However, I didn't like that you learned who it was halfway through the book. I really wish Flynn had kept it secret just a little bit longer.

While the first half of the book is a whodunit, the second half of the book is catching whodunit. I must say that every time the villian got away with something, I felt infuriated. I have never hated a character as much as I did in this book. Hate is not a strong enough word. Despise? All I know is I wanted the villian to be ripped apart from limb to limb. I've never seen a character that was so truly a sociopath through and through. (This makes it qualify for the Suicide and Mental Illness Theme Read.)

This is why I can't wait to see the movie. Ben Afleck is a perfect choice for the role of Nick. As I read Gone Girl, I couuld easily imagine Afleck saying every single line. I heard the movie has a different ending. To be honest, I didn't like the way the novel version of Gone Girl ended so I'm hoping the movie version ends the way I think it should have ended.

Despite the ending, Gone Girl was a wild ride from beginning to end that got me so into it I decided to pretty much stop whatever was going on in my life just so I could read the book. It gets a rare

The Reflections of Queen Snow White by David Meredith

Book Description from Amazon.com

What happens when "happily ever after" has come and gone? 

On the eve of her only daughter, Princess Raven's wedding, an aging Snow White finds it impossible to share in the joyous spirit of the occasion. The ceremony itself promises to be the most glamorous social event of the decade. Snow White’s castle has been meticulously scrubbed, polished and opulently decorated for the celebration. It is already nearly bursting with jubilant guests and merry well-wishers. Prince Edel, Raven's fiancé, is a fine man from a neighboring kingdom and Snow White's own domain is prosperous and at peace. Things could not be better, in fact, except for one thing: 

The king is dead. 

The queen has been in a moribund state of hopeless depression for over a year with no end in sight. It is only when, in a fit of bitter despair, she seeks solitude in the vastness of her own sprawling castle and climbs a long disused and forgotten tower stair that she comes face to face with herself in the very same magic mirror used by her stepmother of old. 

It promises her respite in its shimmering depths, but can Snow White trust a device that was so precious to a woman who sought to cause her such irreparable harm? Can she confront the demons of her own difficult past to discover a better future for herself and her family? And finally, can she release her soul-crushing grief and suffocating loneliness to once again discover what "happily ever after" really means? 

Only time will tell as she wrestles with her past and is forced to confront The Reflections of Queen Snow White.

Since starting this blog I have been asked to do book reviews on occasion. I usually said no because of one simple reason. I didn't have an eReader. Then a few months ago I started reading a few books that I bought from Amazon on the Kindle for iPhone app. I enjoyed this so much I started borrowing my son's iPad to read books. And I loved it! There was one big problem with that. My son had to give his iPad back to the school because the school year was ending. So I spent a tense few days trying to find the cheapest Kindle I could on eBay. I managed to find a 2nd Generation Kindle (the original eReader) for under $30 including shipping.

Why am I telling you all this? Because in celebration of getting a Kindle, I decided to finally say yes to a request for a book review. The book is The Reflections of Queen Snow White by David Meredith. This book made me realize how I've really been missing out on eBooks. I was rather adamant about sticking with paper books and I realize now that my refusal to get with the times has made many wonderful books unavailable to me. I couldn't have picked a better book to "break in" my Kindle.

I wonder how much David Meredith knew about me when he asked me to review his book. Did he know that I'm a widow just like Snow White? Did he know that I have suffered with prolonged grief and severe depression just like Snow White? I never anticipated how personal reading this story would seem. Reading this book was like reading about some of my own experiences and that's quite unexpected considering it's a fairy tale.

I guess that's the thing about fairy tales. They contain universal truths. I don't know how much experience or knowledge Meredith has with childhood abuse, infertility, widowhood, severe depression, or women's self esteem but he nails it. When a man perfectly describes a woman's experience I can't help but be impressed.

While you and I would visit a therapist (i.e a complete stranger), Snow White has something even better. Snow White has a magic mirror that shows her only what is a reflection of her. The magic mirror never lies but instead shows Snow White the many truths about herself, her past, and her life that she refuses to face. This magic mirror knows her better than she knows herself.

Ultimately, the book is about coming to terms with life's challenges, letting go of the past, and finding forgiveness. This book wasn't just entertaining to me. It was therapy!

I do have to admit there were times when I wanted to just shake Snow White while yelling "Have confidence in yourself! Just be happy!" but that is the nature of grief and depression. It's a black cloud that follows one everywhere. No one gets better unless they choose to get better. Happiness is a choice. It was wonderful to read a story about someone healing from the monster that is grief and depression. So many books about widows end up with healing coming from finding romance and a new love. In this book, Snow White finds it in herself.

I do have a few minor criticisms. The book could have used a bit more proofreading. Sometimes I thought characters talked too long. I wish Meredith would have included some scenes of how Snow White came to be taken in by the dwarfs. I would have liked to know more about Arglist and what happened in her life to make her so cruel and abusive. What was her experience with the truth telling magic mirror? Arglist's story would make a great prequel. (Hint. Hint.)

I don't give out five star ratings often. I only give them to books that are either so entertaining I was sad when the book ended or to books that touch me on a very deep level. I would by lying if I said this book didn't affect me deeply. I don't have a magic mirror, but this story made me want to look at my own experiences and my own truths so that I can find healing too. This book made me consider my own experiences with prolonged grief and severe depression. Most of all it did something most books about widows don't do and that is share the lesson that healing comes from within, not from finding new romance and love.  My rating

David Meredith has a website and also a Facebook page. His book can be purchased here.

I was given a copy of the book for an honest review. No other compensation was received.

Fat Kid Rules the World by K. L. Going

The Book

This young adult book took my by surprise. I guess maybe it's because I tend to be a little bit prejudiced against young adult books sometimes. There's so many of them that are romantic fluff that I get surprised when I find one that takes a serious topic and handles it beautifully.

This novel doesn't just take one topic. It takes several such as depression, attempted suicide, death of a parent, sibling rivalry, being overweight, bullying, drug addiction, homelessness, true friendship, and the purpose of music. That doesn't even cover all of them. However it's anything but sad and dreary. I found myself laughing dozens of times at Troy's clever observations and hilarious self-depreciating humor. I also ended up caring so much about the characters that I cried for them. There's also a philosophy in the book that will leave me trying to "see through the bullshit" for the rest of my life.

The blurb for this book is:
Troy Billings is seventeen, 296 pounds, friendless, utterly miserable, and about to step off a New York subway platform in front of an oncoming train. Until he meets Curt MacCrae, an emaciated, semi-homeless, high school dropout guitar genius, the stuff of which Lower East Side punk rock legends are made. Never mind that Troy’s dad thinks Curt’s a drug addict and Troy’s brother thinks Troy’s the biggest (literally) loser in Manhattan. Soon, Curt’s recruited Troy as his new drummer—even though Troy can’t play the drums. Together, Curt and Troy will change the world of punk, and Troy’s own life, forever.

Although Troy and Curt are fairly close in age and have the same high school in common, these are the only traits they share. In every other aspect they couldn't be more opposite. Troy is an overweight loser and Curt is considered a local rock legend. Using the phrases "overweight loser" and "local rock legend" cheapens these characters though. They are anything but stereotypes. That's what makes this novel so great. The truth of who they are is what matters in this story. Even Troy's military father defies the stereotype of a cold, hard Marine.

There's also one particular line that stuck with me. Forgive me if it's a paraphrased. "The words I had been waiting to hear my whole life were the ones I needed to give away." There's something so beautifully profound about that. It speaks to me about my own life.

Equally unforgettable is the scene when Troy and Curt are in the restaurant and Curt helps Troy see the world in an entirely different way. I would love to tell you what that is but I never give spoilers in my reviews.

Ultimately the book is a lesson about not giving up on yourself and not giving up on the people you care about. None of these are topics you would expect in a book about being in a punk rock band. When you think of punk music you think of rebellion, anarchy, and destruction. Don't worry. Those things are in there.

My rating and I don't give this many out often: 

The Movie
I wanted the movie Fat Kid Rules the World to be great too. I especially had high expectations because Matthew Lillard was directing. He was so amazing in the movie SLC Punk that you expect him to really get what the book is about. Unfortunately the movie tended to revert this deep characters back to stereotypes. Troy is a typical fat kid and we just don't get to see inside his mind. This is why we read books though isn't it? Movies just don't show the inner thoughts of people unless there are voice overs. I honestly think a voice over would have given Troy the depth he had in the book.

What was missing the most was the humor of the book. I wanted the movie to show how smart, clever, and perceptive Troy really was but unfortunately the screenwriter just didn't catch it. I don't really blame Matthew Lillard's directing. I mostly blame the screenwriter who on some levels just didn't seem to get the true meaning of Fat Kid Rules the World.

Curt is only a hint of of what he is in the book. The movie version doesn't catch his mannerisms, his hyperactiveness, how dirty and disheveled he really was, or how he was treated like a local rock god. In the movie, Curt was disrespected by his fellow band members and just wasn't treated with the awe that he was in the book. This is what made the book so fascinating. Curt had an image and reputation for being a rock god despite being a filthy, homeless, drug addict. He was an enigma, not a stereotype.

Don't get me wrong. The movie is good, but it could have so much more. It just seemed to care more about plot than it did about character.

It's probably more like 3 1/2 but... 

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

I have heard so much about this book in the past several months, but for some reason I just let it sit on my shelf unread. Why did I do that!? It was nothing short of magical! I suppose it's because there has been a lot of hype around this book. I didn't want to start reading and wonder why everyone else thinks it's so good. Instead, it has become my favorite book EVER! 

When I first chose this book for my read-a-thon, I wondered if it woas truly be about real magic. I say real magic because the main characters are "illusionists" who do sleight of hand magic. Or that's what they want the public to believe. Actually they are exceptionally talented magicians, very similar to wizards. Celia is the daughter of a famous magician and Marco is an orphan that was chosen by the magician's rival. The two are trained for years then forced to participate in a magical challenge with the Le Cirque des Rêves (Circus of Dreams) as their arena. What they don't know is the rules of the challenge, that they are bound to the circus, and the challenge itself. There can only be one winner and when they fall in love, it complicates matters tremendously. As their competition grows more and more complicated and dangerous, they realize that the circus itself and its many employees are in danger as well.

 There are many characters and subplots in this story, but what's most fascinating is the night circus itself. I'm usually not a person who enjoys descriptions of settings, but the circus isn't just a setting, it's a character. The entire story takes place in the Victorian times of 1873 - 1903. This is a time period that I absolutely adore. After reading the book, I just can't imagine the night circus being in any other time period. Also there are elements of steampunk in the book!

 Erin Morgenstern is a very gifted writer and describes things of dreams. I am stunned at how she can take such a fantastical image but describe in such detail that it becomes something easily seen in my head. She uses every sense, making the circus come alive by describing sights, sounds, textures, tastes, and smells. She makes Le Cirque des Rêves so breathtaking. I want to go to The Night Circus!

 Here are a few of my favorite passages:

"Because everything requires energy...We must put in effort and energy into anything we wish to change." pg 20

 "A label assigned to identify you either by this institution or your departed parents is neither of interest or value to me. If you find you are in need of a name at any point, you may choose one for yourself." pg 23

 "Secrets have power," Widget begins, "And that power diminishes when they are shared...Writing them down is worse...This is, in part, why there is less magic in the world today. Magic is secrets and secrets is magic, after all...Writing it down in fancy books that get all dusty with age has lessened it, removed its power bit by bit. It was inevitable, perhaps, but not unavoidable." pg 173

The Night Circus is a book that I will want to reread again and again. I find very few books are like this. I would love to see The Night Circus made into a movie, but it would have an incredibly high standard to live up to. I do admit the entire book is in the flavor of the Harry Potter books yet uniquely different.

I do have a couple minor gripes. I wish we had gotten to know Celia and Marco better while they are in training. They are a bit cardboard like at first, but do eventually become very vibrant and complete characters. My second, is that sometimes entire years are skimmed over. I am particularly confused on how a year suddenly passed after a specific minor characters death. I'd explain more but I don't want to give away spoilers.

I gave it a rare 

Lost December by Richard Paul Evans (review)

I have never read a Richard Paul Evans book before. Man, now I know what I have been missing.

Luke Crisp is a young man that has been groomed his entire life by his father to inherent and take over the multi-million dollar company. Luke, however, is encouraged by his father to spread his own wings and fly first. He does this by going to Wharton business school where he meets some new friends that show him what "living really is." In other words, the more it costs the better it must be. Luke manages to blow through his entire trust fund in just over 50 days. He is left with nearly nothing. He has been disowned by his father. He has no one to help him and finds himself living on the streets of Las Vegas.

If I were to tell you any more, I would ruin the story. I have made a promise to myself that I will no longer write reviews with spoilers. However, considering the book is described as a retelling of the Biblical story The Prodigal Son, it's pretty easy to guess how it ends. I even told myself that I wouldn't cry at the ending but of course I did tear up just a little. I also started yelling at the book when I read about what Candace does. I sure didn't see that one coming.

What I loved most about this book is the philosophical banter that Luke's friends engage in the first parts of the book. Some of it fun and some of it is tongue in cheek. This book is particularly relevant in the age of the Occupy Wall Street movement. I wonder if Richard Paul Evans timed this book this way on purpose or if it was just one amazing coincidence.

One particular passage that struck me was this:

"Our culture has invented nothing, it just unabashedly embraces cultures' past failures - wipes them off and calls them new. It's philosophically fascinating - the relativists have asserted for centuries that the journey is the destination, and this new breed of capitalist is living that. Create and hoard. It's poetic."

I don't think Occupy Wall Street would call what the 1% does as poetic, but this view was certainly food for thought. The entire book was. I would encourage every Occupy Wall Street protester to read it. Actually, all the 1% too. It may be fiction, but it shows how you can have a cooperation and still have a giving heart.

My only criticism is that the story being built around Christmas seemed a little forced and that the idea that Luke impresses his love interest and her son with extravagant Christmas presents seems to contradict the books theme that money isn't everything. Oops, that was a bit of a spoiler, I suppose.

Overall the book was the best "riches to rags" stories I have ever read.

My rating:

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert (review)

There is not I single thing that I don't like about Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. This book was funny, real, and had some amazingly spiritual moments. It had insights that made me want to take out a highlighter so I could refer back to them again and again.

The characters in this book are all so full and realistic. I've read books like this where the writer wrote about the forest but we never get much of an idea about the trees. Gilbert writes about individual people in each of the countries. What's even more unique is how she writes about the foreigners in each country. So although she only visits three countries, you really get a global cultural experience.

I've read that this book is highly controversial because Elizabeth starts the book off by leaving her husband. People are furious that she broke his heart. I think she did the right thing. Her husband wanted a child. She did not. The more selfish thing would have been to bring an unwanted child into the world simply to make her husband happy. The kindest thing she could have done (and did do) is divorce him so her could find a woman who was willing to start a family.

I think people who get upset because Elizabeth left her marriage then traveled around the world are simply jealous because they can't do that. I know because I am one of them. I am a single mother of four. I fantasize about running away to exotic lands to have adventures but I can't do it. I have four kids to raise. Yes I am jealous but that doesn't mean I take it out a woman who was fortunate enough to live out her dream. Instead, I relish every moment in the book and live vicariously through her.

This book is an example of extreme self-care. In this society, it's okay to spend thousands of dollars on cars, houses, and stuff that you can't afford, as well as work a million hours and ignore your family to get that money, but as soon as you declare that you want to live only for yourself suddenly you become the selfish one. What Elizabeth did was not selfish. It was an act of extreme self-care. There's a huge difference. If you read the entire book you realize how unselfish she actually becomes. In the end, the trip becomes about what she can do for other people. If all someone can do is take away from this book is how to be selfish, then frankly they missed the point in the first place.

The point is that finding yourself and finding God is a solitary journey. No one can do either for you. My rating:

Movie review possibly coming soon. I haven't decided whether or not I'm going to see the movie since almost every review says it doesn't do the book justice.

The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown (review)

I picked up The Lost Symbol from the library. It was a 7-day express book which meant I had to get it read in a week and there was no renewal. This book was soooo good I had no problem reading it fast!

I love all the books by Dan Brown but this is by far his best book ever! It's so complicated and has so many twists and turns that it is nearly impossible to write anything without spoilers so I will do something I rarely do and that is resort to the back of the book blurb.

The Lost Symbol is a deadly race through a real-world labyrinth of codes, secrets, and unseen truths . . . all under the watchful eye of Brown’s most terrifying villain to date. Set within the hidden chambers, tunnels, and temples of Washington, D.C. ...

As the story opens, Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is summoned unexpectedly to deliver an evening lecture in the U.S. Capitol Building. Within minutes of his arrival, however, the night takes a bizarre turn. A disturbing object–artfully encoded with five symbols–is discovered in the Capitol Building. Langdon recognizes the object as an ancient invitation . . . one meant to usher its recipient into a long-lost world of esoteric wisdom.

When Langdon’s beloved mentor, Peter Solomon–a prominent Mason and philanthropist–is brutally kidnapped, Langdon realizes his only hope of saving Peter is to accept this mystical invitation and follow wherever it leads him. Langdon is instantly plunged into a clandestine world of Masonic secrets, hidden history, and never-before-seen locations–all of which seem to be dragging him toward a single, inconceivable truth.

I will say this one thing and gives a hint about the biggest spoiler of all but Christians will like...possibly love how this book ends. You'll be nodding your heads going "Yep, we were right all along!" At first you will probably hate the book but finish it. You won't be sorry.

In other reviews and book guides of The Lost Symbol, I've noticed that people get really upset because Dan Brown isn't always accurate with facts. So what!? It's fiction! Hence, made up, make believe, not real. Does it really matter if Brown got the street names right if the story is really, really good?

On its first day the book sold one million in hardcover and e-book versions in the U.S., the UK and Canada, making it the fastest selling adult novel in history. I can understand whay the critics would want to rip Dan Brown's book apart. Pure jealousy.

I didn't stop reading once I finished The Lost Symbol either. Because so much of the book is based on things that actually exist such as the Freemasons, Washington D.C., and noetics, I've read a handful of guides to The Lost Symbol. The "facts" are just as fascinating as the book.

I don't know if it changed my life but it is one of the most exciting books I have ever read. I gave it !

Push by Sapphire (review)

Even though the title of this version of the book is Precious: Based on the Novel Push the novel is actually Push.

This book is not an easy read. It is written so deeply and the character of Precious is so....complete...that it was hard for me to believe this was a work of fiction. However, at the same time I am relieved that it was. The abuse this teenager endures is completely heartbreaking. Her strength and determination is admirable. She and the other students in her literacy class are nothing short of heroes. Precious and her classmates are all young women who are illiterate or near illiterate. They all have endured only what is in your worst nightmares but they are all working to better themselves.

If you are a sensitive person, the graphic description of physical, mental, and sexual abuse in this book will make it unbearable for you to read. This book seems to address almost every social taboo there is: illiteracy, race issues, abuse, incest, STDs, Down Syndrome, homosexuality, homophobia, social class, the welfare system, education and more.

What's unique about the way this book was written is that it's not written using perfect grammar or spelling. It's written the way Precious would have wrote it. This is why I found it so hard to believe that it was a novel. I have read that it was based on a true story but this isn't entirely true. Sapphire tells where the idea form the book came from here. (Note it does contain some spoilers.)

What was your inspiration for creating such an unforgettable character?
"She's a composite of many young women I encountered when I worked as a literacy teacher in Harlem and the Bronx for 7 years. Over and over I met people with circumstances similar to hers, many with her amazing spirit. I wanted to create a novel with a young person like that. To me she has not existed in literature before. She existed on TV …but as a statistic -- as an 18-year-old HIV+ woman who can't read with two children. I wanted to show her as a human being, to enter into her life and show that she is a very complex person deserving of everything this culture has to offer."

Many people have reviewed this book and walked away completely offended. Sometimes reading about the ugly side of human nature and all of these social taboos is very hard for people. This book takes our Shadow issues and makes us confront them face to face. Other people said the book just made them feel depressed. To those, I say finish it. When you read about the strength of this young woman and how she completely turns her life around and breaks the cycle of abuse, it is utterly inspiring.

I am happy to say this is the first book that I have read that gets ! This book truly changed my life!

The Movie
I was disappointed. It was a toned down version of the book. There was no sexual abuse from the mother. You never actually see the mother hit Precious but she tries. Precious barely talks about the abuse so you never really get an idea about the extent of the abuse she has suffered.

Gabourey Sidibe was nominated for Best Actress. I really respect and admire this young woman but I honestly don't think she deserved an Oscar nomination. I found her character spent most of the time staring into space looking confused or sad. Granted that's what Precious does in the book most of the time, but I just didn't think her acting was extraordinary. She rarely showed emotion about anything.

Her mother, played by Mo'Nique, just blew me away. She won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. She truly became this character. I can't imagine how hard it was to play a severely abusive mother. I even liked Mariah Carey's character, Mrs. Weiss. Did she truly care about Precious and want to help her? You're never quite sure. I kind of liked that you never know for sure.

I just wonder how accurate this story was to what life is really like in Harlem. Would their apartment really be that nice? In the book, Precious's mother was a nasty woman who didn't take care of herself. In the movie she was a little obcessed with her appearence. Precious was obcessed with being a movie star. I thought this was portrayed just a little too artsy. Would someone that obcessed with becoming a famous movie star really care so much about reading and writing? I don't know.

The ending to the movie was unrealistic and a little too Pollyanna in my opinion.