The Corps of the Bare-Boned Plane

I just finished the corps of the bare-boned plane over the exam break. I admit at first that i thought this book would be lousy because of the way it looked and the title. But theres much more to the story. It was a pretty good story line, and the way the author wrote it using the different perspectives of the charchers, made it a unique read. I personally really enjoyed it, it was nothing of what i expected it to be, and i'm glad, cause it was good. Its a story about theses 2 girls who get shipped off to an island to live with their uncle, who are later joined by others. Thats all i'm gonna say about it haha...i'm not a fan of spoilers.

Four down...

Well, I intended to post prior to this but ... better late than never!

I have read four of the selections for this year, After River, Gotcha!, Little Brother, and Gravity Journal. I have enjoyed all of them, despite their clear differences in style, characterization and plot.

I think After River was my favourite so far - it has a great plot and excellent character development. I really empathised with the protagonist and enjoyed the twists in the storyline - it even made me a little weepy near the end (I`m a softie when it comes to emotional stories!).

Gotcha did a great job of dealing with the pressures of being a teenager (Yes- I still have some vague recollection of that time in my life - however long ago it may seem!) including trouble relating to parents, peer pressure, relationships with friends and budding romance. It was a quick read and had lots of action!

I found Little Brother a little hard to get into at first (being a technologically inept thirty-something English teacher) but it was worth the effort! The content was current and relevant for our post 9/11 world - and a little bit scary! The author is a technological genius and explains the workings of computers and their trappings really clearly (so that even I got it!)

The most recent book I finished was Gravity Journal - a serious novel about a young woman with an eating disorder who self- mutilates - but strangely hopeful at the end. I enjoyed the author`s style - her poetry and word-play was clever and engaging. It was sort of disturbing but very interesting to get a glimpse into the psyche of an individual with these problems that seem to affect so many young people today.

Generally, I am really pleased with this year`s selections - I am looking forward to Dooley Takes the Fall!

Well its a start...

So, this is my first year reading with the White Pine Book Club, but so far, I’ve had a good time doing so. I’m starting to wonder why I’ve never done this before actually.
Anyways, my thoughts on the books I’ve read so far….

The first book I read was After River, which I actually really enjoyed. It was quite climatic and really absorbed me into the life of Natalie (the main character). For most of the book you learn about her childhood and experiences growing up and how is affects her as an adult. It’s about the journey we all struggle through in life, connecting with your family and recovering from an emotional train wreck in life. She describes that something has happened which scars her so much from her childhood, however never exactly what it is until you come to a breaking point of your curiousity. In addition, it is shocking, yet realistic. It’s not like its just one shock either; it’s more like a series of electric jolts then what happen afterwards. I’ve heard some complaints that the white pine selection does not have enough hope and too much depression; however, Natalie finally overcomes all her hidden emotional cuts and moves beyond. The hope is secure and inspiring. I actually cried a bit too at one point. Now to me, crying means that it is one good book.

The next book I’ve finished was Gravity Journal. Now this one had some potential, with a great topic of anorexia and self-mutilation, no matter how dark it may seem. However, I would have liked to read a bit more of her life before she checked into the mental ward, to understand more fully why she chooses to destroy her self in these ways. I think it would explain a lot more and a deeper connection with Anise. Although I did think it was a good look at the lives of those who are easily overlooked by our society by shame, ignorance or doubt.

Now I am moving on to Chanda’s Wars, which so far looks like a completely different book from the first two I’ve read. And looks amazing so far!

(Oh and Capt. Holly Short shouldn’t complain about being an elf when she actually is one – and not a vampire as she might wish =P And stop being so pesstimistic too. I mean, give the books SOME credit they deserve for actually being published and all.)

7 down...

Alright, so having just finished my 7th book, I have a good idea of who I'm voting for (based on what i've previously read).

In the winner's circle is Gravity Journal, Dooley Takes The Fall, and Gotcha!.

Gravity Journal dealt with real issues in a manner that was fully believable, with no super happy ending, but satisfies while leaving enough vagueness to hope for a sequel.

Dooley Takes The Fall is a McClintock, and I've favoured her mysteries for years. This book is a nice escape from the Chloe and Levesque series McClintock had been writing for sometime, and surprised me not with just it's depth, but the twists and turns that tie tightly together (alliteration noted and intended) by the end.

Gotcha! I've already discussed, so I won't go into detail, but it's from an interesting perspective.

My bottom of the barrel consists of Daughter of War, which seemed like a huge plea for a forgotten horror in mankind's history. It would have been good, if it hadn't kept repeating how devastating the scenes around them were. I got it the first ten times, no need to feed me with twenty different examples of how well you can describe the chaos around you.

Another bottom barrel bookclub member is Tweaked, which I already described my frustration with the main character, and how he handled his situations. As I already said, the storyline just seemed too easy to get riled up about.

Over and out.
Linkus

P.S. I hear Chanda's War is amazing, looking forward to Little Brother, and unsure as to what to anticipate from After River

I finished Gotcha! over the holiday, and thought it was an amazing read. Not only does it deal with teenage issues such as friendship, cliques, bullying and parent break-ups, it also depicts the pitfalls of a gambling addiction. The whole concept of a game which has been banned, for good reason, by school administration, is very interesting. All in all it was a realistic portrayal of the problems that ensued when the game quickly became out of control. Highly recommended!