As promised, here is the first entry to my new and improved blog! Aren't you proud of me for doing it when I said I would? I feel this is progress. Anyway, this post might be slightly longer than my future ones will be and the reviews themselves might be slightly shorter because I did a ton of reading this week and it is a lot to process. I admit, when I started the week, I wasn't sure I would be able to get it done. And technically I am one book short...but oh well. I still think five books (only four for the blog) in one week is pretty good. And I hope you enjoy my reviews of them.
In The Bag
So, the first book from this week that I want to talk about is In The Bag by Kate Klise. I admit, I chose this book almost solely based on the cover.
I am a sucker for anything that has to do with travel so I was immediately intrigued by the book when I was shelving it at my work. And once I read the description, I thought it sounded pretty interesting so I decided to check it out and give it a chance.
As far as chick-lit goes, it is pretty standard. The book follows the stories of four travelers, an 18 year old named Coco, her mom, Daisy, a 17 year old boy named Webb, and his dad, Andrew. Since this story is, in a way, two separate stories, I will talk about each one separately.
So, the book starts with Daisy and Webb grabbing each other's bags at the airport in Paris. Webb travels off to Madrid with hers only to realize he grabbed the wrong item. Daisy also realizes her mistake and both of them hit the internet in search of a way to find their bags. Webb happens to come across Coco's e-mail address on her bag and sends her a message. This initial message begins a flirtation between the two of them as they make plans to meet and exchange bags. After tricking their parents, Webb takes a train to Paris to meet Coco and neither of them is sure of what to expect. The visit starts out fine and they are having a great time but, due to miscommunication and jumping to conclusions, it ends on a sour note and Webb leaves disappointed while Coco blames herself for coming on too strong. (I don't want to go into detail about the miscommunication in case you decide to read the book for yourself.)
Meanwhile, Daisy, a famous chef who is notorious for jumping from restaurant to restaurant, decides what she really needs is a vacation and decides to take her daughter along with her. But the trip doesn't start out so well when a man spills wine on her expensive blouse then leaves what she deems is a creepy note in her bag. However, this man, Andrew, has only the best of intentions and has no idea how the note will be perceived. He only finds the mysterious first class woman beautiful and intriguing. In fact, if it weren't for the fact that he is traveling with his son, Webb, he would have most certainly talked to her. But Andrew must continue on to Spain where he is designing an art exhibit all about love in the age of technology. The plans for the exhibit aren't going so well though and the person in charge of the exhibit, Solange, must eventually request the catering services of her friend, Daisy, who is staying in her apartment in Paris. When Daisy and Andrew meet at the exhibit, it is love at first sight and they end up spending the rest of the night talking before Daisy has to catch her flight back to Paris. But through many phone calls they plan to meet up again in Barcelona. And Andrew debates whether or not he should tell her he was the one who wrote the note.
When the two of them finally meet up again in Barcelona, children in tow, utter awkwardness ensues. Webb and Coco aren't really sure how to act when they see each other again. Not to mention, neither of them wants to let on that they lied to their parents. But eventually they make amends for their first meeting and immediately start their flirtation once more. Daisy, however, assumes the worst when Andrew refuses to give her his email address and decides he is just another cheating jerk who isn't worth her time. Daisy leaves with Coco in a huff, determined to change her flight back to the States so she never has to see Andrew again. So...of course...they meet again on the plane.
(Spoilers ahead!)
It was at this point that the book sort of lost me. Things honestly became way too dramatic and suddenly Webb was accused of being a terrorist because of some sparklers he put in Coco's bag before they exchanged them. The art exhibit blows up due to a group called Cinco Por Cinco. And so much happens in a short amount of time I'm not even sure I understand it. Of course, everything ends happily and the four of them return to Paris for a big sleepover at Solange's apartment.
I apologize if that last paragraph seems confusing and absurd. Honestly, that is how the book made me feel. Overall, it wasn't a horrible book and it was a quick and easy read. But, of course, you can read it and see for yourself.
The Reader
So, the second book I completed this week was The Reader by Bernhard Schlink. Now, this book was part of my goal to read books that I already have at home instead of always getting them from the library. With all the other books I read, I figured I could complete one from my personal library every month and for January I picked this one.
Now, some of you might be aware that this book is pretty famous. It was part of Oprah's Book Club and they made a movie about it. It has been sitting on my shelf for years and I finally decided to give it a try. And honestly, I was underwhelmed by it.
The book tells the story of a young 15-year-old boy who ends up falling in love with an older woman named Hanna. They spend many afternoons together where he reads books to her, she bathes him, and they sleep together. This interaction goes on for years and while the boy, Michael, finds her somewhat confusing, he loves her. Then one day she disappears. He doesn't see her again until he is a law student and he attends her trial where she is being accused of horrible crimes committed during the Holocaust. She worked at one of the concentration camps and is found guilty of many crimes, including the death of many people. Michael is confused as to why she doesn't defend herself but then realizes she is embarrassed by the fact that she can't read or write. Hannah is found guilty and sentenced to many years in prison. During this time, Michael grows up but continues to send her cassettes of him reading books. This is practically the only communication they have until her death. I don't want to give away how she dies or what happens between them right before it because I want to allow you the opportunity of discovering it for yourself if you haven't read it yet.
As I said, I found this book to be underwhelming. Yes, I did understand the deeper themes and the message the book was trying to convey. And it was definitely a tragic story. But I had a difficult time connecting with the characters. If I am being honest, a big part of it was probably the fact that he began his relationship with Hannah when he was only 15. I had a hard time moving past how uncomfortable the age difference made me feel. But that might just be me.
Running Like A Girl
The third book I want to talk about in this entry is Running Like A Girl by Alexandra Heminsley. So before I tell you about this book in particular, I feel I need to give you a little backstory as to why I chose to read it. So back in December, my roommate and I decided that we wanted to make 2017 a year of change for us. This involved us coming up with plans to diet, change our looks, coming up with goals for our writing and art, and, finally, working out. So for my workout plan, I decided I want to become a runner. (For more specifics on my goals, feel free to check out my other blog paychecksandpoetry.blogspot.com). So, to prepare for this monumental task, I bought new gear, planned how to start, and felt pretty ready overall. Then I stumbled across this book at my work.
The cover was so bright and the title immediately caught my attention so I couldn't help but check it out that same day. Honestly, this is one of the best decisions I have ever made.
In this book, Alexandra Heminsley talks about how she went from not being what she considered athletic at all to running five marathons. Throughout the story, she discusses tips for buying gear, what problems she encountered, and even about the motivation and self-doubt issues that plagued her on her journey. But she overcame all of these issues and tells the reader how to do the same.
I learned so much from this book. Not only was her story inspiring, but I feel like she never sugar coated how difficult becoming a runner is. And I liked that a lot. She talks about some running myths, how to run, what clothes work best, and even tips for staying motivated. I know that it is going to be a struggle to start but I feel far better prepared because of this book. If you are considering becoming a runner or even just need some general life motivation, I highly recommend this book. It is a quick read and you will finish it feeling like you can conquer the world!
The Word Detective: Searching for the Meaning of It All at the Oxford English Dictionary
So, the last book I want to talk about briefly is The Word Detective by John Simpson. This is the first non-fiction book I have read in a while but I absolutely loved it. It is also by far the nerdiest thing I have ever read. It is difficult to give you a true summary of the book since it is not plot based and is pretty complicated.
Essentially, this book is a memoir by John Simpson who is the former chief editor of the Oxford English Dictionary. In the book, he discusses the history of the dictionary, how he got started at the company, and how the dictionary and his career progressed over the years. The book goes into a lot of depth about the production of dictionaries and how language develops. Also scattered throughout the book are histories of various words that have significance in John's life. Overall, it was a really interesting read to me and I highly recommend it if you have a love of words like I do.
So that is all I have for you this week. As you can see, it was a very busy week of reading for me and this week looks like it will be about the same. I would love to hear from you about any of these books if you have read them or want to read them. And I will be back next week with more reviews for you!
Until then...happy literary travels!
