There must be something wrong with me...

There must be something wrong with me...

The last two books I read, both had glowing reviews, on amazon, goodreads, or various blogs. And I was disappointed with both!

Maybe because both seemed like they were murder / mystery / thriller / suspense books but weren't - the premise definitely sounded like they were - a missing 13 year-old girl, or a retired orthopedic surgeon with Alzheimer's suspected of killing her best friend...

I guess for those who read this genre a lot, these two books shouldn't be read as such. For those who don't really read this genre, the plot twists probably were better received.

I guess I just need to take my Sherlock hat off when I read these books!

Note - the two books were The End of Everything by Megan Abbott and Turn of Mind by Alice LaPlante. Full reviews coming up soon. Maybe after a couple of weeks I'll TURN MY MIND and that reading books I don't end up liking isn't THE END OF EVERYTHING. (Just can't help but think I want my time back, when there's a lack of time! They aren't bad book, just not books for me.)

The Window Seat Reader had a great post on Why I Rate. I totally rate book based on MY OWN enjoyment, not for their literary merit.

Spoilers or no spoilers?

Do you like reading spoilers in others' reviews?

For myself, I am conflicted:

• If you include spoilers, please clearly marked that your reviews include spoilers please! Sometimes I read reviews before I read a book just to see whether I want to read that book (too many books, too little time, I need to make a decision somehow!) I tend to read the negative reviews first to see why the reviewers don't like it. In those instances, I don't want to read spoilers!

• Other times, I want to read spoilers! I am done with a book, and want to discuss with someone, I want to see what others think of those spoilers (usually crucial parts of the story)

• Another time I want to read spoilers  is when I DON'T want to read a book, but want to find out what happened, I want to find out how it end. Yeah, the lazy way to read a book :) 

Do you include spoilers in your reviews?

• I tried not to, because I don't want to spoil it for someone else's enjoyment of the book

• Sometimes I include spoilers when I really want to talk about it in the review. But I would mark it clearly that it includes spoilers, so for those who don't want to know, can skip.

• But lately, I'd re-read some of my older reviews, where I might say the twists were good or predictable, but didn't elaborate... and now I don't remember what those twists or secrets were!  Or how the story ends! Which made me think that I should use more spoilers tags, so when I read back, I'd remember the story more... 

How do you feel about spoilers?

Book Review - The Kitchen Daughter by Jael McHenry

Title: The Kitchen Daughter
Author: Jael McHenry
Year: 2011
Page: 288
Genre: Fiction - Food

FTC Disclosure: Borrowed from the library

Summary (from goodreads.com):
After the unexpected death of her parents, painfully shy and sheltered 26-year-old Ginny Selvaggio seeks comfort in cooking from family recipes. But the rich, peppery scent of her Nonna’s soup draws an unexpected visitor into the kitchen: the ghost of Nonna herself, dead for twenty years, who appears with a cryptic warning (“do no let her…”) before vanishing like steam from a cooling dish.


A haunted kitchen isn’t Ginny’s only challenge. Her domineering sister, Amanda, (aka “Demanda”) insists on selling their parents’ house, the only home Ginny has ever known. As she packs up her parents’ belongings, Ginny finds evidence of family secrets she isn’t sure how to unravel. She knows how to turn milk into cheese and cream into butter, but she doesn’t know why her mother hid a letter in the bedroom chimney, or the identity of the woman in her father’s photographs. The more she learns, the more she realizes the keys to these riddles lie with the dead, and there’s only one way to get answers: cook from dead people’s recipes, raise their ghosts, and ask them.

First Sentence:
Bad things come in threes.

My Thoughts:

Why this book?

• I love books about food, fiction or non fiction (see the blog name?) So when I read Charlotte's Web of Books review of this book, I'm sold!

First thought:

• Something different!

Cover Art:

• I thought it was clever - the bag looks almost like a little black dress. With that and the red capsicum (peppers), you know it's a book geared towards female and food :) Well, as if the title didn't tell you that!

Title:

•  Fitting

Writing:

• The author described other people voice like orange, tomato, chocolate/espresso, e.g. "Ma's laugh sounded exactly like spearmint bubble gum. Her voice was like regular spearmint, clean and cool, but the laugh was a gum bubble popping." (p39)

• Easy to read

Plot:

• I like how the story was set up, with a bit of magical realism

• I liked the message of the book - "there is no normal" - from Ginny's Book of Normal. The book was a nice touch

• Each chapter started with a recipe, though sometimes the "handwriting" on those recipes were a bit hard to read

Characters:

• The characters are all likeable. I didn't take much notes as I read it so I can't remember all the details

• I do like how the relationship between Ginny, and the housekeeper's son (sorry forgot his name), was handled. It was unexpected, so I liked that. Too many women's fiction was too predictable, hence I didn't like reading them usually

Ending:

• I don't remember much but I think it did tie things up? Gosh I feel like I am 100 years old and don't remember what I did yesterday!

Emotion:

• You definitely felt for Ginny. Plus what really is normal anyway?

What I Learned:

• I need to take better notes when I read, so I'd remember what happened and how I felt about the characters!

Read this Author again?

• Probably!

Quote:

I will take a new approach to death, because what is important about death is not the dead. It's the living. Those of us left behind. (p260)

Overall Rating:
3.5 Stars. Cute, fun read with a unique premise. Readers who like magical realism will like it.

All reviews and posts are copyrighted by Christa @ Mental Foodie. Please do not use or reprint them without written permission.

Book Review - These Things Hidden by Heather Gudenkauf

Title: These Things Hidden 
Author: Heather Gudenkauf 
Year: 2011
Page: 337
Genre: Fiction

FTC Disclosure: Borrowed from the library

Summary (from goodreads.com):
When teenager Allison Glenn is sent to prison for a heinous crime, she leaves behind her reputation as Linden Falls' golden girl forever. Her parents deny the existence of their once-perfect child. Her former friends exult her downfall. Her sister, Brynn, faces whispered rumors every day in the hallways of their small Iowa high school. It's Brynn—shy, quiet Brynn—who carries the burden of what really happened that night. All she wants is to forget Allison and the past that haunts her.


But then Allison is released to a halfway house, and is more determined than ever to speak with her estranged sister.

Now their legacy of secrets is focused on one little boy. And if the truth is revealed, the consequences will be unimaginable for the adoptive mother who loves him, the girl who tried to protect him and the two sisters who hold the key to all that is hidden.

First Sentence:
I stand when I see Devin Kineally walking toward me, dressed as usual in her lawyer-gray suit, her high heels clicking against the tiled floor.

My Thoughts:

Why this book?

• I know Marce from Tea Time with Marce didn't like this one as much as the author's first book, The Weight of Silence (her review of These Things Hidden here), but Charlotte's Web of Book really enjoyed this one, more so than the first book (see her review here). So I thought I'd read for myself to see what I think! I like her first book okay, a 3-Star read for me (see my review here)

First thought:

• Was just another okay read for me

Cover Art:

• Okay. Relevant to the story but not eye catching

Title:

• Okay again. You know it's going to be about secrets...

Writing:

• The story was told in 4 perspectives: Allison, Brynn, Charm, Claire. I usually like that because you get to see the big picture. However, I found that the 4 voices were not very distinctive, and had to see whose chapter it is

• Easy to read, summer-beach style of writing

Plot:

• A bit predictable. While I didn't guess all of the twists, there were no a-ha moments when the secrets were revealed 

• Some plot lines were just too convenient

Characters:

• They were a bit stereotypical and I really felt indifferent about them

• Isn't Brynn's college friends  a bit immature? "Your sister is a criminal so you must be a criminal too!"

• [SPOILER] I am surprised that Allison was able to hide her pregnancy, especially with twins? Given that she's athletic with probably a slender build, it seems unusual that she can hide from everything [/SPOILER]

Ending:

• I read this back in mid-April, so 2.5 months ago, and I honestly don't remember exactly what happened in the end. It wasn't so bad that I hated it, but it wasn't so good that it was memorable.

Emotion:

•  Indifferent

What I Learned:

• I have high expectations of fiction? It seems to take a lot for me to find a fiction book I really like. 

PS:

• It seems like I don't have much positive to say about this, but I am still going to give it a 3 stars, meaning it's an okay read - not bad, but not as good as I'd hoped. 

Read this Author again?

• Both of her books are just okay for me. So I have to see what the premise is like first...

Overall Rating:
3 Stars. Okay. 

All reviews and posts are copyrighted by Christa @ Mental Foodie. Please do not use or reprint them without written permission.

Pretty covers!

Was browsing around goodreads.com and saw some pretty covers! Don't know anything about the books but the covers caught my eye. Yes I judge a book by its cover! If I see these books on the selves at the library or at a book store, I'd totally pick them up to read the blurb, and if the blurb interests me, the first page or two. When there are so many books out there, the cover plays a crucial role.

How about you, do you judge a book by its cover?

When to review?

In the beginning of the year, I was able to review within a week of finishing the book (well, technically my posts aren't strict reviews. They really are more like my thoughts on the books since I don't do proper analysis in the technical sense. That's a whole another post.) In fact, that was one of my reading goals.

When I blog about the book soon after I finish it, I definitely remembered a lot more details - especially the ending, and some of the minor characters. I am able to give more examples to support my thoughts.

As time goes by, and life get busy, I am behind in my reviews. I still read - I can't imagine to stop reading just so I can catch up on blogging! I am a reader first, and a blogger second. I take simple notes when I read - a few keywords to jot my memory on a certain plot or character or questions I have, or the page numbers of the quotes I want to include in the review. However, while these notes helped when I blog a delayed review, some details definitely had gotten fussy. Sometimes I couldn't even really remember how the book ended (I am probably getting old and my memory is getting worse!)

That made me stop and think - do we write a better reviews when we blog sooner rather than later? While the former reviews can provide more details, I think there is also value in delaying the reviews. If the characters and plot were strong, we'd still remember them vividly, even several books later. Doesn't it say something if I could hardly remember what happened, only a month later? I might still remember the gist of the book, but the story definitely had faded - some more so than others. If it didn't leave that strong an impression, perhaps it should be rated lower?


This is coming from someone who is 2.5 months or 11 books behind on reviews... I do want to blog each of them because otherwise I really would forget some of them! I looked back at the lists of books I read in 2008, 2009 and 2010. There were definitely some books that I don't quite remember at all. Would my ratings be different then if I have to rate them again now?

What do you think? Do you usually blog soon after you finish a book? Do you find it makes much of a difference?

Book Review - State of Wonder: A Novel by Ann Patchett

Title: State of Wonder: A Novel  
Author: Ann Patchett 
Year: 2011
Page: 368
Genre: Fiction- literary

FTC Disclosure: ARC copy from HarperCollins in exchange of an unbiased review

Summary (from goodreads.com):
Award-winning, New York Times bestselling author Ann Patchett returns with a provocative and assured novel of morality and miracles, science and sacrifice set in the Amazon rainforest. Infusing the narrative with the same ingenuity and emotional urgency that pervaded her acclaimed previous novels Bel Canto, Taft, Run, The Magician’s Assistant, and The Patron Saint of Liars, Patchett delivers an enthrallingly innovative tale of aspiration, exploration, and attachment in State of Wonder—a gripping adventure story and a profound look at the difficult choices we make in the name of discovery and love.

Dr. Marina Singh, a research scientist with a Minnesota pharmaceutical company, is sent to Brazil to track down her former mentor, Dr. Annick Swenson, who seems to have all but disappeared in the Amazon while working on what is destined to be an extremely valuable new drug, the development of which has already cost the company a fortune. Nothing about Marina's assignment is easy: not only does no one know where Dr. Swenson is, but the last person who was sent to find her, Marina's research partner Anders Eckman, died before he could complete his mission. Plagued by trepidation, Marina embarks on an odyssey into the insect-infested jungle in hopes of finding her former mentor as well as answers to several troubling questions about her friend's death, the state of her company's future, and her own past.

Once found, Dr. Swenson, now in her seventies, is as ruthless and uncompromising as she ever was back in the days of Grand Rounds at Johns Hopkins. With a combination of science and subterfuge, she dominates her research team and the natives she is studying with the force of an imperial ruler. But while she is as threatening as anything the jungle has to offer, the greatest sacrifices to be made are the ones Dr. Swenson asks of herself, and will ultimately ask of Marina, who finds she may still be unable to live up to her teacher's expectations.

In a narrative replete with poison arrows, devouring snakes, and a neighboring tribe of cannibals, State of Wonder is a world unto itself, where unlikely beauty stands beside unimaginable loss. It is a tale that leads the reader into the very heart of darkness, and then shows us what lies on the other side. 

First Sentence:
The news of Anders Eckman's death came by way of Aerogram, a piece of bright blue airmail paper that served as both the stationary and, when folded over and sealed along the edges, the envelope.

My Thoughts:

Why this book?

• I have never read Ann Patchett before. I remember Aths from Reading on a Rainy Day highly recommended Patchett's other book, Bel Canto (read her review here). So when the ARC of this book was up for review, I decided to give her a try even though this is not a genre I typically like (remember, it has "A Novel" after its title!) I like the premise has something to do with the Amazonian jungle, science/medicine, mystery and adventure. So I thought I'd pick this over Bel Canto as my introduction to Patchett.

First thought:

• Why-oh-why did you end the book this way...

Cover Art:

• I guess the cover set the tone of the book - that this is going to be a slower-paced literary fiction, as opposed to a thriller (the premise totally could have been a fast-paced thriller!). I wonder why there is a dragonfly instead of a moth. It's not a book I'd choose based on its cover...

Title:

• Just okay for me. I prefer titles that are more catchy or clever

Writing:

• Patchett's writing is probably what one would described as "lyrical prose". I am no expert on writing style, but her writing is how I would define as lyrical. Usually I prefer straight-to-the point-less-flowery writing style, but I actually quite enjoy her writing, as I almost felt like I was there, in the Amazonian jungle. 

• There were some very long paragraphs though... e.g. went from bottom of p139 to top of p141. For some reasons sometimes I get lost in long paragraphs (which line am I reading again?)

Plot:

• There were some plot twists I didn't foresee. Some thought they were a bit unrealistic, but I thought hey, nothing is impossible! Plus this is FICTION. Made-up-stuff. I thought it was actually plausible.

• There was one plot question concerning Dr Swenson that was not answered. It was asked by the main protagonist Marian Singh, but Dr Swenson was aversive about it saying it didn't matter. As a reader, I want to know! I think it does contribute to the storyline as it'd create different dynamics between the characters

• I was enjoying the development of the story... until the last 15 pages (specifically from p338 onwards) where Marina and Easter went onto a boat ride alone... It took us over 300 pages to get there, and more things happened in the last 15 pages than the rest of the book? More about that when I discussed the ending below (no spoilers!) 

Characters:

• Marina Singh - I felt indifferent about her throughout the book, then I totally disliked her in the last 15 pages. I felt she didn't have much of a personality, and she acted much more immature than her 42 years of age I think. While she was well liked by others in the book, it seemed a bit one dimensional. I was totally disappointed in her in the end of the story by two things she did, or didn't do, regarding two different characters (I won't say their names or it'd be spoilers). I think if you had read the book you'd know what I am talking about, if not, ask me and I'd comment with a spoiler tag! I think those actions were totally not her character, not what the author had led us to believe anyway. It was almost like she was a different person. I was also disappointed with this other character who played a main role in the ending - again, this character acted like a different person! Some might argue what this person went through might have changed him/her, but it seemed a rather abrupt change as no details were given (and we had to make a lot of assumptions - which ironically, Dr Swenson had told Marina not to jump to any conclusions)

• Dr Annick Swenson - I didn't like her at first as she seemed cold, but she won me over as the story developed as we started to see a different side of her. I think she's like one of those professors we feared but respected, and yet hoped they'd notice us and thought we're special - that we had the potential to be something greater than we thought we would ever be

• Easter - he got to be my favorite character in the book! You can't help but feel for him. I also liked Milton. I think he's very perceptive. Mr Fox seemed a bit one dimensional - your stereotypical big corporate executive from an evil pharmaceutical company. I thought more could have been developed about him and the relationships he had with other characters in the book

Ending:

• Total disappointment for me. Definitely not one I had envisioned, and not in a good way. Now, I hate predictable books, but what happened here seemed so unreasonable and rushed. It goes beyond whether this has a happy or sad ending. It was almost like the author ended it that way just so there could be a twist. 

Emotion:

• Two moral or ethical questions were raised: (i) should we leave natives alone or intervene if we could? Did they really want us to intervene? Should we help improve their lifestyle, by our standards, if we could? (ii) scientific or medical research on human subjects and consent. Is consent required when the subject does not understand the research, but the outcome of the research could potentially benefit mankind (including those human subjects)?

What I Learned:

• The ending can totally make or break a book!

PS:

• Someone else said she didn't like Bel Canto much because the ending was rushed. For those of you who had read both, or either of the books, what do you think? I know "rush" is relative though...

Read this Author again?

• It depends on the premise I guess... I don't feel like rushing out to read Bel Canto at this point. Convince me otherwise! :)

Quote:

Hope is a horrible thing, you know. I don't know who decided to package hope as a virtue because it's not. It is a plague. Hope is like walking around with a fishhook in your mouth and somebody just keeps pulling it and pulling it. (p43)

"Don't be so self-referential. I was telling you a story. I wasn't telling a story about you." (p152)

He used to say we all had a compass inside of us and what we needed to do was to find it and to follow it. (p229)

Your story tells as much by what you leave out as what you put in. (p231)

In this life we love who we love. There wer some stories in which facts were very nearly irrelevant. (p233)

Overall Rating:
3 Stars. Would have been lower because of the ending, but I did enjoy the rest of the story so I think 3 Stars is fair if you "average it out"... If the ending was satisfactory, would've given it a higher rating.

 



All reviews and posts are copyrighted by Christa @ Mental Foodie. Please do not use or reprint them without written permission.