Bel Canto by Ann Patchett

It took me a while to get into this book. I think about halfway through, I forced myself to slow down and pay more attention to the characters and the events going on because I had heard such great things about the book that I new I was missing something. I think it's probably difficult to write a novel about a group of people stuck in the same house for 4+ months, so there were definitely slow parts in the novel, mostly the whole middle section, but in retrospect, Patchett did a really amazing job with this book.

Underneath all of the terrorism and violence, she tells a story of music and love. Both music and love can cross barriers of any sort. In this house are people from all nations, people who can't talk to each other. Luckily, they have Gen, who is most definitely my favorite character, who can translate for everyone. But this is only one person for the whole party, so clearly he can't be translating everything everywhere at the same time. People have to learn to communicate against their differences. Even with these language barriers, love blossoms. Roxane and Mr. Hosokawa fall in love even though they cannot talk to each other. They find different ways to communicate. Love is not bound by language or nationality. Roxane recognizes this power of love as she's singing and pondering her love and "wondered how it was possible to love someone you couldn't even speak to" (238).

Same with music. The whole book is centered on the music of Roxane Coss. She sings in Italian, but not everyone there speaks Italian. Yet, with this language barrier, people still recognize the beauty of her music. They realize what she offers them to the point where they demand she sing every day for them. When she sings in Czechoslovakian, those who share that language know she doesn't understand what she's saying, but it doesn't matter because the music is beautiful. Patchett is showing the power of music in this horrible situation. These people are hostages in a terrorist situation, but when Roxane sings, they manage to forget that for a moment.

Then there's the bit with Gen and Carmen. Carmen, who is one of the terrorists, and Gen who is a hostage, fall in love, which should seem so ridiculous, but at the same time makes perfect sense. They just fit together, and shows again the power of love in crossing barriers.

This Carmen and Gen thing also speaks to another theme I found especially at the end: the enemy is always human. Regardless of what terrible thing the enemy does, they're still human. When the man comes into the house and starts gunning everyone down, the hostages try to protect the terrorists, because throughout the novel, the hostages saw the humanity of the people holding them hostage. They played chess together, they played soccer together, they fell in love with each other, they understood music together, and at the end, they protected each other, which led to some of them dying. Even the enemy is human.

Overall, very great novel with excellent themes and ideas. Although slow in the middle, the ending is well worth the read.

Magic Hour by Kristin Hannah

Sandra Brown did it again! This might be my new favorite Brown novel.  It was full of suspense and tension, and I had no clue how it was going to end because each chapter threw a new wrench into my well-laid out plan.

I really liked the characters in this book. Shaw is a perfect criminal gone good guy, and Jordie is a pretty good damsel in distress who can actually fend for herself if we let her. All along I was waiting for the moment when Brown would let me know that yes, they will end up together. I had a thousand different ways in my head that Shaw and Jordie would end up together, but when Brown hit me with it, it was one avenue I hadn't pursued. Total twister! but, after reading that revelation, I realized, of course. There could be no other way that would bring them together.

I almost didn't like the final twist of the book, because I wanted to like Josh. From the beginning, I wanted there to be a way for Jordie and Josh to reconnect; I thought Jordie was a great sister that could take care of Josh, but Brown let me know I was way off course with that. I was disappointed, but it was a great turn of events, and the book wouldn't have been as good had it ended any other way. Maybe what I didn't like about that ending was that Brown played me so well. I fell for the trap she put out, and I was convinced I was right in my guessing, so when I found out how wrong I'd been, I was kind of upset (in a good way, obviously). Nice job on the ending, Brown.

This is a small thing, too, but I really appreciate all the inter-play with the cops throughout the book. We get a really good back/home story of the main cop, which I really appreciate, and then we get these fun little relationships between all the cops as they come together. This is where I understood how much I like Shaw. When all the other cops find out the truth, they're kinda mad, and I find the future interactions with them entertaining.

All in all, a really great read, with lovable characters and new twists each chapter. Definitely will read again.

Sting by Sandra Brown

Sandra Brown did it again! This might be my new favorite Brown novel.  It was full of suspense and tension, and I had no clue how it was going to end because each chapter threw a new wrench into my well-laid out plan.

I really liked the characters in this book. Shaw is a perfect criminal gone good guy, and Jordie is a pretty good damsel in distress who can actually fend for herself if we let her. All along I was waiting for the moment when Brown would let me know that yes, they will end up together. I had a thousand different ways in my head that Shaw and Jordie would end up together, but when Brown hit me with it, it was one avenue I hadn't pursued. Total twister! but, after reading that revelation, I realized, of course. There could be no other way that would bring them together.

I almost didn't like the final twist of the book, because I wanted to like Josh. From the beginning, I wanted there to be a way for Jordie and Josh to reconnect; I thought Jordie was a great sister that could take care of Josh, but Brown let me know I was way off course with that. I was disappointed, but it was a great turn of events, and the book wouldn't have been as good had it ended any other way. Maybe what I didn't like about that ending was that Brown played me so well. I fell for the trap she put out, and I was convinced I was right in my guessing, so when I found out how wrong I'd been, I was kind of upset (in a good way, obviously). Nice job on the ending, Brown.

This is a small thing, too, but I really appreciate all the inter-play with the cops throughout the book. We get a really good back/home story of the main cop, which I really appreciate, and then we get these fun little relationships between all the cops as they come together. This is where I understood how much I like Shaw. When all the other cops find out the truth, they're kinda mad, and I find the future interactions with them entertaining.

All in all, a really great read, with lovable characters and new twists each chapter. Definitely will read again.

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivery

I read this book in mid-June, which was nice because it helped me cool off on the really humid days. 

It was slow going for the first few chapters: until I met the snow child, but that's to be expected, I think, because the snow child is the main character here. 

Once the girl came in, it was a heartbreaking story, with just enough magic to make me see it as a novel, but enough reality to not make it too sappy or unrealistic. 

Ivey also brings up a lot of questions that I still don't have answers to. Where exactly did she come from? Is she real? Where did she go? and so on. But this is a good quality in a book because then I'm still thinking about it weeks later. Kudos to Ivey for making it stick with me. 

If you're stuck on the first part, keep going. It gets better, and you won't regret making it through that slow beginning. It picks up speed, and it might make you cry a bit (I think my eyes got a little watery).

Do I Make Myself Clear? by Harold Evans

I was told to read this book at my job, so I did. I was impressed with certain parts. I enjoyed how Evans told us something, and then provided examples of that thing he was trying to teach.

I was, however, unpleasantly surprised by the amount of politics in the book. Most of the examples (I'd say 75-80%) were political. I found myself skimming over those because I wouldn't understand them as an example and I just don't enjoy politics much.

I did gain a nice long list of words I need to use in the future from Evans, as well as a few quotes that I know I'll be keeping in the forefront of my mind from here on out.

This is a good read for writers and editors alike. Evans gives helpful advice for both. I also think it would be appropriate for college students to be reading this book, as it provides a lot of general guides on how to write well, even in simple terms.

Politics aside, it was a good read.

The Tsar of Love and Techno by Anthony Marra

My English Prof recommended this book to me. I was on a Russian literature kick and had just finished reading Anna Karenina. He told me the book was a collection of short stories that seemed completely separate until the end. When I read through the first two stories, I didn't believe him at all. But as I kept reading, I was shocked by the connections. Marra did an excellent job weaving all of his events and characters together to create this intricately woven tale of love, techno, war, censorship, art...

I really enjoyed the settings in the story. The descriptions are subtle (which I've always liked because it enabled me to envision my own settings to a certain extent) but Marra gives you enough to start picturing the world he writes.

It did take me a while to really get into the story, and I think the only reason I kept going was because my prof gave me a copy and wanted me to let him know what I thought of it, so I had to keep going. I'm so glad I did.

I gained many quotes for my quote book, too, which is always a great indicator for me. When I have to grab a notebook and write something down, I know it's a winner, and I know I will be picking this book of my shelf again someday.

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

This was a very difficult book to get through. I was often slogged down by scenes that seemed unimportant to the plot but went on for pages and pages (for example, the part where Levin mows his lawn). However, I'm so happy I finally finished the book, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a good classic to read. 

I've been a fan of Russian Literature ever since I read Crime and Punishment by Dostoevsky. I absolutely loved that novel, but the biggest mistake you can make (which I'll admit, I made) is grouping all of Russian Literature into one category (that goes further than just the region they were written) and assume the content will be the same. I was surprised by how different Anna Karenina is from Crime and Punishment. Crime and Punishment is such a psychological read. It is all mental and just messes with your mind the whole time. Anna Karenina is much more external, focusing on the actions of the many characters and how society and others are impacted. Yes, there is some psychology involved, but a majority of the story is about the surrounding society and the effect Anna has on them. The worlds of these two novels seem like completely different universes. The focus is on different classes in each. Crime and Punishment is about a much lower class than the people in Anna Karenina, which does change the world of the story.

I appreciate this work also because of the attitudes evoked by the characters. I usually hate reading books about characters that I don't like, and lemme tell you, I do not like Anna even one little bit. She is completely despicable. Maybe it makes me cold-hearted, but I couldn't bring myself to pity her or feel sorry for her at all. She made the choices that brought her to where she was. She chased what she thought she wanted, and when reality struck back in, she couldn't handle the consequences. And, when it comes to her son, she didn't even try to fight for him. She wanted what she wanted, and no one could get in her way. Maybe that trait is admirable to some people, but in this instance, and for me, I couldn't admire Anna. However, I appreciate that Tolstoy is able to draw such strong feelings out of me. Yes, these feelings are negative, but any feelings, any reaction that I'm able to get from a book is a good thing. I want to feel something when I read, and in Anna Karenina, I certainly felt a lot. 

Disliking Anna allowed me to focus on characters I did like, like Levin. He rambles much too frequently, and sometimes he is just a little pitiful man, but I enjoyed his person. Especially the ending Tolstoy gave him. His discovering what's important in life sets a good tone for the end of the book.