Obsidian Butterfly by Laurell K. Hamilton

Finished: 4.2.10

When I bought this book at my favorite used bookstore, the owner said something about needing to prepare for some really rough ones in the series, but assured me that if I stuck it out, it would be worth it. Based on those comments, I anticipated this particular volume to be rather horrible. That was so not the case!

In this 9th volume of the Anita Blake Series, most of our main characters are primarily absent from the storyline. Considering what a large role they have played in the previous volumes, it initially comes as quite a surprise. Honestly, I worried that without her love interests present, it would get boring or I would feel less involved in the story.

Surprisingly, I was as invested as I have ever been, and though I am happy to see the return of those characters in the 10th book, it was great to spend some time with Anita without them. The one on one time helped me get a more intimate understanding of Anita's mind. More than that, it was quite a treat to get to know the mysterious Edward better.

Overall, this turned out to be my favorite in the series so far!

A Wind in the Door by Madeleine L'engle

Finished: 3.29.10

Another wonderful book by Madame L'engle. As was the case with the first in this series, the story is wrought with moral lessons and ideas about what would make the world better. The particular lessons in this volume relate to hate and war, what value they serve (none), and how to overcome them (love, acceptance, belief in ourselves). Full of fantastical creatures and moving through space, body and time, it is definitely recommended and a fabulous read.

I can't wait to move on to the next in the series!

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

Finished: 3.23.10

While The Magician's Nephew was quite lovely and definitely recommended, this volume (which, consequently, was written first though it is meant to be read 2nd) was even lovelier. This could partially be due to the fact that I already knew the story (even before the movie, which is odd because I don't recall having read it before), but also because...it's just lovely. What's better than a fantastical story about a land of talking animals that include centaurs and unicorns? In my book, not much.

Definitely a high recommend. :)

Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier

Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier
Finished: 3.14.10

Because I delayed in writing this review, it won't be very indepth because well, my mind isn't what it used to be. :)

This was a wonderful, wonderful, wonderful read! Although the opening of the book gave some hints as to the ending (there are several things I figured out towards the end), it was still an amazing read. The writing is stellar, and I am particularly fond of the writing. There is something in older works that current works are missing and a lot of it I believe has to do with richness of language and depth of description. Rebecca has both, as well as a very interesting plot line. It is a beautifully told story and an interesting window into the nature of relationships earlier in the 20th century.

Highly recommend!!

The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis

The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis
Finished: 3.9.10

Many of my favorite books have been made into films and more often than not, I've either read the book long before the idea of putting it to film was even considered, or upon hearing of the intent of making a book into a movie, I read it in advance. This book has not yet been made into a major motion picture (I can't speak to whether an obscure film or t.v. movie have been made of it), but two of the books in the series have. I have seen them both and read neither. Both movies were so wonderful that it shamed me never to have read the series.

This book is the first in The Chronicles of Narnia and having finally finished it, I can see why movies were made. The first book is a magical story about a boy and a land not of our world. As I've noticed in more recent reads, there is a definite religious undertone. No, undertone intimates that it is subtle, a suggestion, but that understates it. It is clearly religious in content, but not in a manner that is stifling.

What I love most about the book is that religion and magic are allowed to exist in the same plane. Also that it is wrought with unexpected heroes, and points out that being good isn't an easy thing to do, even for those who are mostly innocent and mostly good at heart. For me, that makes the religious bit palatable, almost inviting. The story is well written, the language is rather wonderful, and the imagery quite fantastic. I'm eager to start the next in the series, to find out what the rest of the story is. And it would really be something if they made this one into a film as well.

The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

Finished: 3/4/10

This is another book I read when I was younger and was crazy about and having read it again, I understand why. It is full of little educational tidbits presented in a way that makes learning fun, but more than that, it has some wonderful lessons about life and learning and human behavior that any person of any age could benefit from. Reading it as a mother and someone who is trying to have more children, I am convinced this book belongs in the must read category for children of all ages.

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'engle

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'engle

Finished: 2/24/10

The first time I read this, I believe I was in late elementary school or early junior high. I loved it. So much that I read the entire series. As much as I remember my fondness for it, I didn't recall the details of the story, so I picked it up once again. I'm glad I did.

I can understand now, looking back on my younger self, and understand why I would have been so attracted to this book. The main character, Meg, does really feel she belongs anywhere, but isn't quite willing to act more "normal" so that she'll belong. Ultimately, she feels very alone accept for her relationship with her youngest brother, who is quite a bit younger. They lean on each other and have an understanding of each other that no one else in their world does. Additionally, Meg's father has gone missing, not seen or heard from in years.

All of this speaks all to well of my life at around that same age. A much younger brother for which I was, and very much felt, responsible for. A father who wasn't really mine and certainly wasn't present. And a sense that I didn't fit into this world, so I made up my own. Lived in my own brain. No wonder I loved this story so much.

As an adult, I can see themes and messages I didn't back then. About parent/child relationships, about belief with no possibility of seeing, about different ways of looking at things, hope in the face of adversity, about how miserable it is to be trapped in a world where everyone is the same, that it is our differences that make life beautiful. Also, there is a religious theme I would never have noticed as a girl. One that makes me slightly reticent to delve into the remainder of the series. A bias yes, but at least I admit it.

In the end, removing my little bias, it is a wonderful, wonderful book and I would highly recommend it. It is a beautifully written story. Well worth a read. :)

The Gunslinger: The Dark Tower I by Stephen King

The Gunslinger: The Dark Tower I by Stephen King
Finished: 2/23/10

This book will not find it's way into my favorites list. It is not a long volume, yet it took entirely too many days for me to finish it. Mostly because I wasn't motivated to pick it up again. Considering it is the first in a series that King himself calls his magnum opus ("great work"), it was...disappointing.

I'm not one for books steeped in secretive symbolism, at least not when it is hardly understandable. Upon reading the Afterword by King, it became clear why the book felt so choppy. He wrote it in pieces over a period of years. It's almost as if each chapter (of which there are five very long ones) were a short story. And it reads that way. As if he had to gather himself up to write the next portion long after the previous had been written and wasn't it the same frame of mind, had to go back and re-read his own work to find where he had left off and get emotionally back to that place.

Additionally, I simply struggled with the writing. It seemed an attempt at being deep and symbolic, but felt as though it had been worked at. Good symbolism flows easily and doesn't feel so choked out, so obvious. And it seems it would make sense. In my mind, his attempts failed. Whatever symbolism he was reaching for was completely lost on me. And a book that makes me feel lost, as if there is a joke I'm simply not in on, well, that's one that is very hard for me to enjoy.

Still, I was committed to finishing it because the rest of the series is supposed to be quite wonderful and you can't not finish the beginning of a series if you want to move on. After a few days break, I picked it back up again and finished it. At the tail end of it, I found myself a little more invested than I had realized. Though I was not sad that the book was over (and that does happen when I really love a book), I was invested in finding out how the whole story ends. Or at least to reading the next in the series to see if my intrigue would continue.

What I wasn't expecting, though I suppose I should have, is the religious underpinnings that surface near the end. The book is clearly about a journey of discovery, good vs. evil Yet, I didn't expect God to play a large part. In the final pages, it becomes clear that is where the author is taking us, and though I'm generally repelled by religious undertones, I'm curious about the mystical side of the story and want to see where the series leads me. What is in that Dark Tower?

Would I recommend it? I can't really say because I don't yet know how I feel about the rest of the books. If it turns out that I love those, then it goes without saying that I would first have to recommend the beginning of the overall story. For now, I reserve my final opinion. :)