Top Ten Tuesday 12/13/2011: Top Ten Books I Want To Give As Gifts

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish.  This meme was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish.  We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week we will post a new top ten list complete with one of our bloggers' answers.  Everyone is welcome to join.  All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND post a comment on our post with a link to your Top Ten Tuesday post to share with us and all those who are participating.  If you don't have a blog, just post your answers in the comments.

TOP TEN BOOKS I WANT TO GIVE AS GIFTS

1.  The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling - The books of my childhood are perfect gifts for any 11 year old.

2.  The Vampire Academy Series by Richelle Mead - This is the perfect series for anyone looking for something to read "post Twilight".  Although in my opinion, it's way better.  I'd give it to any of my girlfriends looking for a sexy adventure story.

3.  A Song of Ice and Fire Series by George R.R. Martin - I love this complex high fantasy, and I would give it to my super nerdy uncle. 

Deception Point by Dan Brown - This is my favorite action book by Dan Brown, and with it's government espionage and crazy science it's perfect for my father, who is a mechanical engineer and a big John Grisham fan.

The Body Sacred and The Circle Within by Dianne Sylvan - These are two of my favorite religion books, and I would give them to anyone interested in paganism.  Sylvan has an excellent writing style and I love her sarcasm and practical (while still having extremely poetic moments) style of writing.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor - This is a great book again for "post Twilight".  I loved the romance in this book as well as the mythology.  It's an excellent start to the series and one of my favorite books of the year. 

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater - The Scorpio Races is a perfect book for an advanced teen reader.  It has lots of elements that make up a great YA book, romance, adventure, family drama, but is written in a distinctly adult voice.

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan - I have a couple of LGBT friends, and I think this book is the perfect gift.  My friend Matt in particular I think would LOVE Tiny Cooper, show tunes and all.

Nevermore by Kelly Creagh - I'd give this to my mom, because I love Varen and I want to talk about him with her.  No other reason, really.  

Feed by Mira Grant - I'd give this awesome zombie book to any of my friends who liked a little science with their horror, and this is one I'd for my boyfriend to read.  

Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire

Published in 2000 by Regan Books
3 Stars


Goodreads Review
We have all heard the story of Cinderella, the beautiful child cast out to slave among the ashes. But what of her stepsisters, the homely pair exiled into ignominy by the fame of their lovely sibling? What fate befell those untouched by beauty ... and what curses accompanied Cinderella's looks?

Set against the backdrop of seventeenth-century Holland, Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister tells the story of Iris, an unlikely heroine who finds herself swept from the lowly streets of Haarlem to a strange world of wealth, artifice, and ambition. Iris's path quickly becomes intertwined with that of Clara, the mysterious and unnaturally beautiful girl destined to become her sister. While Clara retreats to the cinders of the family hearth, Iris seeks out the shadowy secrets of her new household -- and the treacherous truth of her former life.

Review:  I don't know what it is about Gregory Maguire, but I keep reading his books thinking I'll like them and I end up being disappointed at best, but more often than not annoyed and put off. I love the ideas of his novels, but every single one is a let down. Confessions is not so terrible as Mirror Mirror or Lost, but I'm still leaving feeling like he could have done so much more. There is all of build up in this novel and the ending feels rushed, like he got bored half way through and just decided to stop writing. Also, I am surprised at the lack of sexuality in this book, which is a very prominent topic in some of his other books. This story seemed ripe for sexual exploitation, and if there was any it was only hinted at. There were many aspects of this book that I thought were almost good, but just not quite developed enough.

I think I will always try and fail to enjoy his writing.

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

Published in 2006 by Scribner
4 Stars


Goodreads Review
Jeannette Walls grew up with parents whose ideals and stubborn nonconformity were both their curse and their salvation. Rex and Rose Mary Walls had four children. In the beginning, they lived like nomads, moving among Southwest desert towns, camping in the mountains. Rex was a charismatic, brilliant man who, when sober, captured his children's imagination, teaching them physics, geology, and above all, how to embrace life fearlessly. Rose Mary, who painted and wrote and couldn't stand the responsibility of providing for her family, called herself an "excitement addict." Cooking a meal that would be consumed in fifteen minutes had no appeal when she could make a painting that might last forever.

Later, when the money ran out, or the romance of the wandering life faded, the Walls retreated to the dismal West Virginia mining town -- and the family -- Rex Walls had done everything he could to escape. He drank. He stole the grocery money and disappeared for days. As the dysfunction of the family escalated, Jeannette and her brother and sisters had to fend for themselves, supporting one another as they weathered their parents' betrayals and, finally, found the resources and will to leave home.

What is so astonishing about Jeannette Walls is not just that she had the guts and tenacity and intelligence to get out, but that she describes her parents with such deep affection and generosity. Hers is a story of triumph against all odds, but also a tender, moving tale of unconditional love in a family that despite its profound flaws gave her the fiery determination to carve out a successful life on her own terms.


For two decades, Jeannette Walls hid her roots. Now she tells her own story. A regular contributor to MSNBC.com, she lives in New York and Long Island and is married to the writer John Taylor.

Review:  This book made me rage! I was listening to the audio book in my car and literally yelling "you jerk! Don't give him money! Get a job! No, quit whining! OH MY GOD ARE YOU SERIOUS!?!?!" And yet at the same time part of me loved her parents. I honestly don't know how to feel about it. They seemed like such intelligent people, but without a drop of common sense. In the beginning I was like, ok they're weird but they're teaching their kids and they love them and while they might not have anything very rich, overall their life is ok.  
 

I think it was once they moved to West Virginia that things went to hell. I spent a lot of that part of the book wondering why they stayed there; surely they were all more happy in Arizona? Alcoholism is a horrible disease, and my heart just aches for Jeannette's father, because I really think if he'd never gotten addicted their lives would have all been so much happier. The mom I think was a lot more emotionally scarred than we knew. We only got the story from Jeannette's perspective, and she seemed much closer to her father. I think if Maureen or Lori had told the story we'd understand their mom a lot more.


I feel bad for Maureen, but in a way her story makes sense. The other kids had their desert childhood to remember, but Maureen only knew West Virginia and the horrible conditions of their life there.   She didn't know the lovelier parts of their lives, before dad fell completely into his disease and mom checked out.

There's a quote from Brian that really sums up this whole book.  "You know, it's really not that hard to put food on the table if that's what you decide to do."  Brian realizes that it's not too difficult to to provide for your family as long as you work hard and make the welfare of your children your first priority.  His parents sadly didn't do that and no matter how much you argue for their loving and spiritual nature makes them, in my eyes, failures as parents. 

The Red Tent by Anita Diamant

Published in 1997 by Picador
5 Stars

Goodreads Review
Her name is Dinah. In the Bible, her life is only hinted at in a brief and violent detour within the more familiar chapters of the Book of Genesis that are about her father, Jacob, and his dozen sons. Told in Dinah's voice, this novel reveals the traditions and turmoils of ancient womanhood--the world of the red tent. It begins with the story of her mothers--Leah, Rachel, Zilpah, and Bilhah--the four wives of Jacob. They love Dinah and give her gifts that sustain her through a hard-working youth, a calling to midwifery, and a new home in a foreign land. Dinah's story reaches out from a remarkable period of early history and creates an intimate connection with the past. Deeply affecting, The Red Tentcombines rich storytelling with a valuable achievement in modern fiction: a new view of biblical women's society.

Review:  The Red Tent is an interesting perspective of one of the most know stories from the Bible.  The story of Jacob and his many sons, in particular Joseph and his "Amazing Techno-color Dream Coat", have been told in many movies, books, and even Broadway musicals.  The Red Tent tells the same tale but from the woman's perspective; a side that is sadly under represented in the Bible.

I really loved this book.  Like REALLY loved this book.  I absolutely loved the tribe aspect for the women.  I think in modern times we look at ancient tribal cultures and see the women as repressed "possessions" of the men in the tribe.  This book really shows how the women have their own culture, support systems, and contentment with their woman-ness.  They aren't meek submissive pets.  They stand up for themselves, are shrewd business women, and sexual beings aware of their bodies and the natural cycle of life.  Being on their period wasn't the curse so many women complain about today.  The Red Tent was their retreat, their place of solace where they could congregate and share in each other's wisdom. 

There are a lot of people who dislike this book, and I think it's largely the people who cannot see history as any way other than what is exactly in the Bible.  The idea that the "heroes" of the Bible may not be so heroic after all scares them because it causes them to question their faith.  I think that it's very important to not read the Bible as literal fact for modern times.  It has to be looked at within the context of a two thousand year old nomadic nation and that the Bible was written two thousand years ago in ancient Hebrew.  There's bound to be some things that are lots in translation and through cultural evolution.  For example the word "rape".  Was Dinah raped in a modern sense, with violence and anger, or was she raped in an ancient sense, as in having sex out of wedlock?  The same word but with two very different meanings and implications. 

Overall I think The Red Tent is a very important book for women's spirituality.  It presents the story of one of the most under represented figures in the Bible and gives her a voice.  It never strays from the original backdrop of the Biblical story, but expands on this untold story with grace and beauty.

The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd

Published in 2006 by Penguin (Non-Classics)
2 Stars

Goodreads Review
Sue Monk Kidd's phenomenal debut, The Secret Life of Bees, became a runaway bestseller that is still on the New York Times bestseller list more than two years after its paperback publication. Now, in her luminous new novel, Kidd has woven a transcendent tale that will thrill her legion of fans. Telling the story of Jessie Sullivan-a love story between a woman and a monk, a woman and her husband, and ultimately a woman and her own soul-Kidd charts a journey of awakening and self-discovery illuminated with a brilliance that only a writer of her ability could conjure.


Side note, this review is slightly spoilery, but I wanted to talk about some of the themes.  You have been warned ;)


Review:  The mermaid chair was the first book I read by Sue Monk Kidd, being attracted to her books after seeing the movie of The Secret Life of Bees.  While I really enjoyed the movie, my first  step into her books was sadly disappointing.


I found the plot of The Mermaid Chair to have great themes, but poor execution.  It's a story about how relationships can fizzle out after a while and the temptation to find that spark in someone new.  It's also about how the sense of duty and propriety can prevent a person from choosing their own happiness.  But at the same time The Mermaid Chair is also about how people can have a life changing experience with a person even though they only know them for a short while and that meaningful relationships don't have to happen over twenty years.  I just didn't like how these themes were displayed.  There is very little room for the reader to draw their own conclusions, for the author will spell out each and every (obvious) symbolic meaning.  


The biggest problem was my inability to care about the characters.  On one hand I can totally understand Jessie and the choices that she made, having been there myself, but in reading her thoughts all I could think was that she was selfish and shallow.  I didn't feel any sense of empathy towards her and couldn't bring myself to understand why she felt the way she did about her husband.  I also didn't believe her "love" with Whit.  It was definitely more of a case of lust and using a lover to hide from depression than true romantic love.  


I want to make it clear that I didn't mind the affair, I can actually completely understand why she did that and her emotions behind it.  I just didn't like how it seemed like she was fooling herself by calling it love.  I wish she has at least cared enough about her husband to let him go first.  He seemed like a honest man and didn't deserve her betrayal.  Why are we all so afraid to admit our unhappiness to the people we care about before we do something that will end up hurting them way more than just telling the truth?   


Whit was probably the best character.  I could really identify with the choices he made in going to the monastery and his inner conflict trying to decide to stay or go, both from the monastery and his relationship with Jessie.  I like the theme of taking that cave time to heal from something bad, but then also realizing when it is time to come out of the cave and begin to create a new path in life.  The religious aspects and events that can totally shake the foundation of your faith and make you question everything you've always believed to be true was very interesting and well handled.  


Overall I really liked the themes in The Mermaid Chair, and some of the setting and imagery was very nice, but the deliverance of the themes in general fell flat and unemotional.  

Top Ten Tuesday 11/29/2011: Top Ten books on My TBR List for Winter

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish.  This meme was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish.  We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week we will post a new top ten list complete with one of our bloggers' answers.  Everyone is welcome to join.  All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND post a comment on our post with a link to your Top Ten Tuesday post to share with us and all those who are participating.  If you don't have a blog, just post your answers in the comments.

TOP TEN BOOKS ON MY TBR LIST FOR WINTER

It's kind of funny this is this week's top ten Tuesday because I just did a video about my TBR pile.  I made this video based solely on good reads ratings so some of the books I was like really?  That's rated 4.56?  Who knows, I guess I'll give them a go.  Watch the video to see my TBR pile!

Best Friends

So this has nothing to do with books, but I saw this today and LOST. MY. BUSINESS.  Enjoy.