Dare I take a Blogging Break?

Forgive me, dear readers, but I am not feeling the love these days to write about what I've been reading. If I had to guess, I would say that it is a combination of stress at work, still being sick, and general holiday stress. I am hoping that a few days away from That's What She Read (and a few days away from work) will remedy this situation. In the meantime, I will be doing something that never grows old - reading. I hope everyone else is weathering the holiday rush better than I am!

Inside Michelle's Brain: Sickness

One of these days, I really need to either make a button or find someone to make a button for me for this series. It needs something...

Anyway, as I sit here, quarantined in my office for the sixth straight night thanks to a roaring case of bronchitis and severe laryngitis, I have to laugh at the differences between how men and women act as caretakers when their significant other is sick. I can say that I have firsthand knowledge of this because, as most of you know, my darling husband was sick for what felt like the entire month of November before he finally went to the doctor and was diagnosed with a sinus infection. One z-pack later, and he is feeling back to his old self. Meanwhile, I take good care of him and keep the household functioning smoothly while he was ill, and all I get to show for it is a hacking, persistent cough, no voice, and lungs that hurt to take any sort of deepish breath. Life is not fair.

What do I mean by these differences? Let me explain. When Jim was sick, all of those chores we normally divide and conquer, I took over and did myself. I cleaned the entire house. I went grocery shopping. I took the kids to their various activities. Not to mention, we had the new puppy who was dealing with her own bladder infection. So I bore the brunt of the nighttime potty breaks as well, all in an effort to allow Jim to rest and recover. While Jim does not want to be bothered when he is sick, I still made sure he had everything he needed/wanted and would periodically check on him to make sure he was okay. I didn't always do this lovingly - after a month, this tends to wear on a person - but I did it because that is what we do in a relationship.

Now that I have been sick myself for a week, and much sicker than he ever was (not that I'm keeping track or anything), I have to notice that quid pro quo is not exactly happening in my house. I'm still doing laundry. I went grocery shopping over the weekend. I've been having to get most of my own food and take care of myself. Jim even wanted to know what I was planning to cook for dinner earlier this week. Even though I stayed home almost every day this week, I still had to drag my codeine-stupored body out of bed to make sure Holly caught the school bus. My house never got 100 percent clean this weekend, and if I didn't wander out of my quarantine every once in a while, I would never see my husband. See what I mean?

Did I mention the guilt? I have a boss who has called me every single day I was out of the office, asking me to "be heroic" and get something done that absolutely had to get out the door that day. My kids are asking me to get better soon. I see the state of my bathrooms and shudder. Let's face it - I feel guilty that I am sick. I hate feeling this helpless. While the much-needed sleep is nice, I wish I could function a little bit better than I am now. Jim never felt like this. He was sick, and he didn't care if the world stopped or not. His boss told him to take as much time as he needed to get better. The kids were upset he was sick, but it didn't affect them as much as my illness is. There was no guilt for him.

I know this is not unique to just me. When I talk to coworkers and girlfriends, they all share similar stories. Why is this? If we cannot get equality in our own houses, how are we ever supposed to get equality in the workplace? What is it about men versus women when it comes to being a caretaker? I love my husband and know that he means well, but apparently "in sickness and in health" means two different things to each of us.

Your turn to dish - am I alone here? Why do you think the two sexes act so differently when it come to taking care of others? Better yet, any helpful hints on improving the situation?

2011 What's In a Name 4 Complete!

Challenge completed!

Beth Fish Read's What's in a Name 4 Challenge is always a fun challenge. The best part is that it requires no purchasing of additional books, as I read what I want and hope that at least six books out of the year will fit one of the categories. This year's categories were as follows:

1. A book with a number in the title - Ten Miles Past Normal by Frances O'Rourk Dowell
2. A book with jewelry or a gem in the title - Forever Amber by Kathleen Winsor
3. A book with a size in the title - A Small Death in the Great Glen by A. D. Scott
4. A book with travel or movement in the title - Skipping a Beat by Sarah Pekkanen
5. A book with evil in the title - Original Sins by Peg Kingman; The Poison Eaters by Holly Black
6. A book with a life stage in the title - The Death Instinct by Jed Rubenfeld

I came in with two weeks to spare, but at least I can mark this one complete. I haven't even looked at next year's categories yet, but you can be sure that I will be participating!

Review: Forever Amber by Kathleen Winsor

Title: Forever Amber

Author: Kathleen Winsor

Synopsis (Courtesy of Powell's Books):

"Abandoned pregnant and penniless on the teeming streets of London, 16-year-old Amber St. Clare manages, by using her wits, beauty, and courage, to climb to the highest position a woman could achieve in Restoration England — that of favorite mistress of the Merry Monarch, Charles II. From whores and highwaymen to courtiers and noblemen, from events such as the Great Plague and the Fire of London to the intimate passions of ordinary — and extraordinary - men and women, Amber experiences it all. But throughout her trials and escapades, she remains, in her heart, true to the one man she really loves, the one man she can never have.

Frequently compared to Gone with the Wind, Forever Amber is the other great historical romance, outselling every other American novel of the 1940s, despite being banned in Boston for its sheer sexiness. A book to read and reread, this edition brings back to print an unforgettable romance and a timeless masterpiece."

Thoughts: Historical fiction can be tricky. Modern readers tend to project their own values and actions onto historical figures, making it difficult to know where to draw the line between fact and fiction. Some of the most outlandish behavior, while historically accurate, is so far from being socially acceptable today that modern readers automatically believe authors have taken liberties with history and have spiced up the narrative for the modern palate when this is far from the truth. Forever Amber is an excellent example of such historical fiction.

Forever Amber is not for the prudish. While not explicit or tawdry, the Restoration was not an era in which it was okay to be squeamish about sex. Monogamy was passe, and the Court reveled in the freedom. No one uses this to her advantage so much as our not-so-hapless heroine, who uses the loose morals of the era to her distinct benefit and enjoys almost every moment. It can make for uncomfortable reading at times, especially when one truly does believe in monogamous marriages, let alone relationships. Still, it is as revealing to a reader's own mindset as it is enlightening to a bygone era.

The synopsis specifically calls out a comparison to Gone With the Wind. This needs to be addressed. There are more than a few similarities, to the point where I had to confirm that Gone With the Wind was indeed written several years before Forever Amber. If I were less forgiving, I might be so inclined to say that Ms. Winsor borrowed heavily from Ms. Mitchell's masterpiece. Amber is just as ruthless, just as driven as Scarlett, and just as misguided in her affections towards members of the opposite sex. She uses her beauty to get what she most desires, and it does not matter how many men she has to marry to get there. Sound familiar? The grandiose scenery, the Court drama and intrigue, the lush dresses - they have a very antebellum feel, and as Amber rises in power and prestige, it is eerily reminiscent to Scarlett's own improved monetary status.

That being said, there are some excellent qualities to the book. The historical details are exquisite in their accuracy. Ms. Winsor's eye for detail is used to full advantage in describing not only the clothes and furnishings but also the sights, sounds, and scents of Restoration London and the surrounding countryside. She does not gloss over the unpleasant minutiae either, adding an air of realism to the entire novel. The major historical events, such as the Black Plague and later, the Great Fire, are utterly fascinating. The reader cannot but help feeling a part of the backdrop during these scenes. Yet, it was so easy to see Scarlett as Amber that the entire novel just left a decidedly bitter aftertaste. A book can be similar and borrow from other successful novels without being so blatant about it. Forever Amber was just too similar and too blatant in the elements it borrowed.

The similarities to Gone With the Wind, which is one of my all-time favorite novels, were too great to ignore, and as such, I struggled to enjoy Forever Amber as much as I feel I should have. For those who have not read Gone With the Wind multiple times, or are not bothered by extremely similar plots and characters, then Forever Amber is definitely one that should be added to the must-read list. More importantly, Ms. Winsor's ability to craft a captivating novel must be acknowledged. In spite of the problems I had with it, Forever Amber remains interesting for its entirety; at over 950 pages, this is quite a feat. In addition, one's understanding of the Restoration and Charles II will improve tenfold thanks to the careful and painstakingly detailed research Ms. Winsor undertook before writing the novel. In all, there is much to enjoy. It hasn't survived this long if readers didn't fall in love with Amber. Unfortunately, I just could not get over the feeling that I was reading the Restoration version of Gone With the Wind.

Acknowledgements: Thank you to Julie from Girls Just Reading for sending me her copy to guarantee that I will complete the What's In a Name Challenge!

Audiobook Review: The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh

Title: The Language of Flowers

Author: Vanessa Diffenbaugh

Narrator: Tara Sands

Audiobook Length: 10 hours, 50 minutes

Synopsis (Courtesy of Powell's Books):

"The Victorian language of flowers was used to convey romantic expressions: honeysuckle for devotion, asters for patience, and red roses for love. But for Victoria Jones, it’s been more useful in communicating grief, mistrust, and solitude. After a childhood spent in the foster-care system, she is unable to get close to anybody, and her only connection to the world is through flowers and their meanings.

Now eighteen and emancipated from the system, Victoria has nowhere to go and sleeps in a public park, where she plants a small garden of her own. Soon a local florist discovers her talents, and Victoria realizes she has a gift for helping others through the flowers she chooses for them. But a mysterious vendor at the flower market has her questioning what’s been missing in her life, and when she’s forced to confront a painful secret from her past, she must decide whether it’s worth risking everything for a second chance at happiness."

Thoughts: If you are like me, I tend to start new books feeling decidedly torn. On the one hand, the possibility that it will be a book for the ages is a seduction all on its own. On the other hand, there is always the fear of harboring too high expectations because so many books fail to live up to them. The Language of Flowers is one of those rare books that not only is a book for the ages, it more than lives up to any and all high expectations. Miss Diffenbaugh's story of a young woman, one who has made her way through the foster system and is now trying to survive on her own, is simple and yet completely poignant and heartbreaking. Victoria, while gruff, burrows her way into the reader's heart, and her story is one that lingers well after the final word of the final sentence.

The Language of Flowers is simply beautiful. Victoria is a heroine that, while rough around the edges, has a vulnerability that breaks a reader's heart. This isn't just an expose on the pitfalls of the foster system and the damage it causes on those stuck in the system. It is a reminder of what it means to care enough to be willing to take all the risks involved in a relationship without a guarantee of any rewards. It is learning to love and learning that letting go can be the most loving thing one can do.

As with the language of flowers itself, love can and does take many forms, and Miss Diffenbaugh explores them all. While this may seem overwhelming, it is done surreptitiously and graciously. It is never patronizing, and readers of all genders will find some part of Victoria that will strike a chord.

I adore the idea of secret messages in flowers. The modern era has lost the humanizing touch that such nuances like giving flowers with meaning or hand-written notes the Victorian age held dear. Ms. Diffenbaugh brings back the importance of caring enough to take the time to work on relationships. If even the most diffident woman, one who has been taught that any emotion is dangerous, can find happiness through such "archaic" traditions, then maybe they are worth reconsidering after all.

Tara Sands is a perfect narrator for this story. Not only is her voice young enough for the character, she excels at portraying the world-weariness and suspicion, not to mention the heartache and longing, that is Victoria. It is as realistic a vocalization as one can experience, making the entire audiobook pure auditory pleasure.

The Language of Flowers is one of those touching stories that has so much going for it - great characters, a wonderful story arc, the rediscovery of a long-lost art form, and a greater understanding of the subtle dangers of the foster system. It makes the reader reconsider the meaning of love in any form. Better yet, it is one of those stories that the reader immediately wants to start rereading after finishing to experience the magic again and again.

Acknowledgements: Mine. All mine.

TLC Book Tours presents Mozart's Last Aria by Matt Rees

Title: Mozart's Last Aria

Author: Matt Rees

Synopsis (Courtesy of Powell's Books):

"The news arrives in a letter to his sister, Nannerl, in December 1791. But the message carries more than word of Nannerl’s brother’s demise. Two months earlier, Mozart confided to his wife that his life was rapidly drawing to a close . . . and that he knew he had been poisoned.

In Vienna to pay her final respects, Nannerl soon finds herself ensnared in a web of suspicion and intrigue—as the actions of jealous lovers, sinister creditors, rival composers, and Mozart’s Masonic brothers suggest that dark secrets hastened the genius to his grave. As Nannerl digs deeper into the mystery surrounding her brother’s passing, Mozart’s black fate threatens to overtake her as well."

Thoughts: With nine years of participating in an award-winning wind ensemble under my belt, I have a huge affinity for Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and his works. I've visited Salzburg several times, toured the house in which he was born, and have watched the movie Amadeus more times than I probably should admit. When offered the chance to review a novel about Mozart's mysterious demise, there was no hesitation on my part; I felt I was meant to read this book. I mention this because my knowledge of and feelings for the maestro definitely influenced my thoughts on the book in a way that most readers probably will not experience. Consider this a disclaimer of sorts.

Mozart's Last Aria in an intriguing but bland conspiracy theory about Mozart's true cause of death. Told  after Mozart's death from his sister's point of view, the reader is led on a goose chase around Vienna as Nannerl attempts to uncover the truth behind certain riddles and mysterious comments her brother made during his last few months on Earth. Unfortunately, its focus on Mozart's Masonic membership made this more reminiscent of current conspiracy theory novels a la Dan Brown. Therein lies the problem.

Mozart's Last Aria hopes to capitalize on Mozart's undeniable genius and the fact that his untimely death prevented even more of his amazing work from being composed and shared with the world. In fact, this exact sentiment is mentioned on almost every page, as one character after another laments on the world's loss after his death. The reader is reminded of this loss incessantly to the point where it becomes slightly nauseating and increasingly numbing. While this loss is meant to increase the reader's sense of urgency to uncover the truth, its constant repetition undermines the suspense.

One cannot read Mozart's Last Aria without noting distinct comparisons to other modern popular suspense novels. It has the Freemasons and "dangerous", life-changing secrets that could change Austria forever, while the reader is left to understand that Mozart was at the heart of this dangerous secret. Unfortunately, the only clue to Mozart's supposedly passionate support of this secret is his music. Mr. Rees attempts to use Mozart's music alone, and not his behavior or own words, to support his theory. It is a weak connection at best, especially because Mozart was a prolific writer, as was his entire family. If he truly supported such sentiments, one would expect more proof in the form of actions or his written words. Music, which is highly subjective, as the only clue is not enough to provide conclusive evidence of Mozart's involvement in these secrets, making this entire storyline very weak.

Mozart's Last Aria is one that definitely must be read with full access to all of his works on hand, as Nannerl goes into great depth of each piece mentioned. Without a deep understanding of music, a reader will easily get bogged down into these very technical passages. Added to that, the flimsy proof behind the big secret and the fact that no one but Nannerl is able to uncover the mystery leaves a reader feeling deeply incredulous over the entire premise. While it does offer a relatively brief alternative to the more depressing Mozart biographies, there is much that is lacking that prevents a reader from being able to become truly immersed in the story. An inability to do this makes this one suspense novel that lacks in suspense.

Acknowledgements: Thank you TLC Book Tours and Harper Perennial for my review copy!

Check out what others have to say!

• Thursday, November 3rd: Life In Review
• Monday, November 7th: Raging Bibliomania
• Tuesday, November 8th: Reviews from the Heart
• Wednesday, November 9th: Book Hooked Blog
• Tuesday, November 15th: Unabridged Chick
• Wednesday, November 16th: The Road to Here
• Wednesday, November 23rd: The House of the Seven Tails
• Monday, November 28th: Life Is Short. Read Fast.
• Wednesday, December 7th: Reading Lark
• Thursday, December 8th: Life in the Thumb

The Sunday Salon - December 11, 2011

Hi-dee ho, dear reader! Wouldn't you know? After four weeks of taking care of everyone else in the family with coughs, fevers, sore throats, and the like, I finally succumb to the same crud as everyone else. Without a fever, mine has the added bonus of laryngitis and a wracking cough every time I do try to talk. It's been an interesting weekend, as I've done my best to quarantine myself from the rest of the family in an effort to stop the sickness from being passed along yet again.

I suspect that this has been brewing for a while, as I've been all but falling asleep on the way into work and going to bed around 9 PM every night this week. In addition, the thought of prepping for the holidays filled me with dread. Thankfully, Jim took the initiative and had the kids decorate the tree and the house last night. I know that I am feeling better because I even managed to decide upon which cookies I want to bake and even bought the ingredients for them. Now, I just need to find the time. Oh, and Christmas shopping. I still need to find the time to do that as well.

It has been a week filled with nothing but work, sleep, and eat with very little reading and writing. I did find the time to rant about the latest Blogger Brouhaha. I also managed to review the following books:

• Birthmarked by Caragh M. O'Brien
• The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
• Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick

I've been struggling to finish books lately. I think this in large part to the fact that I am still working insanely crazy hours, eating at my desk while working. I haven't even been listening to an audiobook at work. I'm hoping that this week will see that change all the way around. I suspect between the stress of the holidays and my considerable lack of preparation, along with work stress, is making it difficult for me to lose myself in a book. I think it is a sign that I desperately need a vacation.

I hope everyone is having a relaxing and productive Sunday. Happy reading!

Review: Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick

Title: Silence (Hush, Hush Saga)

Author: Becca Fitzpatrick

Synopsis (Courtesy of Powell's Books):

"The noise between Patch and Nora is gone. They've overcome the secrets riddled in Patch's dark past...bridged two irreconcilable worlds...faced heart-wrenching tests of betrayal, loyalty and trust...and all for a love that will transcend the boundary between heaven and earth. Armed with nothing but their absolute faith in one another, Patch and Nora enter a desperate fight to stop a villain who holds the power to shatter everything they've worked for—and their love—forever."

Thoughts: Patch and Nora are back in the third novel in the Hush, Hush series. In Silence, the more things change, the more things stay the same. Patch is as mysterious and broody as ever, while Nora continues to make questionable decisions that does nothing but get her into trouble. Unlike in the previous books, however, the Big Bad is known from the very beginning, changing the dynamics of the story for the better. There is no more guessing whether one character or another has an ulterior motive and no more shocking twists and turns. Instead, there is more character development and explanation that strengthens the overall story.

I have been rather harsh with Ms. Fitzpatrick's series in the past. If one was to look back at my reviews of the first two books, Hush, Hush and Crescendo, one would wonder why I would even bother reading the latest installment in the saga. For all its faults, there is something about Patch and his past that is extremely compelling. Even in the third book, there is very little about his past that is known. Ms. Fitzpatrick does an excellent job of providing the reader with hints while the full details and history remain frustratingly hazy. Even after three novels, the bad boy with a past story remains one of the saga's best features.

Of the three novels, Silence is definitely the strongest. As much as Nora remained annoyingly dense for such an intelligent girl, one cannot fault her courage or tenacity. While she doesn't make the best choices, she does not back down from a challenge, and she is not afraid to stand up for what she thinks is right. Even better, scenes with Vee are kept to a minimum.

Let it be said I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed Silence. The cliffhanger ending was not expected, and Ms. Fitzpatrick's writing is definitely improving with each novel. While the Hush, Hush saga is still not the best YA paranormal romantic series out there, it has reached the point where I can unequivocally state that I am looking forward to the next book.

Acknowledgements: Mine. All mine.

Inside Michelle's Brain: Blogger Brouhaha

These are my thoughts on various trends that have me rolling my eyes, raising my eyebrows and in general wondering about the state of book blogging. I've discussed readathons, giveaways, blog hops, rules, reasons to start blogging, followers, comments, overdoing guest blogging, reviewing, and writing expertise.

What is it with bloggers? It seems we will take any little thing and blow it up into ridiculous proportions. Anyone remember Franzengate? How about the FTC mandate? What about a beloved blogger who dared compare U.S. bloggers with British bloggers? The furor over the BBAW awards? These are all memorable moments in the blogging world, as they quickly became scandals of epic proportions.

On the one hand, one can never fault book bloggers for being passionate. We love our books, authors, and publishers. We will defend them until we take our last breath. This passion, however, is a double-edged sword, as there is the distinct tendency to go a wee bit overboard when it comes to rallying a defense.

This passion can be a very good thing. Laurie Halse Anderson's response to her novel, Speak, being banned because someone considered the rape scenes pornographic, with the subsequent outcry by bloggers and publishers alike, was an amazing and worthwhile event. Banned Book Week is always another phenomenal rallying point. Book bloggers use their voices to speak their minds and defend worthwhile causes every day.

My issue is when bloggers try to make something out of nothing. Last week's debacle over William Morrow's policy change for bloggers was a great example of this. All the publicists are trying to do is drive down costs and ensure that everyone receives the books that they want to receive. Also, they want to ensure that the money they are spending is being used to maximum effect by suggesting a time frame for bloggers to finish the reviews. Yet the furor this announcement caused was absolutely ridiculous. As someone else stated, if bloggers can have review policies and limit what books one will receive, why can't publishers not have a similar policy? More importantly, why was this even an issue for bloggers? Publishers are not here to give us unlimited free review copies. Those review copies we receive for free cost a lot of money to print and to send. If publishers are not seeing reviews for these novels in a timely fashion, i.e. when they will have the most impact on book sales, then sending out these review copies is not helping them recoup those costs. It's simple business.

The harsh reality is that book bloggers will quickly lose their credence and their power should they start creating a scandal over every single issue. If the furor over review copy policies implemented by publishers continues, then publishers will no longer want to work with bloggers but spend their money sending copies to those who appreciate them. If book bloggers continue to try to make scandals out of nothing, or at least fail to discuss certain hot topics with cooler heads, then our voices, which we prize so dearly, will quickly be ignored. I, for one, do not want to see this happen.

So, my fellow bloggers, let's let cooler heads prevail. Not everything has to be scandalous. Not everything is a personal attack against bloggers. Keep your heads and keep your voices. It is the only we will continue to make our mark in the world.

It's your turn. How do you feel about the fact that we seem to see a scandal a week in the blogger world? Is it justified or too much?

Review: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

Title: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (The Millennium Trilogy #1)

Author: Stieg Larsson

Synopsis (Courtesy of Powell's Books):

"Harriet Vanger, scion of one of Sweden's wealthiest families, disappeared over forty years ago. All these years later, her aged uncle continues to seek the truth. He hires Mikael Blomkvist, a crusading journalist recently trapped by a libel conviction, to investigate. He is aided by the pieced and tattooed punk prodigy Lisbeth Salander. Together they tap into a vein of unfathomable iniquity and astonishing corruption."

Thoughts: Bestsellers are tricky reading, especially after they have been released for a while. One of three things can happen: either one has high expectations and are invariably disappointed, one starts reading the book having already decided that public opinion knows best and that it is worth the hype, or one starts reading with an eye to disprove the hype. While reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, I feel into that latter category. Don't get me wrong; it is not a horrible book. I just do not feel it is as good as everyone was telling me it was.

One of its weakest points is the language and translation itself. Entire passages were extremely clunky, and the fascination with technological details was jarring to the overall story while also dating the book horribly. I find it difficult to believe that Mr. Larsson really meant to define what an MP3 player was or go into details about the type of iBook Lisbeth was using. Also, Mikael was a difficult character to like. For a journalist, he certainly has some decent military knowledge. The brief explanation about his previous military service seemed inadequate. He was surprisingly ethical about his journalistic integrity but rather lax in his personal ethics regarding relationships with women. The two halves just did not mesh very well.

That being said, Lisbeth certainly lived up to the hype. Enigmatic, incredibly intelligent and ferociously independent, she is worthy of anyone's admiration. That being said, her ethical boundaries were also rather thin, if nonexistent, which made for difficult reading at times. While she was invariably out to help bring down the bad guys, one can easily imagine how vague that definition could easily get. The murder mystery was interesting, if just a little predictable and rather slow. The biggest complaint is that the pacing of the entire story is rather glacial. One wants a suspense to be a little more nerve-wracking from the very beginning and not have to wait until halfway through the novel before the pace picks up.

I cannot be upset I read The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. It is popular for a reason; there were just too many issues I found that prevented me from enjoying the book as much as others have. While Lisbeth is fascinating, I have no desire to read the rest of the series and am satisfied with what little I learned. For once, I'll satisfy myself with the movies to find out the rest of the story.

Acknowledgements: Mine. All mine.

Review: Birthmarked by Caragh M. O'Brien

Title: Birthmarked

Author: Caragh M. O'Brien

Synopsis (Courtesy of Powell's Books):

"In the future, in a world baked dry by the harsh sun, there are those who live inside the wall and those, like sixteen-year-old midwife, Gaia Stone, who live outside. Gaia has always believed it is her duty, with her mother, to hand over a small quota of babies to the Enclave. But when Gaia's mother and father are arrested by the very people they so dutifully serve, Gaia is forced to question everything she has been taught to believe. Gaia's choice is now simple: enter the world of the Enclave to rescue her parents, or die trying."

Thoughts: In the future, every life is precious. Life is so precious, in fact, that every month a small amount of babies are honored by being afforded a life of privilege inside the Enclave, and those midwives who serve the Enclave are provided extra privileges for their services. In Birthmarked, Caragh O'Brien puts forth the idea of society over individual rights in a unique premise where society must band together in order to survive, but at what cost?

Gaia is an enjoyable heroine, naive but not afraid to learn from her mistakes nor follow her core values. She is young and acts it at times, which is also exhilarating from the reader's perspective. The reader cannot help but sympathize with the raw deal she has been handed, as her handling of those situations is more than admirable. It will be interesting to see how much she grows as she is forced to take on a more physically demanding role.

Dystopian fiction, by its very nature, requires the reader to consider modern-day society and imagine what it would take to get to the point where society is at within the novel. Birthmarked is no different. Capitalizing on the growing urgency over global warming, Ms. O'Brien has created a world in which the reader can not only recognize certain aspects of the locale, the causes of the catastrophes that lead to the creation of the Enclave are clearly defined. If anything, Birthmarked serves as a warning to prevent such events from happening.

Birthmarked offers a unique perspective on the future with an imaginative storyline that is refreshing in its simplicity. Gaia's world, especially the Enclave, is unsettling in its familiarity, lending an air of realism to this futuristic worldscape. Gaia's world is not quite as clear-cut as one might expect, forcing the reader to reevalute his or her own ethics in light of what is good for the society. This interesting twist allows Birthmarked to stand out among a genre that is quickly becoming saturated.

Acknowledgements: Mine. All mine.

The Sunday Salon - December 4, 2011

For all of those who have heard me bemoaning the pending sale at work, I am happy to report that the sale is now final. Now, we can finally get some answers. Sure, there is the chance of being let go or having to relocate, but at least we can move forward. Anything is better than the black hole that was the  lack of information over the past few months.

We couldn't call ourselves Wisconsin fans without heading to Indianapolis last night to cheer them on for the Big Ten Championship. We took the kids for their first college football game ever; good choice, eh? The game was an absolute blast. We lost our voices and got back to the house closer to dawn than midnight, but it was well worth every minute. The kids made signs, danced along with the Wisconsin Marching Band, cheered and screamed almost as loud as Jim and me, and were thoroughly impressed. The fact that the Badgers are now on their way to the Rose Bowl game made it even better!

My Mexico Trip is done and gone. It was definitely an experience. For the near future, I am going to relish being back home.

Books reviewed this week:

• The Poisoner's Handbook by Deborah Blum
• Tortilla Flat by John Steinbeck
• Monsters in America by W. Scott Poole
• Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

After the craziness of the holiday weekend, this past week, and then last night, we all need to take it easy today. Everyone is still struggling with being sick too, making rest even more important. Have a great Sunday, everyone. Happy reading!

I'm Back!

Three hours by car, six hours by plane and at least four hours waiting in airport lounges and I can finally say home sweet home. I do not think I have ever been quite so happy to come home after a business trip as I was yesterday. While I only saw a small portion of the country, the culture shock alone was enough to make me profoundly homesick. While I am glad I went, as I made some great connections, learned more about the new company, and was able to provide some much-needed support, I am even more satisfied to be back where everything is familiar.

My initial impression of Mexico City was that it is loud, crowded, and run-down. While I know that my lack of Spanish is a poor excuse, there were surprisingly few who spoke English, including the drivers who drove me the two hours north of Mexico City to the hotel/plant. It made it difficult to find out what was happening or answer their questions. The traffic itself was eye-opening. There are roads everywhere, intersecting at the strangest angles, with very little in the way of road signs, traffic lights, or even traffic lanes. In fact, from what I observed, the observation of traffic lanes is voluntary in the cities. Guardrails and on-ramps are nonexistent. Often, there was nothing more than a cement curb separating the highway from the countryside. I kept my eyes on the buildings and away from the cars around me as much as possible for my sanity's sake.

Unfortunately, during my visit, the area was experiencing a cold front the likes of which they have never had before. My first morning there, it was 20 degrees F. I found out quickly that buildings here do not have any heat, which meant that I spent the entire time in Mexico bundled up in my fleece jacket. They also do not have hot water heaters, from what I could tell, because I couldn't get the water temperature for my shower above lukewarm.

The area itself is gorgeous, and the view was breathtaking, quite literally. Having never been to the mountains before, I was impressed with the vista from both the plant and the hotel. Unfortunately, the elevation did a number on my ability to walk without gasping for air. Walking two blocks had my heart pounding so badly, I felt that I had just sprinted a mile.

I think one of the reasons why I struggled so much to adjust to my surroundings was the dichotomy between outside work and inside the plant. Inside the plant, I was surrounded by Irishmen; any Mexican employees spoke excellent English. Between that and working remotely with my coworkers back home, I could almost fool myself into thinking that I was not in a foreign country. Then I would go to a restaurant and back to my hotel and would be swamped with feelings of unfamiliarity all over again. The fact that I spent more time in the office than anywhere else did not help me adjust either. Twelve-plus hour work days, juggling work at home with work requested of me there, made it an intense two days.

In the end, I can say that I overcame my fears and made it into and out of a completely new country by myself. I was petrified when I left on Monday but felt much more comfortable on the way back yesterday. Give me some time and I will even be ready to travel somewhere else. After all, the one stamp in my passport is lonely!

Review: Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Title: Shatter Me

Author: Tahereh Mafi

Synopsis (Courtesy of Powell's Books):

"'You can't touch me,' I whisper.

I'm lying, is what I don't tell him.

He can touch me, is what I'll never tell him.

But things happen when people touch me.

Strange things.

Bad things.

No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal, but The Reestablishment has plans for her. Plans to use her as a weapon.

But Juliette has plans of her own.

After a lifetime without freedom, she's finally discovering a strength to fight back for the very first time—and to find a future with the one boy she thought she'd lost forever."

Thoughts: Shatter Me has such potential. Opening up with Juliette in captivity for an unknown reason, the reader is immediately drawn into her fractured mind and limited understanding of the world at large. Unfortunately, the story loses plausibility quickly, and the reader is left disappointed at its decline.

Juliette starts out as sympathetic but devolves into the annoying. What makes her a difficult character to enjoy is the constant crossing out of words and phrases. Reminiscent of Laurie Halse Anderson's Wintergirls, while the reader understands what the author is trying to show with this technique, it is used to excess. These asides would work better if they were not crossed out but rather continued in a stream of consciousness vein, as Juliette is obviously someone struggling to maintain her sanity in the beginning, which is where the struck-through phrases are most prolific.

The dystopian portions of Juliette's world are truly some of the best parts of the novel. Warner is a hypnotic character with enough mystery to attract even the most discerning reader. The world in which Juliette lives is only briefly described, but what is uncovered is all the more interesting for its realistic potential. From what little the reader glimpses, Ms. Mafi has created a world which is all too possible.

The largest weakness is the story itself. Outside of the scenes with Warner, the rest of the story becomes a cross between a paranormal teen romance, dystopian fiction, and a superhero story. There are scenes towards the end that are downright laughable, as someone actually describes Juliette as looking like a superhero. In fact, Juliette's inability to touch people is either a direct ripoff of the X-Men franchise or inspired by it. Adam, as the ubiquitous love interest, remains a flat, nondescript character that is supposed to be attractive for his mysterious and painful history and his gorgeous appearance. While their relationship is steamy, it feels forced. At no point in time is the reader in doubt as to Juliette's fate, and the few answers that are given in this first in yet another trilogy do little to spark further interest. It is almost as if Ms. Mafi was using a list of must-have elements for a young adult series without truly incorporating each one or using those elements to their fullest potential.

In a world that is inundated with unique, fresh and exciting young adult fiction, Shatter Me is none of that. It starts out hot and quickly fizzles into the unrealistic and somewhat preposterous. As Juliette grows in understanding of her surroundings and her world, so do the comic book qualities. The pacing is frenetic, adding to the superhero story elements, while the explanations are few and far between while the characters are seemingly exaggerated in their qualities. The overall result is a novel that is inconsistent and leaves the reader wanting more substance and more consistency. Unfortunately, Shatter Me has a been-there, done-that quality that makes it difficult to recommend to others.

Acknowledgements: Thank you to GLiBA for my advanced reading copy!