Framed's 2006 Book Reviews

A list of reviews I've done during 2006. Books are rated from 1 to 5, with 5 being a stellar read. Book reviews with a 5 rating are bolded.

Sunday, January 14, 2007

2006 Books Read

Here is an alphabetic listing of the books I've read since I started my book blog in April. The format is title, author, date reviewed originally, and my rating of the book. If you want to read the review, just scroll down until you find the date. I've copied review plus comments from my Framed and Booked blog, leaving out the bookcover pictures. The books I liked the best are bolded.
1. Abraham Lincoln by Benajmin Thomas, July 30, Rating: 5
2. Almost Sisters by Nancy Anderson, et.al., July 18, Rating: 3
3. Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner, June 24 Rating: 3.75
4. Baby Proof by Emily Giffin, November 8, Rating: 4
5. The Bartimaeus Trilogy (3 Books) by Jonathon Stroud, August 17, Rating: 4.5
6. The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver, December 26, Rating 4.25
7. Brainiac by Ken Jennings, November 28, Rating: 4.5
8. Breathing Lessons by Anny Tyler, May 20, 2006, Rating: 2
9. Burned by Carol Higgins Clark, October 5, Rating: 1
10. Chamomile Mourning by Laura Childs, October 9, Rating: 4.25
11. Chile Death by Susan Wittig Albert, October 2, Rating: 4.25
12. Chocolate Therapy by Dianne Crabtree, October 7, Rating: 3
13. Cold Company by Sue Henry, June 26, Rating: 3
14. Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier, June 4, Rating: 4
15. A Covington Christmas by Joan Medlicott, May 20, Rating: 3
16. Devils Corner by Lisa Scottoline, October 13, Rating: 4.5
17. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominque Bauby, August 19, Rating: 5
18. A Door in the Woods by James Dashner, July 18, Rating: 3.5
19. Enchantment by Orscon Scott Card, October 23, Rating: 4.25
20. Face Down Before Rebel Hooves by Kathy Lynn Emerson, October 29, Rating: 4
21. Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier, September 14, Rating: 4.5
22. The Girl in Hyacinth Blue by Susan Vreeland, May 26, Rating: 5
23. The Glass Blowers by Daphne du Maurier, October 21, Rating: 2.75
24. Good Grief by Lolly Winston, August 22, Rating: 3.5
25. The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale, November 5, Rating: 5+
26. Great Feuds in History by Colin Evans, October 26, Rating: 3.75
27. History of Love by Nicole Krauss, November 10, Rating: 4.5
28. Hundred Secret Senses by Ami Tan, July 12, Rating: 4.75
29.Justice Hall by Laurie R. King, December 7, Rating: 4.25
30. I Heard the Owl Call My Name by Margaret Craven, November 14, Rating: 4.75
31. In Her Shoes by Jennifer Weiner, September 1, Rating: 1.5
32. Lady and the Unicorn by Tracy Chevalier, July 1, Ratig: 4.5
33. Letter from Home by Carolyn Hart, November 12, Rating: 4.5
34. Life of Pi by Yann Martel, December 20, Rating: 5
35. A Love Like Lilly by Kay Lynn Mangum, September 9, Rating: 4
36. Martin Eden by Jack London, December 30, Rating: 3.25
37. The Meaning of Everything by Simon Winchester, August 28, Rating: 4.75
38. Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden, August 10, Rating: 5
39. The Moonstone by Wilkie Colllins, September 23, Rating: 5
40. Murder at Five Finger Point by Sue Henry, June 26, Rating: 3
41. My Brother Michael by Mary Stewart, December 30, Rating: 3.75
42. O Susannah by Karen T. Walker, May 22, Rating: 2
43. Opposite of Fate by Ami Tan, July 12, Rating: 5
44. Pigs in Heaven by Barbara Kingsolver, July 21, Rating: 4.5
45. A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving, November 21, Rating: 4.75
46. Prayers for the Assassin by Robert Ferrigno, November 2, rating: 4.25
47. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, August 17, Rating: 4.75
48. Pudd'nhead Wilson by Mark Twain, September 7, Rating: 2.5
49. The Railway Children by E Nesbitt, August 21, Rating: 4
50. The Red Tent by Anita Diamant, June 5, Rating: 3.5
51. Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs, June 29, Rating: 1
52. The Screwtape Letters by C S Lewis, May 20, Rating: 5
53. The Stars Can Wait by Jay Basu, October 6, Rating: 3.5
54. Summer Sisters by Judy Blume, September 9, Rating: 2
55. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, December 12, Rating: 5
56. Until I Find You by John Irving, April, Rating: 3
57. Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks, April, Rating: 4.75

Sunday, January 07, 2007

My Brother Michael by Mart Stewart Dec 30, 2006

**Mary Stewart is a well-known romantic suspense author. This book is an excellent example of the genre. After reading a few pages, I stopped to check to see when the book was written (1959) because the dialog seemed dated. But for a book that was written 47 years ago, it holds up quite well.
**Camilla Haven is an English tourist visiting Athens who writes to her friend that nothing ever happens to her. Then she accepts the keys to a black car to be driven to Delphi from a stranger, and finds many things happening. Along the way, she meets Simon Lester (what a name for our romantic hero) and become entangled in an old murder mystery and quest for treasure. I like how Stewart builds her characters: you come to know that Camilla is a quiet, retiring beauty, Simon is an intellectual with hidden strength, resourcefulness and talents, etc. These traits are revealed slowly as the story unfolds. And the way she describes Greece!!!! Add it to my list of places to visit. The book was a fun and quick read. Each chapter was headed by a quote from an ancient Greek author. My favorite:"What a personage says or does reveals a certain moral purpose; and a good element of character, if the purpose so revealed is good. Such goodness is possible in every type of personage, even in a woman." Aristotle: The Art of Poetry**This is a book I inherited from my aunt Betty. It's fun to imagine what she thought as she read it. Read this book if you want to escape to an exotic locale and lose yourself in a light romance and a suspenseful tale.Rating: 3.75

4 Comments:
booklogged said...
I actually remembered the storyline of this book, which is very unusual for me. I enjoyed it, too. I even remember the hair along the hairline bristling when I read Aristotle's quote. Too funny!
Joy said...
Framed ~ FYI...Ken Jenning's has posted his "disclaimers" regarding his book on his blog. Thought you'd be interested in that being that you read it. :)
Framed said...
Book, I can see your lips curling at that quote. I thought it was hilarious and right in line with the Greek men in the book's attitude to women. Joy, Thanks, I went and read his disclaimer here: http://www.ken-jennings.com/blog/ Wow, he really had to account for a lot of distortions, didn't he? What's the world coming to? Still, it's an interesting website. He's pretty anal.
TB-) said...
Thanks for this, read this years ago and had quite forgotten about Mary Stewart...Cheers

Martin Eden by Jack London Dec 30, 2006

~~~~~I've had this book for several years. The first time I made the mistake of reading the introduction by Paul Berman, a literary critic, first. It ruined the book for me because I knew before starting that the book was going to be depressing. After reading a few pages of the actual story, I didn't want to go any farther and quit. So this go-around, I skipped the introduction and forced myself to read the whole thing. And it was a struggle at times until there came a time when I started rooting for Martin to fulfill his dreams. Martin Eden is a sailor from the lower-lower class who meets Ruth, an upper middle-class gentle woman, and falls immediately in love. In order to become worthy of his love, Martin sets out to educate himself. He finds he has a brilliant intellect and learns and grows in leaps and bounds. His work ethic enables him to accomplish so much in such a short period of time. Eventually, against her better judgment, Ruth returns his love, probably more for his physical spendor because she never ceases to feel superior to him mentally and socially. Martin soon realizes that intellectually he is far superior to most of those in Ruth's world but it doesn't lessen his love for her. His ambition is to become a famous writer and he realizes that ambition too late, only after Ruth has broken off with him. The tragedy of the story is that after working so hard, Martin no longer fits in his former world and is no longer enchanted with Ruth's world. Having finally realized fame and fortune, he is left aimless and alone.
~~~~~While I didn't really enjoy this book, (too much philosophy) I did appreciate some of its conclusions. I found Martin Eden to be an unforgettable character. I'm glad I finished it and I liked it better than I ever imagined I would. London was a gifted writer and it's probably those skills that made the book a better read than I anticipated. Still, I don't think I will ever read it again. I've included a few quote that illustrate some of Eden's thinkings and also examples of London's great writing:
~~"He could not find an adequate motive in Mr. Butler's life of pinching and privation. Had he done it for love of a woman, or for attainment of beauty, Martin would have understood. God's own mad lover (Eden) should do anything for the kiss, but not for thirty thousand dollars a year. . . . . Thirty thousand a year was all right, but dyspepsia and inability to be humanly happy robbed such princely income of all its value."
~~"The world's judges of music may be all right. But I am I, and I won't subordinate my taste to the unanimous judgment of mankind." Something we should all remember when we don't like the same book that everyone else is raving about.
~~"The erasure of summer was at hand. Yet summer lingered, fading and fainting among her hills, deepening the purple of her valleys, spinning a shroud of haze from waning powers and sated ruptures, dying with the calm content of having lived and lived well."
~~"He saw the members of his own class and the members of Ruth's class, directing their narrow little lives by narrow little formulas--herd-creatures, flocking together and patterning their lives by one another's opinions, failing of being individuals and of really living life because of the childlike formulas by which they were enslaved."
Rating: 3.25

3 Comments:
booklogged said...
Some nice quotes. "I am I, and I won't subordinate my taste to the unanimous judgemnt of mankind" I'll remember that.

nessie said...
Sounds like my kind of book actually. I like the ones with liminal characters that can never be catagorized. Thanks!

Framed said...
Cassie reminded me that I've only had the book for a year. It just feels longer.

Monday, January 01, 2007

Life of Pi by Yann Martel December 20

---This book was recommended by my daughter, Cassie. In fact, she has reviewed several interesting books on her blog, Scads of Books, (see link at the side) that I need to read. I haven't been disappointed yet. "Life of Pi' is an excellent story with so many different components. It begins with Pi's life in India as a zookeeper's son, explains hilariously how he comes up with his abbreviated name, and tells great stories about the animals in the zoo. He is very pro-zoo. The book is also very religious; not for any one particular religion but about the existence of God. In fact in the author's notes, he claims this story will make you believe in God. After losing his family in a shipwreck, Pi must learn to survive on the open seas for 277 days with only his wits and a bengal tiger. I found the story to be so compelling. And Martel writes beautifully. I have 13 book darts marking quotes that I really liked. (I think that's a record.) Here are some of my favorites:
"If we, citizens, do not support our artists, then we sacrifice our imagination on the altar of crude reality and we end up believing in nothing and having worthless dreams." Author's Notes
"If you take two steps towards God, God runs to you."
"These people fail to realize that it is on the inside that God must be defended, not on the outside. They should direct their anger at themselves. For evil in the open is but evil from within that has been let out. The main battlefield for good is not the open ground of the public arena but the small clearing of each heart."
"Faith in God is an opening up, a letting go, a deep trust, a free act of love--but sometimes it was so hard to love. . . .Despair was a heavy blackness that let no light in or out. It was a hell beyond expression. I thank God it always passed. . . The blackness would stir and eventually go away, and God would remain, a shining point of light in my heart. I would go on loving."
" 'Love is hard to believe, ask any lover. Life is hard to believe, ask any scientist. God is hard to believe, ask any believer. What is your problem with hard to believe?'
'We're just being reasonable.'
'So am I. I applied my reason at every moment. Reason is excellent for getting food, clothing and shelter. Reason is the very best tool kit. Nothing beats reason for keeping tigers away. But be excessively reasonable and you risk throwing out the universe with the bathwater.' "
"To me, religion is about our dignity, not our depravity."
-- I am adding my recommendation for all to read this wonderful book. It's a fantastic story about courage, love, resourcefulness, strength and weakness.
Rating: 5
7 Comments:
Orange Blossom Goddess (aka Heather) said...
This has been on my TBR Mountain for quite awhile...seems like it should make a jump to the top of the list sometime soon!Heatherwww.thelibraryladder.blogspot.com
booklogged said...
Did we read the same book? When I put it on my list of books I hated, my husband reminded me of some really terrific passages. Now you've added several more. I probably didn't catch all, or any, of the symbolism, but I don't think I'll bother rereading it to see. I'm glad you liked it.
Stacey said...
Great pick - I really loved this book. I felt something in me change, everso slightly, while reading it. Big thumbs up.
Joy said...
After reading this book, I wished I had appreciated it more while I was actually reading it because afterwards, I found it to have the greatest lasting effect on me than any other fiction book I read. Oddly enough, I only rated it a 4/5 at the time, but the impact of how it made me think for months and months earns it a 5 in my memory!I agree Framed, definitely a fantastic story!
ML said...
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It kept me facinated and not wanting to put it down.
Framed said...
Thanks for all your comments. I'm glad so many of you also liked the book. Booklogged, you are usually right on with your books, but I never forget that you liked "Poisonwood Bible." Actually, I forgot that you didn't like this one.
Les said...
I loved this book! Gave it a 9/10 rating. Yann Martel is an excellent story-teller. Since this was in my Top Ten for 2003, I'll have to post my review. Lots of great passages that I marked, too!

The Bean Tree by Barbara Kingsolver December 16

When I started this book, I had to go get my book "Pigs in Heaven" by Kingsolver to make sure I wasn't reading the book for the second time. But no, Pigs is a sequel to "The Bean Trees." I should have read them in the correct order, but, oh well. You can read my review on Pigs: http://framedandbooked.blogspot.com/2006/12/page-123-meme.html
It was good to get know Taylor and Turtle better and find out the rest of the story. Alice, Taylor's mother, isn't involved as much in this book which is too bad. I really liked that character. But Taylor quotes her sayings quite often:
"Even a spotted pig looks black at night. This is another thing Mama used to tell me quite often. It means that things always look different, and usually better, in the morning."
I really like Kingsolver's descriptions. She doesn't waste words and is not the least flowery, but she still gets a sharp image across.
"I loved fishing those old mud-bottomed poonds. Partly because she (Alice) would be proud of whatever I dragged out, but also because I just loved sitting still. You could smell leaves rotting into the cool mud and watch the Jesus bugs walk on the water, their four little feet making dents in the surface but never falling through. And sometimes you'd see the big ones, the ones nobody was ever going to hook, slipping away under the water like dark-brown dreams."
There's another great descriptive paragraph in my "Page 123 Meme" just below this post.
Turtle, the little girl, is fascinated with vegetables and notices that wisteria vines have bean-looking pods left after the flowers die, hence the name, bean trees. At the end of the book, they read a horticulture book that explains how rhizobia, little bugs, live on the roots of the vine, enabling it to thrive in poor soil. "It's like this," I explained to Turtle. "There's a whole invisible system for helping out the plant that you'd never guess was there." I loved this idea. "It's just the same as with people. The way Edna has Virgie, and Virgie has Edna, and Sandi has Kid Central Station, and everybody has Mattie. And on and one." The wisteria vines on their own would just barely get by, is how I explained it to Turtle, but put them together with rhizobia and they make miracles.
Pretty great lesson on how we depend on and need each other. Kingsolver is a good storyteller and shows great humor. I liked this book but not quite as much as 'Pigs". But definitely read this one first, it just makes more sense.
Rating: 4.25
3 Comments:
booklogged said...
I love Barbara Kingsolver. She hasn't hadn't anything new out for several years. I wish she'd get a new out there.Love the spotted pig quote - Things look different, and usually better, in the morning.What's up next?
Framed said...
I reading "Life of Pi." It's very funny which I guess I hadn't planned on. Also learning lots of interesting things about animals. I'm guessing there's more to it than this. I'm only on page 48, but, so far, I'm liking it.
Les said...
It's been years and years since I read these books of Kingsolver's. Loved them so much and really should read them again someday. Thanks for sharing the lovely passages.