books 2010 #1-8

Life is hard again. Lucas and Eva both relapsed into fever and congestion, which means that they are not getting much sleep, and neither am I. I took them to the doctor and they both have sinus infections. Damn Winter inversion!!

I'm exhausted and not very productive. I don't really feel like blogging, but it bugs me when I have the same post up for multiple days. So, I decided to post about the books I have read so far this year (because I already had a draft going).


The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I'm vacillating between 3 and 4 stars on this one.

Here's the thing. I know I would have enjoyed The Hunger Games a LOT more had I not seen the Japanese movie Battle Royale. The premise (teens taken forcibly by the government to a remote location and forced to battle to the death, leaving a lone survivor) is so similar that it definitely detracted from the novelty of it all.

That said, the plot is fascinating and well-paced, the characters enjoyable, and this book explores themes of dealing with authority, humanity, friendship, rebellion, love, survival. I really did like Katniss, Peeta, Gale, Haymitch, and Cinna.

A fun, quick read, and if you haven't seen Battle Royale, you will probably like it more than me!



Gentlemen and Players: A Novel by Joanne Harris


My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a real departure from the other books I've read by Joanne Harris, and I thought she handled the mystery and suspense beautifully.

The setting is an all-boys private school in England, where there is an undercurrent of change, and not for the better. A criminal mastermind is at work, creating small annoyances that quickly snowball to larger problems that leave reputations and lives hanging in the balance.

Nice plot twists that I didn't see coming.



Apples for Jam: A Colorful Cookbook by Tessa Kiros


My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Such a beautiful cookbook! All the recipes are organized by color, which I've never seen before, and I enjoyed the photos, drawings, and little anecdotes. Highly readable, which is a big plus for cookbooks. I've only made 3 recipes so far, but they all were very good.



Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins


My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Again vacillating between 3 and 4 stars. I decided on 4 because I was compelled to read it and finished it in 2 days, so it's definitely a page-turner.

This had some good plot twists and took things in a direction I didn't see coming, which is always welcome. I definitely enjoyed the character development, as we get to know Katniss, Peeta, Gale, Haymitch, and even Katniss's mother better.

I just wish it didn't end on such a cliffhanger! All the better to get you waiting for volume 3.



The Yellow Wall-Paper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman


My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'm kind of surprised that I hadn't heard of this work until recently. This short story chronicles one woman's descent into madness. When her physician husband prescribes rest and solitude as the cure for her post-partum depression, she wants to believe that he knows what he's talking about.He doesn't.She is confined to the room with the yellow wallpaper and she sinks fast. Creepy, and all the more so because it seems so real.



The Help by Kathryn Stockett


My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was between 4 and 5 stars on this one. I don't think it's among my favorite books ever, but it was still a highly enjoyable read, and one I'd definitely recommend to just about anyone.

The whole time I read this book, which is set in the South in the early 60s, I could not get over how recent this all was. It's just so unbelievable that people could be so openly racist, so cruel -- with no repercussions -- and that it wasn't even very long ago.

And the irony! Did they really not see the conflict between saying that you could not teach blacks to be clean, and yet they hired these supposedly unclean people to clean their homes, cook their food, and raise their children?! It's mind boggling.

I absolutely loved the characters of Aibileen and Minny, and Skeeter wasn't far behind. Hilly was one of those people that is so manipulative, self-serving, and abominable that you can hardly believe it.

My favorite thing of all was that Aibileen discovered she had a gift for loving children, and for helping them to feel special, to feel good about themselves. Every time she would tell Mae Mobley her "secret stories," I would feel there was hope for the future.



Real World Adobe Illustrator CS3 by Mordy Golding


My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A very useful tome for learning Illustrator (one of my goals this year) -- I only wish I didn't have to return it to the library! This might be one I need to buy.




Thinking with Type: A Critical Guide for Designers, Writers, Editors, & Students by Ellen Lupton


My rating: 3 of 5 stars

My first response to this book was that it was a little on the technical side for me. Then I saw in other readers' reviews that it was good but a little too simplistic. Huh. Well I guess I'm just a type neophyte, then.

I think I was hoping to be more inspired by the book. I was inspired, but in more subtle ways than I expected. I did learn things that I didn't know about typefaces, and I enjoyed seeing visual representations of the type in text.

My favorite sections were on grids and hierarchy.

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