The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

John Boyne

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is about a boy, Bruno. Bruno is an adventurous 9 year old living in 1940's Berlin until his father is reassigned to Auschwitz (which he pronounces Out-With). Bruno hates the move and resists the possibility that this change is permanent for a long time, until he meet's the boy on the other side of the fence.

For starters I did not see the movie adaptation that came out last year and new nothing about the actual story when I walked into Barnes and Noble last week. I have to say I wasn't expecting what I got. Bruno is so naive it is painful. He thinks that being honest will get him everything he wants and that everything can be turned back to normal just by asking for it. He speaks out of turn and starts. He is an amazing character, mostly because one would think that a 9 year old living under one of Hitlers top men would understand what was going on in his country, but Bruno is oblivious. Knowing how history plays out makes reading Bruno's thoughts painful, many are callous because of his lack of understanding and even more are dangerous. I found myself thinking as I read things like "oh please don't say that out loud".

As the back description warns, this definitely isn't a book for 9 year olds. I would very much recommend The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. It is a great book that will definitely leave you with a heavy heart.

The Creation of Eve by Lynn Cullen

The Creation of Eve

Lynn Cullen

The Creation of Eve centers around a real but little know artist of the Renaissance, Sofonisba Anguissola. The story follows her from being a student to Michaelangelo to being the favorite lady in the Spanish Court of Felipe II.
For all of you Phillipa Gregory fans out there, I highly recommend this novel (to be released March 26). It combines strong characters, interesting history and a sense of melancholy in every page of Sofi's diary. Cullen creates great contrast between Sofi and the typical ladies serving the Queen. The Queen herself is what you would expect a  year old girl to be, but her learning process is so interesting to follow as she has to fight to keep her head above water in so many situations.

If you are a fan of Historical Fiction this will probably be right up your ally.

Thanks for the LibraryThings early review program for the book

My Rating
****

Bridget Jones's Diary - Gielding

Bridget Jones's Diary

Helen Fielding

Bridget is keeping a journal this year. Her goals are to lose weight, stop smoking and meet a man who isn't a alcoholic, workaholic, commitment phob, misogynist, megalomaniacs, chauvinists or a  emotional fuckwit. Her year is ripe with man issues, mom drama and job troubles. Her friends are her only constant through a very eventful year.

Being an occasional fan of chick lit I was pleased with Bridget Jones's Diary. Having just seen the movie for the first time a little more than a week ago I was expecting a plot slightly more like the film, but was pleasantly surprised with how fresh and different the book was from the film. Most girls will empathies with Bridget's 'Singleton' lifestyle, her weight loss struggles and the frustration of mothers and friends of mothers trying to set her up with various men. It is also apparent that 1996, when this novel was written, could be looked at as a new sort of dark ages by todays young adult population. No Cell phones, the thrill of instant messages on company computers and no real speaking of Google ever.  A refreshing, light read.

Rating:
****

Moab is My Washpot

Moab is My Washpot

Stephen Fry

Stephen Fry's Moab is My Washpot is a brilliant example of a well written memoir. Although it is disappointing that Fry left out (for good reason) his years at Cambridge, Moab does cover his early years until he is in his twenties. A great read for a fan of Fry.

I was most impressed with Fry's ability to tell the story of his childhood and adolescence while all the while interjecting pieces of his forty year old life. It was refreshing to see the childish Stephen paired up against the Stephen we all know and love today.

His stories of his first (unrequited) love were heart warming and his tales of boarding school interesting for anyone, like myself, who would have no way of knowing the ins and outs of boarding school life. Especially in a country different from my own.

I look forward to sitting down and finishing his novel Making History and can't wait for his next memoir, which he is currently working on.

My Rating: ****

The Help, Kathryn Stockett

The Help

By Kathryn Stockett

The Help is a story of Black maids in Jackson, Mississippi during the 1960's and their white employers. It follows Aibileen and Minny, two maids and Skeeter, a white college graduate intent on starting her writing career and writing about something close to her heart. 

I was very moved by The Help. It is a quick read for it's 450 pages. Each of the three main characters stories is so different that it is really lovely to see them come together like they do. It's easy for someone like myself to have never really thought much on the civil rights movement, as i was not alive when it was happening and don't really see repercussions from it where i live but this book really opened my eyes to the terrible standard of living facing African Americans in the south in the 1960's. It was embarrassing to see full grown women throwing fits about bathrooms and not willing to take care of their children, but these women became the perfect society villains. 

The Help is really an inspiring story. I highly recommend it. 

Raise High the Roofbeam, Carpenters and Seymour: An Introduction

Raise High the Roofbeam, Carpenters and Seymour: An Introduction
J.D. Salinger

Raise High the Roofbeam, Carpenters and Seymour: An Introduction are both short stories about the Glass family, the first being about Seymour Glass's failed Wedding and the second being his brother, Buddy's description. 


There isn't anything special about either of these stories. If you're a fan of Salinger's other work you'll probably be disappointed. There is a lot of unnecessary rambling, mostly in Seymour. Both stories do give insight into the Glass family, but other than that they are dry and dull.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

The Book Thief
Markus Zusak

The Book Thief, which is narrated by Death, is the story of Liesel as she lives goes to live with her foster family just prior to and during World War II. The story centers around Liesel learning to read, making friends, growing up, and dealing with the effect World War II has on her foster family in friends. She is a girl who lives through nothing but tragedy but still has an open heart and clear head on her shoulders, well, at least most of the time. 


After hearing so much about The Book Thief over the past year I decided I could not put off reading it any longer. I was completely blown away by this exquisite novel. I went in expecting something very YA, but still enjoyable and was surprised by how mature everything was. Death as the narrator gives insight into characters and situations that would be impossible to disclose otherwise, as well as keeping the overall mood of the book somber as he is always reminding the reader of the impending doom that Liesel's family and friend will face. 


I think every book lover can relate to Liesel, not in a suffering in Nazi Germany way, but in a word transporting way. Her books are the most important things she owns, they are gifts from family, made by friends and stolen from fires and private library's. 


In short, I loved this book, I'm sure many of you have already read it and had similar feelings. Thanks to everyone who was raving about it in their end of year posts or actual one on one recommendations


My Rating:
5/5.