God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy

The God of Small Things, an interesting title at the least, leaves the reader pondering about its true meaning. At first read, the title appears to refer to the small events that eventually end up defining the characters throughout the novel. It is as if the author is trying to touch upon how seemingly inconsequential events can leave larger impacts one one's life and personality than anticipated. However, upon retrospection, the title's meaning seems much deeper. The God of Small Things, instead seems to refer to the contrasting dynamics between what people choose to give importance and weight to in their lives. For example, for children like Rahel and Estha, things like the Puff Hair style and Airport Frock both have a lot of importance because they are only for special occasions, and therefore are Big Things. However, for a traditional Indian divorcee like Ammu, happiness is no longer an considered something to strive for (simply because the sole purpose of her life--serving her husband--is no longer a possibility) and therefore would be considered a Small Thing. However, when the kids, Rahel and Estha are faced with a tough situation, even their happiness seems to be fading in the distance. Their dilemma puts their whole life in perspective and stains their childhood, ripping out the rug of their innocence and throws them into the world of adulthood. When Ammu, Rahel and Estha as a family are at their lowest, a man seems to be their common source of inspiration for a better future and a chance at happiness. The God of Small Things is not just about the journey of the characters in this book because it delves into the concepts that affect everyone such as family dynamics, culture pressures and finding true happiness

Girl with A Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier

Girl with A Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier

This is a book I read only because it was recommended to me by a close relative with a great eye for a well-written novel. Griet, a young girl born into a poor family, lives with her younger sister Agnes, older brother Frans, mother and her Father. Due to his recent accident, Griet's father who used to paint tiles was blinded and now the family has no source of money. Frans is already off gaining experience from his apprenticeship and Agnes is too young. Griet is the only option to keep her family afloat. She is sent to the richer part of town to serve as the maid for a well known painter who has specially requested her to clean his studio with as much detail that she does her own house for her blind father. Griet moves into her new house, only visiting her family on Sundays. She soon grows accustomed to her daily chores and the mischievous children but what she doesn't expect is her fascination with her master's painting. When her Master decides to paint her secretly, Griet knows she must be careful not to let this ruin her life. But will she be able to refuse her masters request to wear his wife's pearl earrings? Will this destroy her life forever?
This book delves into the sensitive relationships within a household and touches upon the hidden desires and questions that pull the strings of our hearts.

How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster

How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster explores the meaning between the lines and the symbols behind words. It gives the reader a backstage pass to the original intent of authors. I liked this book not only because I found it extremely interesting and informative, but also because it taught me to look more deeply into the books I had been reading. It was like a cheat code that gave me the inside story, one I’d had no access to before. Instead of glossing over a meal in a novel, I came to recognize it as a communion, because why else would an author take the time to include such an everyday activity into their story, unless it was symbolic!  I really enjoyed this book because now when I pick up a book I feel like a detective looking for clues! Definitely a worth-while read!

Lock And Key by Sarah Dessen

            One day Ruby is sitting down in her yellow apartment when the doorbell rings. She panics because she knows she only has a few seconds to paste a fake smile on her face and come up with a quick excuse for her mother’s absences. But, as she glances around her apartment she sees the disaster around her: there are clothes everywhere, dishes are scattered along the counter, the places smells like burnt air probably because there was a spark from the heater last night.

She looks through the peep hole and she knows that tonight was her last night in this apartment. They are going to take her away and probably send her to an orphanage or maybe to her sister Cora who abandoned her without a single letter. What is going to happen to her?

            Cora is Ruby’s older sister. She is the one that took the majority of the hits from their alcoholic mother, the one who stood between Ruby and the world. She is the one that spent countless hours trying to locate Ruby despite her mother’s constant moves and address changes. She is the one that forgives Ruby for her anger and her mistakes. She is that one that suffered through years of pain and still managed to love. And yet, she still hopes to do the same for Ruby. Will Ruby accept it?

Goodnight, Beautiful by Dorothy Koomson

            Nova is the perfect friend, she will do anything for her childhood friend, Mal. Mal and his wife want a kid more than anything, but Mal's wife can’t have kids. After weeks of heated discussion, the couple decides that the perfect surrogate mother would be Nova because she is so close to Mal and would allow them to help her throughout the pregnancy, even though his wife is extremely jealous of her. The plot thickens when Mal realizes that he might have some hidden feelings for Nova and his wife gives him an ultimatum, either the baby or her. Mal, being a faithful husband, chooses his wife. At first Nova struggles to take care of her son, Leo, but never does she beg Mal for anything. Not until her poor soon is diagnosed as comatose. The doctors said his chance of revival was so slim that she should start saying goodbye. Nova decided that it was her responsibility to notify Mal.

            When I first started the story, Mal, the funny, understanding and yet always cautious friend, was my favorite character. However, I came to see him as a coward, who, unlike Nova, couldn’t face conflict. He never has the guts to stand up for what he believes in. Nova, on the other hand will fight for what she believes in. All the way to through the end, she proves that she is not only the perfect friend, but also the perfect mother.  

This story is a heartbreaking tale that truly demonstrates how dedicated someone can be. It shows the roller-coaster life that comes with motherhood. But what I liked most is when Nova says to her comatose, seven year old son, Leo, “I love you and its okay now. I’ll see you again soon, so I won’t say good bye…”. Within minutes, her son finally lets go. I believe Nova has the maturity to understand that those words were exactly what her son needed to here before he left. She knew that she would see him again some day and that this farewell wasn’t forever.

What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen

This story is about a girl that was forced to choose between her father, a basketball fanatic, and her mother, who cheated with a head baseball coach of the family’s favorite team. After several court cases, the girl was finally sent home with the parent she wanted to be with, her father. Her father tends to travel a lot, but this girl doesn’t really mind.

The reason I have not yet mentioned the girls name is because every time she moves with her dad, she chooses another name, another identity. I love this character because she is so open to change, something that is difficult for me. She is extremely honest, and raw about what she is going through, which is something anyone and everyone can relate to.

For anyone that has ever moved, this is a must read. Mclean, the girl’s real name, truly finds herself when she meets Dave. She allows herself to forgive her mom and see the true Mclean, instead of Liz, Eliza, Lizbet, or Beth. She learns that it is okay to say goodbye, that farewells aren’t always forever.

The Rescue: By: Nicholas Sparks

This story revolves around Kyle, a four-year-old autistic boy who is fascinated with airplanes, loves to be outside, and doesn’t grasp the concept of fear. After a horrible car crash in the biggest storm of the century, Kyle unbuckles him self from his booster seat and disappears into the swamp and forest around him. When his mother, Denise, bloody from all her injuries, is woken up by Patrick, a police officer that was taking the rounds, she frantically asks about her son. When she discovers that know one knows where he is and she set out to find him, but is stopped with the ambulance arrives and expects to check on her first. They determine that she is too weak from blood-loss and trauma to go out into the storm. Search troops are rallied up and Patrick sets out to find the little boy.

Patrick is an amazing character in my eyes because he relies solely on his instincts when finding the boy. He is told by the mother that Kyle will not reply verbally and isn’t afraid of anything. So Patrick does what he does best, he becomes the thing he wants to find and tracks him down. He thinks like Kyle as best as he can. He knows the boy is drenched so will walk away from water and try to stay dry. He guesses the small boy will walk with the wind, not against it and looks in every crook in corner.

            The reason I find this book so fascinating is because its like being pushed off the deep end. There is nothing you can do but trust you instincts and hope that everything will be okay, because if you don’t, then you will never get anywhere. In this book, Patrick teaches Kyle to trust him as well as Denise. However, more than with Kyle, Patrick struggles with Denise to prove to her that he will always be there for them, unlike her past unsuccessful relationships that have ended badly. Everyone needs to learn to trust his or her guts and just jump into the deep end.

Kissed by an Angel: By: Elizabeth Chandle

Basically this book is about a girl named Ivy who is extremely simple. She and her brother are moving in to a new home because her mother is getting married and even though some of her mom’s previous relationships have not worked out, Ivy is trying hard to at least put on the act, for her younger brother Philip, that she thinks this will all work out. At one point, one of her mom’s ex’s threw her into a pool at the age of four, and since then she has been terrified of the water. Her new stepbrother Gregory reeks of eeriness. He just always seems to throw her off edge no matter how much she tries to like him. Ironically, her best friend claims to be in love with him and invites him everywhere, for everything. Everything is headed down hill until she meets her crush, Tristan, the best swimmer at her school, at her mother’s dinner, in a closet, with her brother, with carrots up his nose and celery in his ears. But the thing she finds most outstanding is that her brother, for the first time in months, was laughing again. Again and again Tristan makes his way into her life.

Tristan, without trying, can get any girl in the school, and yet, he is set on Ivy. He never pushes her to do anything she is set against, however he, of all people, manages to teach her how to swim. His patient personality allows him to use his experience to not only teach Ivy to trust but also he gives Phillip a reason to laugh again.

Though everything seems to be heading in the right direction, I think we all know that something bad is about to happen because conflict is necessary in every book. In this story, the conflict is represented as a car crash. There were only two people in the car that day and the accident was not accidental. Someone outside of the equation caused the accident trying to kill Ivy, however, she wasn’t killed. Tristan was. All throughout their relationship, Tristan and Ivy have only ever had one conflict: her angels. Ivy believes in them with all her heart and prays to them in a situation of need and Tristan thinks that they are imaginary, solely a source of confidence for her. However now the tables are turned when Tristan has become an angel and Ivy is so devastated she refuses to believe. Tristan has been given a deadline and if he can make Ivy believe in angels again, then he can be given another chance. He does whatever he can to help Ivy believe, to make her trust her own instincts.

Fallout by Ellen Hopkins

This book is very different from most books because it talks about a very controversial issue, drugs. There are three children Hunter, Autumn and Summer, all three born from the same mother, Kristina, however in extremely different circumstances. Due to the fact that Kristina was a drug addict when she was pregnant with this kids they are going through many problems as they grow older. The similarities in Kristina and her children are remarkable, however disturbing they may be.

I cannot decide which character among the children is my favorite. Hunter, the oldest, is finding that he is also very addicted to drugs, and though he tries to avoid them, he ends up in the same disaster as his mom. Then there is Autumn, who is suffering from extreme OCD, which was caused by the drugs in her mom’s system during the period that she was in her mother’s womb. She finds it necessary to have everything in a specific order and wants to control situations as well as all of the people around her, including her boyfriend, Brian. Summer, on the other hand, unlike her half siblings, was not put into the care of her Aunt Clora, like Autumn, or his grandparents, like Hunter, she was put into foster care, drifting from one family to the next. Her love triangle is much like her mother’s because she also ended up cheating on her boyfriend with his best friend.

I would definitely recommend this book to all teenagers because I believe it is necessary for them to see the true effects of drugs on your life as well as many other innocent lives. It is vital to recognize the negative events that occur from drug use. You now longer have control over your surroundings and your whole life becomes a blur. Definitely a good read!  

Sing you home: by:Jodi Picoult

                        This is a wonderful novel about a girl who not only finders herself but throughout her whole life she has been helping others get their lives back on track through music. The main character, Zoe, is a music therapist who goes around helping those in trouble who need a way of connecting back to their lives. But what happens when the one person she counted on or thought she needed sends her a divorce. Who will be there for her now? Vanessa, her best friend?  Slowly she enters foreign territory when she realizes that she may love Vanessa a lot more than expected.

                        My favorite character is Lucy, a suicidal teen that is helped through music. Slowly she realizes how precious life can be and she becomes a musician as well. With young Lucy help Zoe in her time of need, or will she add to her troubles?

                        This book is definitely one of my top favorites because music has always been a big part of my life. Also, this book explores many topics I enjoy, for example; suicide, frozen embryos, court cases and homosexuals. It is a perfect combination of drama and passion.

I too had a love story: by: Ravinder Singh

                               

This is a wonderful true love story: one I didn’t not expect to like. It may seem unusual; however I am not particularly fond of Indian authors or love stories. The author, who goes by Ravin, tells the story of a reunion with his best friends and how they happened to discuss marriage. They realized that nowadays everything is online, and decided to apply to one of the websites like Marriage.com. Ravin happens to contact Khushi, a sweet, bubbly, sentimental Indian girl. He instantly falls in love for her. They decide to get married but in India it isn’t that simple. Their families must approve of their relationship as well.  Will their love story have a happily ever after, or will it leave you sobbing for hours?

My favorite character was Neeru, Khushi’s younger sister. She is mischievous and bubbly just like her sister but she still hasn’t fallen in love. Innocently, she helps her sister sneak to meet her lover and she is always teasing them just like any younger sister would. Btu when the time comes, she is there to help.

                        I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves a good cry. This book left me dazed for days, pondering about the ending. In fact, my cousin is planning to make a movie on it because he loved it so much. All of the characters resonated with me even to this day. It was written perfectly with so much emotion.

The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult

Can you run away from your past? If you pretend something doesn’t exist, will it eventually disappear? These are two challenges Trixie, her mother and her father suffer throughout this book.  This book contains many different topics, such as rape victims, not belonging, father-daughter relationships, peer pressure, social norms, Alaskan customs, parenting, marriage, infidelity, guilt, murder, and forgiveness..

My favorite character would have to be Trixie’s dad. He is a man with a dark past that he likes to keep hidden. As a comic cartoonist, he fights against the norm and has a part-time job as a stay-at-home-dad. He is Trixie’s main caretaker. He is the one she runs to when she scrapes her knee or does poorly on an assignment. He is the one she can count on. He is the most reliable, calmest person Trixie can imagine. How could she know that in his past life he was the bad boy, the one with a motorcycle and was always hitting on girls. Would she believe that his past was full of violent gang fights and an alleged murder?

I believe that it would be best if I didn’t give away to much about the plot line, simply because this is a book that is full of secrets and mysteries. But I would recommend this book without doubt. There is so much variety that is covered that I don’t think there is anyway you wont like it. 

City of Bones

Before I tell you about this story, let me tell you that I picked up this book twice before actually reading it, and since then I have read it two times. The main character, Clary appears to be simple girl with a fairly simple life, but that's how all books start, right? Well, this book is unlike any book I have read. Clary has a best friend named Simon and a father she has never met. On a normal day after school, Clary returns home to find her house filled with boxes. Her mom tells her that they will be traveling during the summer; however, Clary has other plans. Furious with her mom, Clary makes the choice of going to the latest all-ages club with her best friend, Simon where Clary witnesses something that changed her life.

She watched a murder take place, surrounded by hundreds of people. She screamed for the bodyguards, and called for Simon. When everyone gathered around her, they asked her why she was yelling. The shadow hunter-murderers smiled at her, and Clary realized that they were much more dangerous than she had ever imagined. They were invisible to everyone’s eyes but hers. The murderers claimed that she had “the sight” and that she must have some connections to the shadow hunters or the down-worlders, but Clary had no idea what that meant. That night, on her way home she got a voicemail from her mom yelling and screaming for Clary not to come home.  She told Clary, no matter what she does, don’t go home.

Clary comes to see that her life was not as simple as she thought it to be. Her mother was married to Valentine, a down-worlder, and she was a part of a group that is now considered evil. Her mother is carrying the hidden “Cup” that can turn any human into a shadow hunter, or those who kill the down-worlders. She turned to the shadow hunters she had met in the club for help and they led her to the Institution, where she talked to the head instructor. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys an adventure as well as a little thrill, mystery and excitement. Throughout this story I admire Clary because she a more independent, strong and capable person. She has learned how to pay attention to clues and look for the missing detail as well as, be able to pick up when someone turns against her. Clary works hard to help the shadow hunters, but will she be able to help save her mom?

Impossible

Originally, I picked up this book because I love a challenge, and a book titled Impossible sounded like there was a difficult task the character had to overcome. However, this book turned out nothing like I excepted; it was much more blunt then I was accustomed to. Lucy Scarborough, a girl living with foster parents, is seventeen years old when she gets sexually assaulted by her prom date. Three weeks later, she realizes that she is pregnant. Just before her prom date abandoned her in the closet, he called her “Fanella”.She has never heard this name, or term before, and she is sure it means something. When she looked into his eyes, before he walked out on her, she knew something was different. This was not the guy that she had left the house with. It was like he was possessed. But then again, she had not expected this tragic event to occur either.  Hours later, he “accidentally” crashes into a tree. The doctors claimed he was drunk, however Lucy knows he was fully conscious. He had not had one drink all night, she had been with him every moment.

 Lucy calls her best friend, and future husband (she just doesn’t know it yet), Zach to pick her up. After a few months of pregnancy, Lucy meets her true mother, who is crazy, wondering on the streets like a bag lady singing, “Are you going to Scarborough fair? Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme…” Lucy has heard this tune many times because before her mother went “mental” she had taught it to her foster dad. Her mother’s lyrics of the song were unlike the traditional versions. Within the lines there was a secret code, hinting towards the generations of cursed Scarborough women. Lucy reads her mother’s old journal found hidden her mother’s old room. It talks about how for generations, Scarborough women at the age of 17 are raped by the spirit Knight Elf, who posses young men's bodies to complete the task, and they all have daughters. She has nine months to complete the three impossible tasks, or she will go crazy like her mom. Will she be able to complete these tasks?

Hunger Games

So, I don't know about you, but when the title of a book indicates that the story line will be based on hunger, I don't exactly find that interesting. Little did I know, that this story will whisk me away in to an inconceivable circumstances where people take please in watching homocides! It takes place in the future, in the ruins of North America, in a nation called Panem. Panem was originally divided into 13 districts, ruled by the Capitol, a group of evil people who don’t allow their people to experience the true luxuries of life. Each district is given a purpose, for example; agriculture, clothing and mining. The districts focus on what ever they are instructed to do. Many years ago, there was a rebellion in District 13. It no longer exists. Everyone and everything there was destroyed completely, or so they are told. No one dares to stand up to the Capitol, except Katniss, a 16 year old girl living with her widowed mom and younger sister. 

Once every year, as pure entertainment, the Capitol selects 2 people, one girl one boy from each distract through a raffle. The poorer you are the more your name will be entered into the raffle. Being inlisted in the Hunger Games means that you will be put in an unknown arena with 23 other people who will be trying to kill you. If you survive, your family is gifted a life long supply of food and a house in the richest part of Panem, the Capital. Katniss’s name was entered 23 times, for herself, her mom and sister. Her best friend Gale however had 6 siblings, all too young to enter their names. His name was entered 43 times! Katniss’s sister, Prim, had just become old enough to enter her name, so she had only one, single entry. So what were the chances of Prim being chosen? One in a million, right? Well, Prim was selected.

Just like every year, once the contestants are chosen, the people are given a chance to volunteer for one of them. Without a second thought, Katniss made a decision that most people might not be able to make, and she took her sister’s place. She made Gale promise to take care of them. Then, the male from her district is chosen, Peeta. Katniss met Peeta for the first time when she was starvation for a long time now, and was on the verge of death. Peeta worked at the bakery and had seen Katniss begging for food on the streets for her mother and hungry sister. Katniss had just fainted when Peeta had “accidentally” burnt four loaves of bread, forcing his mom to tell him to dump them to the pigs, as well as receiving a beating by his mom. Then, for some strange reason, he gave her the loaves. After that they never spoke again. Katniss hates being in debt to people, and she had never had the guts to thank him before. Will she have the chance to before she finds herself preparing to kill him. Will Katniss be forced to kill her savior? Will she make it home to see her sister, who made her swear to try her hardest to return?

The Giver

Not gonna lie, I tend to judge books by their covers. The Giver has a boring, grey cover with a creepy old man's face on it. Not exactly the most intriguing cover. However, it turned out to be better than I expected. When I opened the page, I was dropped into a world where some higher source made all you choices for you. A world where there are no colors, races, or feelings. The people do not know words like color, or rain, or love. They believe in "precision of language". When Jonah, the main character, asks his parents, “Do you love me?” they are appalled! They tell him that he must not speak with such vague language. He should use more appropriate words like, “Do you enjoy my company?” or “Do you take pride in my accomplishments?” They have no idea what they are missing out on. Those in charge do not want anyone to remember a time where they were given this freedom, because people may want it back, and they may try to rebel. And that would be too dangerous. So they took all of the memories from “back and back and back...” and gave them all to one man. The Giver. He holds memories of concepts these people cannot understand.

But, little Jonah, a mere Twelve, is learning more and more every day.  The day he became a Twelve he was assigned a job. Unlike his peers, his job was unique. He was not chosen as Care Taker of the Old, like his friend, Leona, or The Administer of Recreational Games, like his buddy Asher or a Nurturer like his father. He was chosen as The Receiver. He was to receive all of the memories from, “back and back and back...” This job was chosen for him after years of consideration, because last time, ten years ago, there was a mistake. The little Twelve, Rosemary was chosen. However, she could not handle the pain from all of these memories, so she fled. She applied to be “released”. When Rosemary was released, all of the memories she had were exposed and open to the public. The citizens couldn’t handle it.

Jonah is told that being released is when you are injected, and put to sleep. No other citizen is aware of this, but the only reason Jonah is told is because he is training to be the Receiver. The Giver passes on his memories to Jonah one by one, passing on his knowledge as well. It occurs to Jonah that if he, gains all of the memories and then escapes into the unknown land, that all of the citizens will need the Giver to help them. They will be able to experience happiness, love, as well as sadness and grief. Should Jonah risk his life to achieve his goal? There world is nothing like ours, that is for sure. But, is it better or is it worse??