More Book Reviews (ca. 2011)

This review first appeared on June 22, 2011, on my old Multiply blogsite.

So, it's been a while since my last book review. So, I figured it was time to share with you some of the more memorable books I have read. To start off (although the order of books is not in any kind of order), I got into the Percy Jackson series mainly because I knew the movie version of it came out (so it got some buzz) and upon reading the summary, it was kinda interesting. It mixed Greek mythology (which I absolutely loved when we took it up in high school) and modern-day setting (USA) and buzzwords (like ADHD). The whole series was well-written and the plot and details were in sync. Naturally, the author took some liberties with some of the demigods and mythical beings, but overall, it was still entertaining and it even introduced me to mythical monsters I had not previously heard of. Unfortunately, the movie was a disappointment because they totally veered away from the main storyline. The acting wasn't that great either, but there will be a movie sequel, maybe by next year, and from what I've read from the comments, people were saying they had better stick to the book.

On to more mature audiences..."Water for Elephants" is also another movie tie-in and it was shown recently. I have not watched it yet, but I definitely plan to.  It is a love story but what made it unique was the setting. It's set in the Big Top, the circus life during the Prohibition. I normally don't go for the whole romance genre anymore but this was definitely a nice twist to an age-old romance plot. I would recommend it for the novelty of it.

"The Help" is one of the nicer and even funny books about the life of African-Americans in the South, particularly Jackson, Mississippi. The movie will be released in August, and it will be one on the top of my list to watch. It talks about how the black womenfolk worked as servants for the rich white households. It talks about how they are treated and how they coped. It's an interesting read because it talks about another aspect of African-American history that is not focused on slavery and plantations. It was an eye-opener and worth the read.

"The Secret Life ofBees" is another interesting read about African-American ladies taking in a white kid who ran away from home. The book was interesting in the sense that the characters' lives seem to always cross paths at certain points or through common people. It's a good feel-good story about African-Americans helping out a white kid for a change, as most movie plots always revolve around black kids being "saved" or mentored by white people. The movie, I do not recommend. It was slow and dragging whereas the book seemed to have more "spunk" and action to it. Definitely read the book first if you are planning to watch the movie (starring Queen Latifah, Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keys, Dakota Fanning).

Now, on to something a little more exotic and different from what I usually read. I decided to read this series when I heard that the author, Alexander McCall Smith, was going to be at the public library to give a little talk and book signing. Of course, by the time I found out, the venue was already packed and I couldn't get a seat. Nevertheless, it piqued my interest since the title was already familiar as I would often see it while browsing the bookstores, so I figured, what the heck, let me try it. Been hooked since then. It talks about a Botswana woman named Precious Ramotswe who opens the No. 1 LadiesDetective Agency. She solves mysteries and crimes through common sense. No high tech James Bond type of gadgets and no weapons. This is not to say that she did not dabble with dangerous cases. Set in the Botswana wilderness and the capital of Gaborone, she encounters her fair share of ruthless people. HBO actually produced a TV miniseries based on the book. Unfortunately, after 7 episodes, it got canceled. Based on the comments, viewers and followers of the series made a very good point that it is sad that a show that DOES NOT portray Africans in the usual stereotyped roles should be canceled because it was a good, "mellow" show. Fans of Precious Ramotswe will miss her old-fashioned values and common sense.

Ahhh... the series that had disturbed characters in an equally disturbing storyline. Filled with violence and perverseness, these books are not for the faint at heart. Lisbeth Salander had a lot from her past to deal with which overhangs into her present and future. She is a professional hacker and gets herself embroiled in Mikael Blomkvist's affairs. Originally written in the author's native Swedish, it has since been translated to English where it reached a much wider audience and was on the bestseller list for months! There is a Swedish movie adaptation of the book and there have been talks of a Hollywood version though nothing final yet. The author actually passed away before seeing how successful his books became in the international market. If you like adventure and action, this series is for you.

On to lighter stuff. "Holes" by Louis Sachar was a surprise hit for me. Again, I've heard about it, I've seen it in bookstores and finally decided to go for it. Yes, it's a kid's book and Disney produced the movie version, BUT the topic, plot, and setting is definitely not your typical "kids' stuff". Set in a "boot camp" for juvenile delinquents, juvies have to dig holes according to certain specifications as part of their "reformation" and "character-building". Little do they know that the vast wasteland they were on has a rich history that will be fulfilled by the present characters. It switches from the back story to the present until it all ties in very well at the end. Surprisingly, the movie was well done, too. Shia Labeouf played Stanley Yelnats, the main character, before hitting it big in "Transformers". Very good entertaining piece. I also read the sequel called "Small Steps" which is a spin-off of one of the other juvies. The approach was a little bit different but still entertaining enough.

Now, I saved the best for last. This is by far, one of the more, if not the most, entertaining books I've read in a while. After finishing off the Harry Potter series, I haven't really had one of those "I-can't-put-this-book-down" kind of feeling. Well, the Hunger Games series (which includes Catching Fire and Mockingjay) is a real page-turner. It is set in a dystopic setting where what used to be America is gone and in its place is Panem. Thirteen districts exist to provide for the needs of the Capitol and to show the Capitol's supremacy over them, each district sends two teenagers in a survival type of test where in order to survive, the others had to die, including your district partner because there can only be one winner. Although it is being touted as the next TWILIGHT, I must loudly object to this because they are TOTALLY different. Whereas, Twilight was basically a very sappy love story and Bella Swan couldn't decide who to choose, Katniss Everdeen is a totally strong-minded, independent girl who was oblivious to the love and affection of the boys around her. Well, when you are the main hunter in a game to help your family from starving to death, love and romance are probably the least of your concerns.  Whereas Bella had "extraordinary powers", Katniss had real-life survival skills that don't make the whole storyline seem so "out there". The best part is that Katniss doesn't throw herself at the boys like Bella would do. I would say, Katniss is the anti-Bella, and that's probably why I enjoyed the story more.

It's not all fiction and popular reads though.  Lately, I had also been able to take one book out of retirement--the Bible. All my Bibles are back in the Philippines and someone gave us the New American Bible two Christmases ago. I've picked it up mainly to look at certain passages and although I don't read it from cover to cover, it is filled with powerful words that are a gentle reminder of what is true and good in this world.