Room

It isn't very often that a book captivates me enough that I literally find it difficult to put down. This book happened to be one of those for me. It is the story of a little boy who has spent his entire life in one room. The chilling reason is that his mother has been held captive in this room by her kidnapper since before his birth. While this may sound profoundly disturbing, the author masterfully narrates the book through the eyes of the small, innocent boy, who loves "room" and uses his imagination to transform everything they have into endless sources of entertainment. The strength and courage of his mother is incredible, as she tries to make a normal life for her son, who doesn't understand the circumstances in which they live.

As the young boy's mother realizes she cannot keep their reality hidden from him forever, she knows she must make a plan to escape to save them both. The story is captivating, touching, and will keep you on the edge of your seat. It's a must read!

--The Fiction Fairy

Laura Rider's Masterpiece

This book was pretty different. I got it off of a best sellers list--as a warning, it is a little bit scandalous at times. It is the story of a middle aged husband and wife. The wife is becoming restless and bored with her life and her marriage, so she decides to create a kind of experiment. When a celebrity she greatly admires moves into her neighborhood, she decides to orchestrate her husband and this woman falling in love, so she can write a novel about it......weird, right? She writes love emails to this woman pretending to be her husband, until a full fledged romance begins. Writing and controlling this story becomes her passion in life, as she watches the personal lives of others unravel around her. It is definitely interesting, but has a couple unnecessary scenes. Read at your own risk!

Minding Frankie

I finished this book last week. It is kind of a slow read, but has a great story. Set in Ireland, it is the story of a man who unexpectedly finds out one of his old girlfriends is having his baby--and is dying of cancer. The child is left in his care, and his life is turned upside down. He must learn how to get his own life in order, while trying to learn how to be a father at the same time. His family and the entire community rallies around him to help raise his little girl, and protect her from being taken away by a suspicious social worker. It is a story of growth and change, friendship, and love. It took me a while to get through because it is a bit slow, but overall it was a good read.

Ten Little Indians (And Then There Were None)

This is what I'm reading at the moment--it is one of my all time favorite books, and definitely my favorite Agatha Christie mystery! Love love love this one. The movie "And Then There Were None" comes from this book, often titled "Ten Little Indians." I've seen the book under both titles.

It is the spooky story of ten strangers invited to stay for a weekend on a beautiful island, each lured there by letters from people in their past. When strange things begin to happen, they find that there host "Mr. Owen" does not seem to exist. Each of them is forced to deal with the demons in their past, as they try to survive the murderous game playing out around them. Very fun and exciting! A true classic.

Lemon Tart

Jessica Harnos says:

This is the first book in Josi Kilpack’s mystery series about Sadie Hoffmiller. Sadie is a fifty-six year old woman, who lives a quiet life cooking, while keeping up with her neighbors by looking out the kitchen window. Her life is changed dramatically with the murder of her neighbor, Anne Lemmon while a lemon tart is cooking in Ann’s oven. Anne’s son is also missing and Sadie sets out to discover the murderer and find Anne’s little boy. Sadie uses a few of her best recipes to help her get the facts she needs and even shares them with the reader every few chapters.

Sadie is a very likable character, the ultimate mom and homemaker, and it is fun to hear her point of view on how she thinks life should be lived. Her story is a definite page turner but not graphic or violent. Also, the recipes Sadie shares are fun and easy to follow. I made the lemon tart (with home made crust and everything) and it was delicious! I am excited to read the other books in the series and try more of Sadie’s recipes. There are five out right now with the sixth to come out this Fall.

This book was also a finalist for the Whitney awards in 2009.


Thank you so much for your review, Jessica! --The Fiction Fairy

Unbearable Lightness

Rachel Durazzani says:


This is not normally my genre of book. In fact, I don't believe I've ever read the memoirs of a famous actor. However, this book I could not put down. Part One was a little slow, but once I got to Part Two, I think I read it in a matter of a day. I learned so much about how our perception of ourselves can affect how we treat our bodies. Yes, we can blame hollywood and fashion magazines and all outside influences for those mistaken perceptions, but in the end, it's how we view ourselves - inside and out - that the makes the difference. 

I appreciated de Rossi's complete and total honesty. I am sure it was a difficult book for her to write as she held nothing back. She laid it all out there for the whole world to see. Although she does talk a bit about her homosexuality and the role that played in her sickness, most of the book focused on the decisions that lead her down the path to an eating disorder, and then a detailed account of how that played out. I would recommend this book to any woman (or man for that matter) who has ever looked at herself in the mirror and not loved everything she sees. It's truly an eye-opener.


Thank you very much for your review, Rachel! --The Fiction Fairy

Me Talk Pretty One Day

Just finished this book--I thought it was hilarious! David Sedaris is one of my favorite writers. He has a great funny/sarcastic tone. His books are kind of a collections of short stories from his life, but they are very funny and even a little crazy at times. I will say this--he is very gay, and while he never graphically talks about anything, he does mention his partner quite a bit. If you are offended by this, I wouldn't read his books. However, if you don't care, it really is not extensive, or in your face. I think it is part of what makes him hilarious.

If you read this book, skip the chapter "You Can't Kill the Rooster." It is a story about his brother, who swears quite a bit. You can skip it without any problem, and there is very little swearing in the rest of the book--there are handful throughout though, so beware if you are sensitive to that.

With those warnings in mind, I think his writing style is brilliant. I laugh out loud every now and then, which I rarely do with books. If you are not easily offended, check this one out for sure, along with some of his others. I would rate it PG-13.

I am Not a Serial Killer

This book was very interesting from a psychological standpoint. It follows the story of a fifteen year old boy who realizes that he has an unnatural obsession with death and serial killers, along with many emotional and physical signs of becoming a serial killer himself. He seems predisposed to become something evil. However, he knows that it is wrong, and makes the conscious choice to not let himself go down that path. He sets a series a rigid rules for himself, to keep his mind from engaging in dangerous behaviors that could lead to unleashing "the monster," as he calls it.

When a serial killer begins to murder people in his own hometown, he must battle the morbid curiosity he has about this person and the murders, while trying to protect the people he loves, and keeping "the monster" at bay. It may prove to be too much for him to handle....The story is pretty interesting, and a quick read. The author is actually from Orem, Utah, and this is his first book--kind of fun.

I would rate this a PG, due to some graphic descriptions about the embalming process (his mother is a mortician) and descriptions of the murdered bodies. Other than that, no bad language and no sex.

Elsewhere

I just finished this book, and I absolutely fell in love with it. It is not very long, and a pretty quick read. It is the very interesting story of a girl who dies at age 15, which is where the book begins. She transitions into the next life, which is not at all what she expected. This book is not religious at all, nor does it contain any traditional ideas about "heaven." Yet it is a completely fascinating, creative take on what comes next. It is basically a new life starting over, complete with family, friends, jobs, houses, and pets. However, the catch is: everyone ages backwards from the age they were when they died.

Liz (the main character) has to accept the fact that she will never get to turn 16. She struggles with the transition, but goes through a very sweet and interesting metamorphosis. She even takes a job helping deceased pets transition into Elsewhere--very sweet, and funny.

Great for a quick, clean read. I would rate it PG. 

Catch Me if You Can

Jessica Brazee says:

I really enjoyed the 2002 movie Catch Me if You Can (starring Leonardo Dicaprio and Tom Hanks) and thought I would give the book a try after coming across it at the library. While the movie did a great job of condensing and editing the book, but it was fun to read more details about the teen con's spectacular adventure. The tone of the book is somewhat arrogant (as a person would have to be to be able to pull off the incredible cons that he did starting at age 16) but he is just as quick to point out his wrongdoings. Frank Abagnale, who now works fighting crime with the FBI, is obviously a genius as you see him impersonate a pilot, ER doctor, and lawyer while making and spending millions of dollars using fake checks, all before the age of 21. A fun read for sure. PG-13  for adult themes.

Thank you, Jessica!! --The Fiction Fairy

I'd Know You Anywhere

Jessica Brazee says:

This mystery novel is about a suburban mother, Eliza Bennett, who has a chilling past...she was kidnapped at age 15 by a sociopathic young man who had already kidnapped, raped, and killed several teen girls. For some reason, he spared Eliza and she was able to go with her life after he was caught and subsequently sentenced to death row. After many years of appeals and retrials, Walter contacts Eliza stating he needs to see her to apologize. Eliza knows it is unthinkable to let this monster back into her life but curiosity gets the better of her since she has wondered all these years why he let her live. This book is a suspenseful page turner. PG-13 for adult themes; I did not find anything to be graphic or explicit.

Thank you for your review, Jessica! --The Fiction Fairy

Water for Elephants

Alright, folks. Here is one of the latest books to soon become a movie. I would definitely recommend you read the book before you see the film, which comes out April 22, 2011. 

This book was interesting, and very creative. It is the story of a man who joins the circus, as kind of a stage hand. He becomes involved in the life of the circus, and even begins to have feelings for one of the women in the show. Unfortunately, she is the girlfriend of Ringmaster. Obviously complications and love triangles ensue. It is a very beautiful, moving story. I'm very interested to see how the movie comes out! The trailer looks good.

There are a couple of sketchy parts, so I would rate this PG-13.