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mjcourchesne's reviews
191 reviews
Dog Man: An Uncommon Life on a Faraway Mountain by Martha Sherrill
5.0
I received this book as a gift last year, and have had it waiting for me for some time. Once I started it, I couldn't put it down.
The story is not just about one man, Morie Sawataishi, who took an active role in rescuing the Akita breed during WWII and its aftermath. It is also an examination of what life was like in postwar Japan and how people were forced to find creative ways of surviving through challenging social and economic times while still maintaining those things that they held most dear (for some time, owning a dog was considered a crime due to food shortages).
Inspiring and compelling, this book has a great message to carry from yesterday into today.
The story is not just about one man, Morie Sawataishi, who took an active role in rescuing the Akita breed during WWII and its aftermath. It is also an examination of what life was like in postwar Japan and how people were forced to find creative ways of surviving through challenging social and economic times while still maintaining those things that they held most dear (for some time, owning a dog was considered a crime due to food shortages).
Inspiring and compelling, this book has a great message to carry from yesterday into today.
His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman
5.0
A solid trilogy, with twists, turns, and near-otherworldly adventure to boot!
I've just re-read the series, in time for the first film in the trilogy, "The Golden Compass." Highly recommended. The film follows the book pretty faithfully, but it does take some liberties (as you might expect). Overall, a fun time, though.
I've just re-read the series, in time for the first film in the trilogy, "The Golden Compass." Highly recommended. The film follows the book pretty faithfully, but it does take some liberties (as you might expect). Overall, a fun time, though.
Babyji by Abha Dawesar
2.0
Fast read, engaging, but "dangerous." I found myself sucked into the bizarre world of a teenager challenging (and breaking) the social norms while growing up in India. Although, I daresay that the same behavior likely translates to kids elsewhere in the world--whether privileged or not.
The Epicure's Lament by Kate Christensen
3.0
Amusing book in that this was a title that I didn't particularly want to like, but ended up wrapped up in Hugo's story. He's certainly a character you might love to hate at least a little for his misogynistic views, but he's also just pitiable enough that you may find yourself--like I did--wanting to discover what's going to happen to him next.
Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters by Ben H. Winters, Jane Austen
3.0
Obviously Quirk started a trend with Pride & Prejudice and Zombies. This time, however, I don't think they were quite as successful with their theme. I found the device of moving the entire cast to a completely different location distracting to say the least, and although I appreciated the idea of thrusting the characters into something out of the "ordinary" from the original book, the execution just wasn't there this time.
I did read the whole thing though, and it made for a fairly quick read which was at times enjoyable as long as you can turn off your brain for a bit and not think about it too much.
I did read the whole thing though, and it made for a fairly quick read which was at times enjoyable as long as you can turn off your brain for a bit and not think about it too much.
The Almond Picker by Simonetta Agnello Hornby
4.0
This book was recommended to me by a colleague. It was a bit difficult to find, as it was originally published in Italian, and brought to the US market for a brief time.
However, once it fell into my hands, I had a difficult time putting it down. It's not a quick read exactly (336 pages), but the characters are intriguing and the chapters are relatively short, so it was easy to tear through a bunch of pages at one sitting.
I really appreciated the author's device of crafting each chapter as if it were a scene in a play. Chapter headings such as "Dr. Mendico tends to a dying patient" are quirky and unexpected, drawing the reader in to answer the questions that automatically arise: "Why is the patient dying?" "Who is the patient?"
However, once it fell into my hands, I had a difficult time putting it down. It's not a quick read exactly (336 pages), but the characters are intriguing and the chapters are relatively short, so it was easy to tear through a bunch of pages at one sitting.
I really appreciated the author's device of crafting each chapter as if it were a scene in a play. Chapter headings such as "Dr. Mendico tends to a dying patient" are quirky and unexpected, drawing the reader in to answer the questions that automatically arise: "Why is the patient dying?" "Who is the patient?"
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Annie Barrows, Mary Ann Shaffer
4.0
This is a VERY QUICK read. If you're looking for something that's requires a (tiny bit) more thought for the beach, this would be a good option. The only thing I found distracting and unrealistic was the author's use of dates throughout. As the story is told through a series of letters during WWII, I found it hard to believe that people would be able to receive a letter within a day of its posting. I'm also not entirely fond of neatly-wrapped-up endings like within these pages.
The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery
2.0
I found it rather difficult to really get into this book, as the characters are rather philosophically inclined (to say the least), and spout on about various theories so much that I felt as though I were in philosophy 101 again. However, once the new resident entered the picture as a catalyst, I could see the story coming together nicely and enjoyed my read much more. Still, I don't give this a high recommendation as the first part of the book was rather a turn off for me.
The Solitude of Prime Numbers by Paolo Giordano
4.0
This was an incredibly quick read. Although I picked this up as an ARC at BEA probably 2 years ago, I never got around to reading it until now. The storyline tugged at my heart, and I was left feeling the loneliness of the characters as they moved through their lives, reaching for solace and never quite finding it.
The author's natural ability to pull scientific and mathematical observations into the narrative was very interesting to me, especially as I do not possess an eye that can analyze the world in such a detached manner.
Highly recommended.
The author's natural ability to pull scientific and mathematical observations into the narrative was very interesting to me, especially as I do not possess an eye that can analyze the world in such a detached manner.
Highly recommended.
The Passage by Justin Cronin
3.0
It took a while for me to get into this book. Somewhat daunting at around 800 pages, and with unfortunate comparisons to Stephen King's "The Stand," I spent the first 1/2 of the book with the thought that I didn't really like it, but determined to get through it with an English-major-assigned-book resolve.
I'm still not terribly fond of the characters, but did find myself devouring (pardon the pun) chapters more quickly and with less consternation as I continued. I am left with some small eagerness for the next, but essentially closed the book for the last time with an appreciation for what it delivered: a fun read.
One for the vacation pile, I think!
I'm still not terribly fond of the characters, but did find myself devouring (pardon the pun) chapters more quickly and with less consternation as I continued. I am left with some small eagerness for the next, but essentially closed the book for the last time with an appreciation for what it delivered: a fun read.
One for the vacation pile, I think!