The Chaperone

The Chaperone

Laura Moriarty, 2012

After being accepted to the prestigious Denishawn School of Dancing, fifteen-year-old Louise Brooks is chaperoned from Wichita, Kansas to New York City by thirty-six year old Cora Carlisle. Cora has her own reasons for wanting to chaperone the young dancer, as she is looking to find out where she came from, before she was sent on an orphan train to Kansas as a child. As Louise goes on to become a famous silent film star, Cora begins to really live her life. 

I liked this book, but I didn't love it. I always enjoy reading fiction based on the lives of real people, but this was more about Cora than it was the famous Louise Brooks (and Louise wasn't exactly a nice person to read about anyway). Honestly, it was hard to sympathize with any of the characters in this book, even through their hard times, although the characters were mostly interesting to read about. It was a well-written story in general, I just personally had a hard time getting into the story. Decent read, but could have been better.

The Museum of Extraordinary Things

The Museum of Extraordinary Things

Alice Hoffman, 2014

The Museum of Extraordinary Things is a collection of freaks and oddities on Coney Island in New York during the early 1900s. The curator's daughter, Coralie, an exceptional swimmer, is even on display as a mermaid. But with Dreamland - a huge complex of freaks, animals, rides and performers - being renovated nearby, the curator of the museum needs to find - or create - something that will once again bring in the crowds. Meanwhile, Eddie Cohen - a Russian immigrant who has abandoned his Orthodox Jewish community to become a photographer specializing in capturing criminals on film - finds himself photographing the devastating Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire and winds up entangled in the mystery of one girl's disappearance. When Coralie and Eddie meet, they are immediately drawn to each other. But between Coralie's father and the criminal element surrounding Eddie, whether they can finally find happiness together remains to be seen.

I really enjoyed this book. It was my first by Alice Hoffman, but I know that I will certainly seek out some of her other books after this one. I thought that she wrote some amazingly complex and interesting characters, and I loved the way that she incorporated true events into her fictional storyline. 

When I started this book, I admit that I thought it was going to be a little more about the Museum itself, and the "freaks" it employed, but it ended up that most of them were only mentioned in passing. Only a few characters from the Museum had a real role in the story, but those few that did were very well-written and fascinating for who, rather than what, they were. 

Really, my only complaint (and it is a small one) is how Coralie and Mr. Morris interpreted Jane Eyre. Given that the romance between Jane and Rochester is one of my all-time favorites, their sympathy for the madwoman and dislike of Rochester was hard for me to swallow. I see why those characters would have sympathized with her, but really, stop trying to ruin Jane Eyre for me, Alice Hoffman. (Like I said, not a real complaint, just a part of the book that was hard for me to get my head around.)

Overall, a great read. Glad I picked it up.

The Maze Runner

The Maze Runner (The Maze Runner #1)

James Dashner, 2009

Thomas wakes up alone in a dark room, with no memory of how he got there, or even who he is. But when the doors above him open, he finds himself face to face with a large group of teenage boys, all lacking memories, and all trapped inside The Glade. For two years, boys have been brought to The Glade, forced to find a way to survive, and over time the boys have created a working society. During the day, the stone walls surrounding The Glade open, revealing a maze that "Runners" investigate every day, hoping to find a way out. But when the walls close at night, being stuck in the maze means death. Always. But when a girl shows up the day after Thomas arrives, bearing a cryptic message, things start to change. And the Gladers realize that they have to find a way out of The Glade - before it's too late.

This was a fun book. I had wanted to read it for a while now, but moved it to the top of my list when I heard that there was going to be a movie coming out. I'm glad I did. This is an interesting take on the dystopia genre. There are only so many dystopian worlds that can be created in young adult literature before they all begin to seem stale, but this one had enough going for it that it kept me interested. Unique, but at the same time reminiscent of books like Divergent and Lord of the Flies. And the ending definitely left me wanting more. I'm looking forward to seeing where the author goes from here.

Medium Raw

Medium Raw: A Bloody Valentine to the World of Food and the People Who Cook

Anthony Bourdain, 2010

Bourdain talks about how the restaurant business has changed since the days when he wrote his first book, Kitchen Confidential. 

First, a disclaimer: I have never read Kitchen Confidential. This is my first book by Bourdain, although I have seen his show, No Reservations, a few times.

I enjoy books about food and the restaurant business. I'm not really a "foodie", and I'm a barely passable cook, but I like the subject anyway. And while I'm not really a Food Network fan, I am a fan of the food-based shows on the Travel Channel, specifically Man vs. Food and Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern. I have also seen Bourdain's show a few times, but in general he is a bit too bitter and a lot less fun than the other hosts that I enjoy watching. This comes through in his book as well. He's a good writer, and I found many parts of the book to be interesting and even amusing, but overall he is a little too rough around the edges for my liking. Worth reading, and I'll probably check out his other books, but I didn't love this one.

The Magicians

The Magicians (The Magicians #1)

Lev Grossman, 2009

Quentin is a senior in high school, and a genius with his pick of colleges. But he's unhappy. The only thing that brings him any happiness is imagining that his life could be like the series of books that he's been obsessed with since childhood - a Chronicles of Narnia-like tale about children who can enter a magical land called Fillory and go on adventures. So Quentin's life changes - it seems for the better - when he finds himself admitted to a college of magic - real magic - hidden in upstate New York. But learning magic isn't like it is in books - it's hard work, and it brings challenges that Quentin isn't sure he's ready for. But Quentin, it seems, is in for an even bigger surprise than the realities of magic... Fillory is real.

I've heard people describe this as a "grown-up Harry Potter", but I don't think that does this book justice, and will probably just lead to disappointment if that's what you're going into the book expecting. If anything, this book reminds me more of a grown-up Chronicles of Narnia, but set in a school for magic. And no, I don't think that either of those series are for children only - I've read both of them as adults and loved them - but while Harry Potter and Narnia are suitable for both children and adults alike, The Magicians is very much not for children.

I really enjoyed this story, but I think that the book would really have benefited from being divided into two separate books - one book describing (and fleshing out a little more) Quentin's time at Brakebills college, and one book about Fillory. It just felt to me that the story was rushed and that the author tried to cram too much action into one book. I found myself loving the school storyline, felt "meh" about the after school drama, and was fascinated and surprised by the Fillory storyline. And I think if it had been broken into two books, the author could have done each storyline more justice.

That being said, I loved this book. And while it could easily have worked as a stand-alone novel (or a two-parter after being broken up), I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series to see what happens with these characters. 

The Invention of Wings

The Invention of Wings

Sure Monk Kidd, 2014

When Sarah Grimke turns eleven, she is given her very own slave, a girl her own age named Hetty, but called "Handful". Sarah is appalled by the gift and tries to free her slave, but her wish is denied. As Sarah grows up, she tries to find her place in the world, eventually moving north to join the abolitionist movement. 

This was a very good book, and I can see why it's getting so much praise, although I didn't love it as much as many people I know did. I wasn't expecting the turn it took, as it became more a book about the abolitionist movement and less a book about the relationship between Sarah and Handful, which was what I was hoping for. But that was my own fault for not really looking into what the book was about. 

I didn't know that the Grimkes were real people, but I thought that Sarah's and Nina's stories were really impressive - all the more so for being mostly true. And, despite being less based in specific fact, I liked hearing Handful's story as well. Not perfect, but certainly a good book. Glad I read it.

The Ghost of the Mary Celeste

The Ghost of the Mary Celeste

Valerie Martin, 2014

In 1872, the Mary Celeste was discovered adrift off the coast of Spain. There was no sign of violence or a struggle, but the crew was gone. This mystery ties together the stories of author Arthur Conan Doyle, whose fictional account of the Mary Celeste caused a sensation in the United States, psychic medium Violet Petra, a popular Spiritualist with a personal tie to the tragedy, and journalist Phoebe Grant, who wonders if Petra is a talented fraud or perhaps the real thing.

This book is hard to review. As a story about the medium Violet Petra, I thought it was really good. I found Violet to be an intriguing character - not always sympathetic, but always interesting. I also liked the character of Phoebe Grant, whose interactions with Petra were the high points of the book for me. The Arthur Conan Doyle chapters were, to me, just okay. Well-written, but they just didn't interest me as much as the others, although his last little adventure was good. 

What disappointed me most, however, was the shocking lack of mention of the Mary Celeste itself. Aside from the last section - 30 pages or so - very little of the story tied into the mystery at all. It was always there in the background - Conan Doyle's story, Violet's connection to the Captain and his wife - but had little to do with the story overall. I went into this book expecting an interesting take on the mystery of the Mary Celeste, but that wasn't what I was given. 

So, as an interesting story about Spiritualism, I'd recommend it. I liked the characters and thought that Violet's story was fascinating. As a story about what might have happened aboard the Mary Celeste, however, it is severely lacking. 

Thanks to the publisher for an advanced copy through NetGalley.