February Book Feast

I haven't reviewed books for three months, so for the next three days I'll be reviewing the books I read in February, March, and April. I'm glad I write down my books and my thoughts on my notebook, otherwise I wouldn't remember what I read three months ago.

For February, being the month of love, I read a lot of romantic stories. But don't be fooled. Despite being a short month, I was able to fit about 10 books in it with a wide range of genres. Maybe it was the rain that kept me indoors.

1. The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer (Regency Romance)
"Little Sophy" as she was called by her father was an exceptional young woman. She was raised by her father, a diplomat for the British government, traveling and living from one country to another. As the Napoleonic wars are coming to an end, his services are needed in South America, but this time he decides to leave his daughter in England with his sister instead of taking her in a dangerous mission. He visits his sister and asks her to take care of his "little Sophy." Well, when Sophy appears she is not what Lady Ombersly had originally imagined. At a hieght of 5.9 with an outgoing personality, chic clothes, and an ability to understand people, she cuts a different picture. As Sophy enters the Ombersley household and learns of their affairs, she immediately rolls up her sleeves to set everything in order: her young cousin who thinks is in love with a poet, her cousin's brother who finds himself in money trouble, and ultimately her much serious cousin, Charles Rivenhall, who is engaged to a very depressing and annoying lady, and who seems to think that he is in charge of the household, until Sophy starts putting her nose into his business and everybody else's for that matter. What follows is Heyer's very best battle of wits and humor. Although Sophy does strike as someone who has been spoiled and gotten what she wanted all her life, you can't help but like her self confidence and kindness of heart. The writer of Regency Romance didn't disappoint my expectations of a fun and enjoyable read. If you've caught a cold or found yourself inside in a rainy day, this is just the book to make you laugh and lift your spirits up.

2. A Red Herring without Mustard by Alan Bradley (Mystery)
Another excellent book in the Flavia de Luce series. This time 11-year old Flavia deals with a gypsy, religious rituals, underground passages, and murders happening in the vicinity of her home that leave behind the smell of herrings. Beautifully set in the 1950 England, the de Luce family lives almost undisturbed in their countryside home. Filled with eccentric characters, an 11 year old genius in the learning of the chemistry and logical deductions, but a child when it comes to family relationships, and touched by the writer's ability to paint an accurate picture of the English countryside, this book leaves nothing to be desired. I've truly enjoyed the voyage that Flavia takes me throughout her adventures. Whether you like mysteries or not, this series is to be read and enjoyed by any one. Absolutely the best.

3. The Heroine's Bookshelf by Erin Blakemore (General)
The author takes 12 well-known characters and authors that have inspired her and basically tells us why and how they have inspired her throughout her young life by giving these characters and authors each a particular quality. It was a great premise sharing thoughts and analysis on wonderful characters such as Anne of Green Gables, Francie Nolan, Scout Finch, Elisabeth Bennet, Jo March, etc, and what makes them such powerful personalities. However, I wasn't satisfied with the level of analysis, at times forceful to fit the given quality, and at times not quite connected with the author's life. I didn't agree on many of the qualities the author had assigned each character. Furthermore, I wasn't impressed with the level of writing and critical thinking. It was a good idea, but it needed to have been worked in more depth.

4. Gatsby's Girl by Caroline Preston (Historical Fiction)
I loved this book, but then again anything with Fitzgerald in it makes my heart tremble. This was a sweetly written story about F. Scott Fitzgerald's first love and how that first love effected him throughout his life as shown through his novels. Ginevra Perry was wealthy, gorgeous and an absolutely spoiled socialite. Scott Fitzgerald was a Princeton student with poor family connections and an amazing understanding of people and life. Whether it was because he was poor or because as a poetic soul he lived an expensive life, he was always attracted toward the wealthy socialites as described in all of his novels. Preston takes this first love and turns it into a novel of self discovery, of fallen vanity and living with one's mistakes. By no means the author achieves Fitzgerald's class and genius of writing, but the novel itself was sweet and interesting. I loved how through fiction Preston analyzed Fitzgerald's life and writing and gave us a connection to his thoughts and feelings, however fictionalized they may be.

5. I'm half-sick of shadows by Alan Bradley (Mystery)
Another amazing book by Bradley. Flavia de Luce once again shines in her deductions and discoveries. It's Christmas time and the de Luce family has let part of their home for rent to a movie crew who is comprised by a very famous actress. On Christmas Eve, the village has come to hear and see the beautiful actress perform for them as a thank you act to the whole village for their patience. The audience is excited to see the play, but not quite ready to experience what happens there. Luckily, our brilliant young detective has her eyes everywhere, as well as some help from Saint Nick. Fabulous read, absolutely great characters, and a fun mystery.

6. Lost in a good book by Jasper Fforde (Fantasy)
Another Thursday Next book, following The Eyre Affair, that I enjoyed very much. Part detective, part literary, part fantasy, this book is great for any day. Thursday Next is a detective who captures people who use the literary world and their characters for their demonic purposes. And she does this by entering, literally, one book after another. In this particular book of the series, we get to converse with Edgar Allan Poe's Raven, Great Expectation's characters, Beatrix Potter, Kafka, and even the Bard himself. What an adventure!

7. Percy Jackson and the Olympians -The Lightning Thief by Rick Jordan (Young Adult)
Gillian has begged me to read this series with her, and now that she is done, Jefferson is asking to read them. So I made it a competition with him, which is working very well. He is in the third installment already. I really like this series, because it introduces the kids, in an entertaining way, stories from Greek mythology and Greek plays, such as Odysseys and Iliad. I like the characters and the lessons they each teach their audience. A wonderful way to bond with your kids.

8. Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout (Fiction)
We read this book for our book club and the discussion it generated was diverse and full of life experiences. So if nothing else it will make you think and be grateful for what you have. I personally felt it was a bit depressing. I liked the writing and the character developments, but the plot and the stories throughout the book brought me down. The author had organized her book into thirteen stories about thirteen people found in a small town in Maine, all connected by one main character, Olive Kitteridge, who watches and understands them and their struggles, but who fails to understand herself and people close to her. Very perceptively described, the characters and their stories are deep and thought-provoking. The events are universal, and we can all find ourselves in some of the struggles of these human beings. I liked the ending, trying to make hope be the theme of the book, but I wished it were developed a bit further. This is not a book for every day, but perfect for great discussion with your spouse or friends.

9. The Devil's Cub by Georgette Heyer (Regency Romance)
Another fun and romantic story involving a spoiled and bored, wild and adventurous son of a duke and a quiet, but determined, calm but full of passionate ideas, daughter of a impoverished mother trying to arrange good marriages for her daughters. The plot is full of twists and turns, very charming and witty, but I have to say I love the main character Mary the best. She knows her mind and has respect for herself. She is strong and virtuous, and very capable of taking care of herself even at a time when women were seen as weak and needing protection. I liked the love-hate relationship, and what can I say I love the happy endings in any romantic story, and this one is sweet.

10. Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt (Young Adult)
I know I've written about this book in one of my earlier posts, so I'll go ahead and give you the short version of my review. This was one of my favorite young adult books I've read in a while. It is beautifully written, the characters are real and each of them gives you something as you become familiar with them. I really enjoy the themes portrayed in the story such as that of discovering yourself, integrity - standing up for correct principles even in hard situations, honesty and loyalty to your friends, love lost and love found, family relationships and the power we each have to bring those relationships closer, humility and understanding of others' hardships, and of course all these themes are brought about as a sixth grader is told to read Shakespeare. You knew that was coming, didn't you? I really enjoyed reading it, and loved discussing it with friends at book club as well as my daughter after she read it too. Great topics to talk and go in depth with your middle school child.

I'll be reviewing more books for the next two days, but don't wait to share your favorites.