Macbeth (William Shakespeare)

***

         When Macbeth, a Scottish thane, hears a prophecy that he will become Thane of Cawdor and then become king, he can't help but be intrigued, even if he doesn't believe it's true.  But when the first part of the prophecy falls into place, Macbeth wonders whether he could push things along in his favor.  With encouragement from his manipulative wife, Macbeth murders King Duncan in a quest for power. However, kingship doesn't turn out the way Macbeth had expected.  Haunted by his own wrongdoing and by Duncan's loyal subjects, Macbeth takes desperate action to cling to the only thing he has left - his crown.

         As far as school assignments go, this was pretty good.  It's the second Shakespeare play I've read (the first was Romeo and Juliet).  I liked it a lot.  I could go on for quite some time explaining all of the themes and character developments we discussed in class, but I doubt many people would want to hear it!  Personally, I wouldn't seek it out outside of a school assignment, but if you do happen to like plays or older literature, you would probably like it.

Rating: 3/5
Completed: May 2, 2013

Girlchild (Tupelo Hassman)

****

         Rory Dawn Hendrix is a Girl Scout.  Or at least, that's what she likes to tell people, even though she doesn't have a troop or a leader to call her own.  Life in the trailer park where Rory lives isn't always easy, but the Girl Scout Handbook gives her the practical advice she craves in a world where very little makes sense.  And maybe with the help of the Handbook, Rory can be the first woman in her family to make something worthwhile out of her life.  

         This was a good, but sad, story.  I liked the format, which was a mix of thoughts, journal entries, made-up Girl Scout badges, and more.  Rory grows a lot as a character throughout this book.  It was interesting to see how she came to terms with her troubled past and broken family, and figured out what she wanted out of her own life.  I felt bad for her because she was stuck in life in so many ways.  In the end, though, it seemed like she had embraced her identity and taken control of her life.  I would definitely recommend Girlchild as long as you're up for a sad book.  

Rating: 4/5

Completed: April 24, 2013

Le Petit Prince (Antoine de Saint-Éxupery)

****

         A pilot has crashed his airplane in the desert and is stranded with barely enough water to survive.  It is there, while he is repairing his plane, that he meets the Little Prince.  The Little Prince is no ordinary boy - he isn't even from this planet.  He tells the story of his first love and his travels through space.  As he meets new people throughout the universe, the Little Prince comes to understand the most important things in life.

         J'ai lu Le Petit Prince avec ma classe de français l'année passé.  Je l'aimais beaucoup.  Le Petit Prince est très mignon et aussi très sage.  Les aventures du Petit Prince étaient magnifiques . . . il a fait le connaissance des personnes intéressants.  

         Just kidding.  I wouldn't actually do that to you (whether it's because you don't understand any French or because you understand enough French to know that I don't have the vocabulary to write a book review).  Anyway, we read this in French class last year and I really enjoyed it.  Le Petit Prince, or The Little Prince in English, is meant to be a children's book.  It didn't seem too juvenile, though.  Like Winnie-the-Pooh, it is cute and enjoyable no matter how old you are.  Le Petit Prince also has some seriously deep moments.  It would be a good choice to read with a younger child, but you could definitely read it by yourself as well.

Rating: 4/5

Completed: April 19, 2013

BookWatch: J.K. Rowling Strikes Again

         Today I heard some super-amazing news from my sister, who heard it from one of our friends: it was revealed yesterday (thanks to an anonymous tip and a little sleuthing) that J.K. Rowling has written another book under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith.  YAY!!!  This "debut" mystery novel, The Cuckoo's Calling, earned really good reviews.  It's been out since April, but now that everyone knows who really wrote it, it's flying off the shelves.  I checked Amazon, Barnes & Noble, the library - no luck.  It will probably be a few weeks before I get my hands on it.  In the meantime, I'll try to catch up on my reviews.  Not quite as exciting, but what can you do?
         Do you plan on reading this book?  Were you able to get ahold of a copy?  Post in the comments.

Love and Other Perishable Items (Laura Buzo)

****

         Fifteen-year-old Amelia knows that some things just aren't going to happen, and a relationship with her older coworker Chris is definitely one of those things.  After all, Chris is a sophisticated university student with sophisticated university friends - friends who have had their first drink and their first relationship and their first everything else already.  So Amelia strikes up a friendship with Chris, talking about books, family, and the future, and tries to pretend that their possibly mutual attraction doesn't exist.
         At 21, Chris is not sure what to make of his (platonic?) love for Amelia.  Although she's much younger than he is, Amelia is mature and witty and easy to talk to.  He doesn't think of "Youngster" as, well, just a youngster anymore.  Even when he knows he should.  But no matter how attracted he may be to Amelia, they are living completely different lives that only cross at the checkout of the supermarket.  Chris, who hardly knows what the future holds for him as a soon-to-be graduate, can't picture how Amelia would fit into his adult life.

         This was a cute novel with a little more substance than your average romance.  It's also relatively short if you're looking for a quick read.  The characters were engaging, and their journal entries were well done.  I was also glad that the ending wasn't typical for this type of novel.  It was definitely worth the read.

Rating: 4/5
Completed: April 12, 2013

Summer has been super busy so far!  I just got back from my cousin's wedding, where I had no internet.  Hopefully I'll be able to post more in the coming weeks.  Meanwhile, if you have any book recommendations, post in the comments.  I just got finished with Harry Potter five and six . . . loving that I will be able to count them towards the goal this year!

The Girls of Atomic City: The Untold Story of the Women Who Helped Win World War II (Denise Kiernan)

****

         In 1942, thousands of Americans were hired by the US government.  The job description: a project that will help to end the war.  All they knew was that they would be paid well and the government would provide for everything they needed.  What they didn't know was what they would be doing or where they'd be doing it.  Among these people were many young women who, for various reasons, packed their bags and hopped on a train.  The train took them to Oak Ridge, TN.  There, they took on jobs from secretary to machine operator, janitor to scientist.  They worked in late-night shifts and slept in houses that had been slapped together just before their arrival.  Though the government hadn't planned for it to happen, the women made their mysterious gated city home.  

         This was such an interesting book.  I've always liked learning about all things WWII, and this was a great perspective on the war.  The author did a nice job of gathering a balanced account of life in Oak Ridge.  I liked how she switched between stories of the women who lived and worked in Oak Ridge and the scientific facts behind the work that they were doing.  The result was an interweaving of facts and personal details that made for a cohesive story.  Because Kiernan went into detail on the accounts of individual women, I felt like I got a good idea of the challenges they faced in all aspects of life in Oak Ridge.  I was really struck by the fact that Oak Ridge residents couldn't even tell their spouses what they did at work - it was that secretive.  The information on the development of the Gadget itself was written at a level that wasn't too overwhelming.  I would recommend this book to anybody who is interested in the Manhattan Project.  

Rating: 4/5

Completed: April 10, 2013

Clockwork Princess (Cassandra Clare)

***

Book Three of The Infernal Devices - spoiler alert!  (It's kind of hard to explain this book without telling you what happened in Book Two.)

         Tessa and Jem are preparing for their wedding before it is too late for Jem.  However, their plans are interrupted when Mortmain sends his automatons to kidnap Tessa.  He is almost ready to unleash the demon he will use to kill the Shadowhunters, but he needs Tessa to complete his plan.  Both Will and Jem will do anything to rescue Tessa, but they might not be able to muster the force to get her back.

         You know you're behind on your blog posts when you hardly remember what the book was about.  Sorry, guys . . . I've been slacking lately.  It was a close call between books and exams, but somehow the AP and ACT and SAT subject tests and finals won out.  Go figure.
         Anyway, I liked the first two books in this series a lot, but Clockwork Princess let me down a bit.  Maybe it was anticlimactic, maybe it was a little too perfect.  I remember not being a fan of the way the love triangle was resolved for that reason.  Things just don't work out that easily in life.  That's not to say it was a bad book - it was good, and I know people who have followed this series and thought this was the best installment of the three.  Although it wasn't my favorite of the three, if you read the first two books, I'd still recommend reading this one so you can see what happens and decide for yourself what you think of it all.

Rating: 3/5
Completed: March 28, 2013

If you read this book, what did you think?  Are you a fan of the ending to this trilogy?