The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner

This book was so short that I read it in one day, within a few hours. Having read all of the other Stephenie Meyer books it just made sense to read this one as well! It fills in the gaps where the newborn vampires of Eclipse are concerned. Bree's existence is only known for about 5 minutes in Eclipse, but the reader never knows how she came to be and the life that she and the other newborns lived prior to the attack on the Cullens.

I have to be honest...this book was a quick and easy read, but it didn't provide any earth shattering insights. The most important bit of information taken from this book was the fact that the Volturi were aware of Victoria's plan and they were on board. Other than that, it's really only about 50 normal pages (regular sized print and margins) of story and it's only marginally interesting.

I'm also reading The Perfect 10 Diet  this week. If you'd like to follow my health overhaul visit my other blog, Musings of a Cul-de-Sac Mom. 

The Host

I chose The Host by Stephenie Meyer this week. I'm a fan of her other books, and really had no preconceived notions about this book. I had heard that it was good, but had no idea what the basic premise was. To put it mildly, I was shocked. It was so unlike the Twilight Saga...at first. By the end, I realized that the overall story wasn't so different.

What I love about Stephanie Meyer is her ability to write about the unbelievable while convincing you somehow not to question it. I mean, let's be serious- vampires and werewolves? body snatching aliens? I didn't think I could get into her books just by the mere mention of the subjects. Her genius lies in making the story so intriguing that you forget that the characters are supernatural. She doesn't get bogged down in technical jargon, and she doesn't spend a tremendous amount of time on the science fiction part of things. She focuses on the relationships between the characters and makes sure that you care so much for them that you overlook that they are not quite human.

To be honest, after the reading the first few pages of this book I wasn't sure I would be able to finish. The idea of aliens taking over human bodies and then living as their "host" was a bit absurd to me. I generally don't like science fiction. I didn't even watch the X-Files at the height of its popularity. It wasn't long though before I was completely wrapped up in the characters and their relationships. I found myself imagining the crazy world that Wanda and Melanie lived in. I was pulling for the characters to survive and find their way to each other.
By the end I wanted more!

One of the best things about this book was the bonus chapter. It covers the time that Melanie and Wanda are apart, before Wanda is aware of what's happening. All too often those scenes are left to the imagination, and if the movie rights hadn't already been sold to this book, chances are that chapter wouldn't have been written. It will be interesting to see what they do with the movie!

So overall, I liked this book and I would recommend it! It is exceptionally long, as almost all of Meyer's books are, but worth the effort!

Week 4...and 5, and 6, and maybe 7

Okay, so it took me a little longer to read this last book than the first 3. In my defense, I took a 10 day vacation to Florida, which in and of itself, means several more days of preparing and recuperating! I'm not sure I can keep up the book a week pace that I originally hoped for, but I'm going to keep reading until I've read 52 books. I'm still optimistic that I can do it in a year. I'll just have to double up a few weeks! Any suggestions for future reads?

I have 2 books on the list for next week. One is a self-help kind of book for my health and it's called The Perfect 10 by Dr. Aziz. I read a good bit of it in the bookstore today because it was recommended to me by a friend. She has been putting its principles into use, and has seen a marked improvement in her overall health. The other book is Stephanie Meyer's only book that I have yet to read, The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner: An Eclipse Novella . My best friend has a copy and I'm trading her for The Host. I figure it will hold me over until Eclipse comes out on video on December 4th!

Week 3: Sam's Letters to Jennifer

I sat down with this book while my 2 year old was in the bathtub. I sat on a bath mat and leaned against the cabinet. It wasn't the most comfortable place to read, and it sure didn't hold a candle to the comfy chair that I had in the mountains last week, but it worked. Fortunately, my husband came to get my son out of the tub, so I was able to keep reading...and reading...and reading. I didn't stop until I reached the end of the book!

The thing I loved most about this book was the positive message; life is short, so live it to the fullest. One of my favorite lines in the book is a quote from an artist. It goes something like this, "Life is a blank canvas, so you should throw everything you can at it" What a great quote! I think it is going to be  my new motto.

Aside from having a great message, I really related to the main character in the book. She is an overachiever who never misses a deadline at work, and suffers from a tragic loss that has prevented her from truly reaching her full potential. The loss in my life was my father. When he died, I felt like a piece of me went with him. It took me a long time to look at the world in a positive light again. I didn't know how to live in a world where he didn't exist. It's still hard, but I am finally in a place to believe that a piece of me didn't die with him. In fact, I believe the opposite...that a piece of him remains here with me! This book really solidified that for me. It's what we do with the memories that matter, and I'm so fortunate that my dad and I were able to make so many great memories during out time together.

As for being an overachiever...I swear it should be listed as one of my nicknames (and it is if you ask my best friend)! I am always taking on more projects and I have a hard time just sitting still. When I do something, I want to do it well- the first time. What I'm working on is letting go of that. I am trying new things (like this challenge), and seeing where the world takes me! For the first time in a long time I don't have a definite plan. I'm open to new possibilities and though it's a strange place for me, I'm learning to enjoy it. I'm living in the moment and making memories with my loved ones. Life is too short to be bogged down by plans, schedules, duties and the like. I want to live while the living is good!

I did it!

I read 2 entire books in 2 weeks, and found the time to blog about it! That may not sound like much, especially since I'm committed to reading 52 books in 52 weeks, but it is a huge accomplishment for me to just get through the first 2! I can't tell you how long it's been since I've read so much in such a short time. I have 3 kids and I work part-time, so it's not easy to find time to read. I was able to finish The Doctor's Wife this weekend, while relaxing here:

Near Boone, North Carolina

We took a mini-vacation with some friends to the North Carolina mountains where we enjoyed the crisp air, a great view and good company! It was just what we all needed.  I had a big comfy chair and more down time than I would have had at home, so I took advantage of it! Not only did I finish The Doctor's Wife, but I was able to get started on another book!

This week I had planned on reading The Host by Stephanie Meyer. I've read the Twilight Saga that she wrote, and enjoyed them immensely. This one looks quite different, but after reading the first few chapters in the mountain, I'm intrigued! Unfortunately, due to our trip and some other commitments that I have this week, I don't think I have time to read such a lengthy book (Why does she write such long books?).  So I've decided to go with Sam's Letters to Jennifer by James Patterson. It's a book my husband bought me after I read Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas a few years ago. He reads a lot of James Patterson novels, so when I showed some interest, he was supportive!

So this week it's Sam's Letters to Jennifer.  I already took it off the shelf and dusted it off, and we are ready to go! Hopefully I'll get to The Host next week!

The Doctor's Wife

I picked this book off the shelf at Walmart one day because I liked the cover, and the synopsis on the back. It's a story about 4 people whose lives intertwine in unforeseeable ways. The doctor, is an OB-GYN who moonlights at an abortion clinic. His wife is a writer and a professor at a local college. Their relationship is strained by his long hours at work, and unwillingness to make time for the rest of the family. When he starts working at the abortion clinic, he not only pisses off his partners, but he catches the eye of an anti-abortion group who begin to target him and his family. In the meantime, his wife becomes increasingly unhappy with their marriage and runs into someone who makes her feel alive again.

The other couple that this story revolves around is a famous, but almost extinct painter, and his beautiful wife.  His wife was his muse, and the subject of the paintings that put him on the art world's map. They have a sordid, almost incestuous past, and their relationship has faded to the point that he is no longer inspired or in love. He finds new inspiration from the doctor's wife and the story begins to unfold. Throw in some mental instability and a manipulative religious figure, and you have a recipe for disaster!

The story begins at the end, which was a little confusing. Each chapter was dedicated to a different character, and I found that it jumped around a bit. Overall, I thought the book was a good read, and I couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen next. The story contains themes of adultery, abortion, mental illness, religion (if you can call it that) and politics. It forces you to look at these subjects and decide which side you would be on.  I enjoyed the plot twists and the way the author took you through the sordid pasts of some of the characters.

I'm hesitant to talk about some of the topics in this book because abortion, adultery and religion are things that most people feel very strongly about. However, I will say this...Given the right situation, I believe all of us are capable of cheating.  When a person who continually feels unappreciated and lonely allows him/herself to be in a compromising situation with another person who is able, and perhaps all too willing, to give them what they need emotionally and/or sexually, the results are likely to be a torrid affair. Whether right or wrong, it can happen to anyone. The key is not to put yourself in those situations.

Similarly, it's easy to denounce the practice of abortion, but I believe that the right situation could make one change his/her mind.  Most would think twice when it was their own family member faced with an unwanted pregnancy that was the result of a deplorable situation.  It's not always black and white!

I'm going to save religion for a separate entry but I can't end this entry without noting that I detest those who use the guise of religion to manipulate and/or harm others. It happens everyday, and I have no tolerance for it!

Okay...I'm getting off my soap box now!

My Final Thoughts about Eat Pray Love

The point of this blog is not to critique the books I'm reading as a whole, but I find that it's hard not to write at least about my reaction to the books. This week, the book I read has been made into a major motion picture, and I saw the film first. I'm glad I saw the film first, and read the book second. In this case, it worked.

The only thing I didn't like about seeing the movie first was that I pictured the characters as they were cast for the film, instead of how they are described in the book. The one character in particular that is markedly different is Felipe. In the movie, Javier Bardem plays the character, and although he looks like he's older than Julia Roberts, you definitely don't see the almost 20 year age difference that the book describes. He doesn't have white hair and isn't balding like the real Felipe. I have to say though, that I'm glad he was cast the way he was for the movie. If I had read the book first, it would have bugged me, but seeing the movie as a separate entity, I understand why they made the change for the big screen.

I could spend a lot longer on the differences between the book and the movie, but that's not really what I'm here for, right?!

So overall, I really enjoyed both the movie and the book. I love that it made me think about my own life in a way that I was desperately trying to do on my own, but didn't have the strength, or know-how, or whatever it was that I needed to do so. I love that in the end, she found the balance that she was looking for, and she changed the lives of others along the way. 

"So that's the final lesson, isn't it? When you set out in the world to help yourself, you inevitably end up helping...Tutti (everybody)." p 274

I am looking forward to the sequel to this book, Committed, but I want to sit with this one for a while before I jump into it. Next week I'll be reading The Doctor's Wife, by Elizabeth Brundage. I picked it up at Walmart today, and it looked like a good read. Hope I'm right!