A Post: Mini-Reviews of Many Titles

I've moved! I'm officially a resident of the area that lies alongside the Windy City! It's been crazy getting moved in and unpacked, but we're here and the neighborhood is AWESOME! I should mention that I opened a library card before moving so already had titles waiting when we made it (WIN). I finally had the opportunity to walk up yesterday to claim them and get acquainted with the new facility. The library is rated a five, so it's the cream of the crop in terms of book loaning goodness. I was blown away by the number of really recent titles that were just waiting to be selected while walking around the new release section. I'm thinking I could get used to this!

I've actually maintained a healthy amount of reading despite the craziness of the move, the new photography endeavor, and the wedding planning. However, the review situation was lacking, so I thought I must rectify given that so many of you reached out about the RIP challenge even if I hadn't offered a thing in a whole month. You guys just made my day!

Titles read recently with a brief overview and my own thoughts:

Glaciers follows the daily life of one young woman in Portland, Oregon. A collector of antique items and an employee of the library system there, I was smitten with this one even before I started reading. The novel is short, try less than 200 pages or just about, and incredibly modern. Because the lead is around the same age as me I found there were moments I could relate to in a way that I've never found in another novel. The prose is also beautiful. There were whole lines I read again and again just to savor. Pick it up, you won't be disappointed!

The Song of Achilles follows the lives of Petroclus and Achilles as they grow up together after Petroclus is exiled from his kingdom for the accidental murder of a peer. A modern take on Achilles's story, Miller weaves a brilliant novel filled with detail that bring Greek mythology to life. I had an unfounded assumption that I wouldn't enjoy this one and almost didn't pick it up, but am so glad I did. The relationship between Petroclus and Achilles is one of the most heartbreaking I've read in ages, but sheds light on the complications of partnership. While there are definitely parts that I would scream CHEESE FEST, I really liked the novel overall and couldn't stop reading.

Rules of Civility is probably one of my favorite reads. I've stated before that if given the opportunity, I would unread it just to read it again for the first time. Eve in Hollywood follows the life of Eve after her falling out with Katey Kontent (essentially the life Eve leads after she fades away from Rules). First traveling to Chicago, Eve decides to take the train to Hollywood without concrete plans. Meeting people along the way, you learn more about Eve's situation, her inner dialogue, and how she's perceived by those around her. I loved this short read because each character really offers an individual voice. It also takes the reader back to a time when you could jump a train and start again in a star-studded city that was booming like never before. A novella, and special Penguin release, this is a title you should get your hands on if you loved Rules of Civility, or like imagining the glitz and glam of old Hollywood!

Another Penguin Special release, this novella is the precursor to Jojo Moyes's The Girl You Left Behind, which follows the lives of two women in different decades, setting up said novel. Honeymoon in Paris is a short, fun read that really manages to pack some emotion in so few pages. Those familiar with the delight of the honeymoon period, and perhaps the first argument thereafter, can definitely relate to this read. Moyes sets up her full-length novel beautifully with this one.

The latest in the Flavia de Luce series, Bradley once again manages to captivate the reader (despite the fact that it's highly unlikely one young girl would encounter so many mysterious murders in a quiet English village) and wishing for the next title. This one is a definite read for all the fans who have kept up thus far because there are several shocking events that I was quite surprised and delighted to see. After uncovering the body of the missing organist in a tomb hidden beneath St. Tancred's Parish, Flavia is once again vital in helping Inspector Hewitt solve the crime, while also getting into a bit of trouble and learning more about the de Luce family legacy.

The Girl You Left Behind takes readers through the ugliness of WWI in a tiny French village after the German army has decided to occupy and keep the townspeople prisoners in their own homes. When a commanding officer develops an unhealthy affection for Sophie, the beautiful hotel owner and wife of painter Eduourd Lefevre, and a painting she keeps displayed on the hotel wall, Sophie is put in a terrifying and dangerous position. Moving forward to present day, the reader watches as Liv Halston struggles with the untimely death of her famed architect husband, and the threat of losing a painting given to her on their honeymoon. Stories enterwine and it's captivating all around. My only issue with this particular story was that the breaks in narrative, moving from the past to present after lengthy moments with one character, ruined the flow for me. I found I'd be more interested in one character's story one moment, and another the next. All and all, another great read from Moyes!


Yes, most of these deserve an entire page dedicated to the beauty of their prose and the world it offered, but this is what I can provide at the moment. 2013 has been a great year in the reading department and I only hope to continue with my good fortune throughout the RIPVIII Challenge!

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A Review: Rules of Civility by Amor Towles

"Uncompromising purpose and the search for eternal truth have an unquestionable sex appeal for the young and high-minded; but when a person loses the ability to take pleasure in the mundane-- in the cigarette on the stoop or the gingersnap in the bath--she has probably put herself in unnecessary danger."

I don't remember where I first saw this novel mentioned, and I'm not really sure what urged me to request it at the library, but I did. And my reading life has been all the better.

I managed to polish off Rules of Civility in an afternoon and a half. However, I can't fully attribute this quickness to the time I had available, but to the ease and cleverness of the novel itself.

Katey and Evey decide to spend that last night of 1937 in a nearly deserted jazz club. When they encounter the handsome, Tinker Grey, with his tailored suit and sparkling blue eyes, their lives are changed forever. Befriending the ivy league, well-to-do banker, they form a friendship while carousing their way through New York City. When they're involved in an automobile accident that leaves Evey almost dead and slightly scarred, the trio is broken and the story begins. Crashing extravagant parties, dating multi-millionaires, and busting behind at Conde Nast are just small snippets of Katey's fabulous life.

I was really captivated by the story for a number of reasons. Katey's character was perceptive and intelligent. A character I could imagine sharing an entire afternoon of uninterrupted, and oh-so-enjoyable, people watching. She was quick, but quiet, and could blend in with a crowd. She was determined and hardworking and knew how to party. There were other members that lacked as much color, but didn't diminish my thoughts of the novel as a whole. Tinker, for example, was a little grey (no pun intended), but really worked within the story, considering the situation we find him in.

Katey's new acquaintances, the cream of the crop, and wealthy beyond measure, are obsessed with living, the opportunities endless. She finds that despite her frugal background, she too, shares these desires. It's not so much a coming-of-age story, but a look back on the youthful years of adult life, getting a secure job, spending many hours in the company of a group of fun loving people, a time when hours don't matter and bedtimes don't exist. It's the promises of success and the endless possibilities spread out before your young life. However, it's also about remembering yourself and the things you want from life.

On the surface, Rules of Civility is a love story with many twists and turns. The audience witnesses the secrets that remain behind closed doors in a city that's always buzzing. The writing was beautiful and astute. The cast of characters may come and go, but I feel that it really worked to create a vibrant New York City on paper. The glitz and glam of New York Society during this period was really interesting and so much fun to read. While I'm not entirely convinced Katey could have been so easily incorporated into these circles, considering her background, which was so markedly different, it wasn't so far-fetched that it took away from the novel. An enjoyable read about a period just after the Depression and before the second world war-- a time so often forgotten. I strongly encourage you to pick this one up if you've had interest at all. You won't regret it!

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