Just in Time: 6 Books for the Bookworm in Your Life

I am a book nerd by nature, and by trade. I am, however, a bit of a book snob. After hours reading and studying classics, its unfortunately hard to impress me anymore. So, this list is comprised of books that I have read or am trying to get my greedy, Smaug-y hands on, and have been dragged with the criticism arrows and death traps of my mind so you don't have to give a gift that turns into a DIY decorating project, but rather something they cherish and return to (hopefully). These are in no particular order.

1. The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty

I bought this book on a whim a few days before I deployed. I actually finished reading it a day before I even got on the plane. The story starts in the early 1920s where conservative, Kansas mother of two Cora chaperones a yet to be famous Louise Brooks to New York City for ballet. Cora, however, has her own motives to be there, and the two clash in a summer that changes them both.
The story is beautiful and well laid out, and Cora is such a wonderful character to follow. This book is like a little surprise in itself, like a petite little gift for yourself you slowly unwrap, each layer of it revealing a new surprise.


2. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

I know this book became a "major motion picture" but I refused to go see it because, well, I haven't liked a movie book since the Pride and Prejudice with Kierra Knightly. So I won't touch the movie subject, but I will say one reason the book holds its own against from even Hollywood. This story has incredible voice. The narration of this story, that is a dark story of a girl during Nazi Germany hiding a Jew, is dreamy and lyrical, like looking at a painting. It also has wonderful characterization and is easy to follow despite the leap frogging in time it occasionally does. Trust me, its good.


3. The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters

Sarah Waters is a good author, having read her The Night Watch, and I'll admit I haven't read this one yet but it seems like a good one. She is bit of a dragging writer for me, but my cup of tea is lyrical, poetic lines that say volumes in a little space and some people like the length. I have heard mix reviews about this post WWII mystery about class and gender issues, but it seems poignant to me. Its made it to the list of 100 Best Sellers of 2014, and its probably there for a reason. Although, the mystery genre is a tough market, I still think this is at least worth a try. This is why I love libraries. 


4. A Girl if a Half Formed Thing by Eimear McBride

I  have heard so many things about this little debut gem from the Irish writer Eimear McBride. Sweeping up awards left and right, this book is more for the nerds like me - the deep, intellectual kind. This isn't a new Hunger Games, an easy read of adventure and justice, but a literary work of beauty and craft. If you have an English major friend, I would suggest this gorgeous piece.

 5. Nobody is Ever Missing: A Novel by Catherine Lacey

Hitting lists like 20 under 40 Debuts You Should be Reading and of course the Best Books of 2014, this debut is something that has been on my list for awhile. This story follows the mind of Elyria through the death of her sister and the drastic change of the world around her, this is the kind of book that is there for you in that quiet space of mind where others can not venture.


6. The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing by Melissa Banks

This is a collection of short stories published in 2000 follows the life of Jane Rosenal on her personal and spiritual trek through life and all it has to offer. Hailed by critics and loved by readers (from all the reviews I have read) this little gem is perfect for the growing teenager in your life, as well as anyone inbetween the light of birth and the quiet of death. I wanted to end this list on a strong note, I highly suggest this book. And since its older, you can get it used for less (although I always suggest a local bookstore to support another book lover and the author. Double win)

Book Review: The Light Between Oceans by M. L. Stedman

            I came across this book several times, and my interest of lighthouses kept drawing me into the cover. Never judge a book by its cover is a rule I try to go by, but a book about cats probably won’t have a lighthouse on it. By the time I passed it for the third time in the library, it snagged me, and I found myself checking it out.

            The book is, indeed, about a lighthouse. The story takes place in 1920’s Australia, where a World War I veteran and his wife live at a remote lighthouse and a corpse with a live baby wash up on their island.

            What drew me into the book was the style – the novel is lyrical and has some powerful imagery and metaphors. Like “a pod of whales weaving their way up the coast to calve in warmer waters, emerging now and again with a fluke of their tails like needles through tapestry.” The writing style matches the lyrical tendencies of the time, with the almost poetry of F. Scott Fitzgerald and Virginia Woolf. A favorite metaphor of mine was when the farm boys of Point Partageuse, the major town of the novel, are described as “Men who were the prime cut to be sacrificed on tactical altars a hemisphere away.” The writing style is a sigh of the first fall air after a long, hot summer: fresh, crisp, and relaxing.

            There are a great deal of characters in this book, so much so I get lost on occasion with some of the more minor ones. My favorite was the complex, mentally scarred Tom Sherbourne, who is the protagonist of the novel. He was an officer during the Great War, and is a beautifully distant, indulging character that I found most sympathetic towards, from beginning to end. The rest of the characters I became angry or annoyed with at point, but I always cheered on the sidelines for Tom, almost wishing I could run in myself and help him. He was certainly the best choice for the main follow. The story does take other characters and points of view, as well as the omniscient views of the town and the effects of war, but none of them hit the nail on the head like Tom.

The plot is decent, the story has a real life feel to it. The story is rather slow. The novel takes turns to the surroundings, and follows the life of almost every person affected by the couple’s decision regarding the baby they found. Whole chapters recite the pains that the war left on the town of Point Partageuse, and the scars that continue to follow the residents. As the information is needed in context, especially with the theme of children never coming home, form war or otherwise, it does begin to grow monotonous towards the end. The story started slow, and would not pick up until almost 70% in before I was sucked into what were the decisions that were going to be made. Although, once the crisis passed, I put the book down with my mouth in a thin line. I was not entirely pleased, it was not a bad ending for sure, but I was hoping from this author, a slight glimmer of hope and salvation. It might just be the Jay Gatsby in me, to hope for such miracles. The end, as well, seemed a bit too much of a draw out. I had grown quite attached to the characters, and to find the end of the story was more a slap in the face for what I was hoping it would be. Although the way it ended meshed with the rest of the novel, with the drawn out, to the very end details and information, was just not enough for me. 

            Setting is the magic of this book, especially when the lyrical description are thrown into the mix. Reading about southwestern Australia in the 1920s is almost a fantasy world, but the writing style is nonchalant and approachable, just adding to the realization “this place is real.” I have even googled Janus Rock and seen its isolation, but with that intimate feeling of being there from the novel. When reading to escape the mundane of everyday and a heart to see the great wide somewhere, this book is perfect for getting away. Like a mini vacation, except for broke people. Plus the combination of lyrical style and setting is a knockout. Reading a beautiful description of a bathtub is nice, but of a relatively unknown place where two oceans meet that few people get to see, is a whole new beast.

Overall, it was a decent story with a great character, real life problems, told in a poetic prose. Although the novel may not strike out as a home-run for my tastes, it was worth the time to sit down and absorb the tale and feel the tragedy of the characters. I would suggest giving this book a look over, if not the afternoon to enjoy over a cup of tea.