12 Sharp

This was my first Janet Evanovich book. I have heard about her from friends for a long time, but never taken the time to pick up one of her books. I enjoyed 12 Sharp, but probably wouldn't seek out another one. It had several of the fictional elements that I enjoy, but her writing was a little silly for me. Some of the scenes reminded me of a Marx Brothers film, especially the scenes about the interviews. I can see the appeal though, a little craziness, a little sex, and some mystery. Her Plum character is someone that I think one might try to model themselves after. Her ability to just throw on clothes and get by with only mascara sounds heavenly, as does her ability to attract the two sexiest men in Trenton. I liked the way she described the men in her life. Morelli seems to be one of the ones that is dependable and would always be around, but not easily taken advantage of. "He was movie-star handsome in a rugged, lean, and muscled way" pg. 103. "Morelli was like a visit to the dark side,alluring and frightening" pg. 1. Ranger is Plum's guilty pleasure. "He was perfectly toned muscle, and he had classic Latino good looks. He always smelled great. He dressed only in black. His skin was dark. His eyes were dark. His hair was dark. His life was dark. Ranger had lots of secrets." pg. 10. Her supporting characters were ones you could sympathize with, be it Melvin or Lula. I would assume that if I picked up the 13th novel, I would read about several of the same characters from the 12th. This does appeal to me. I enjoy seeing characters evolve and grow from one book to the next. A few of my favorite ficitonal characters are: Lucas Davenport, Lincoln Rhyme, and my all time favorite - Alex Cross. Evanovich gave me a litte taste of these guys when she threw in the kidnapping and murder-mystery theme. Scrog is no Gary Soneji, but the suspense was there. The scenes around the dinner table at the family Plum house were the most enjoyable for me. I laughed at the comments made by Stephanie's father; "holy crap", "Italian Stallion", "You're older than dirt", and "bee-jeezus". The image of him actually running to the dinner table; "My father was the first to sit. My grandmother skidded in right behind him." page 257 was amusing to me. It reminds me of our childhood table when we raced to the "best" chair, the best chair being the only one that you could see the tv from. :) I thought Evanovich did a nice job on keeping different storylines going. I think that helped the novel be a quick read because there was so much going on. The energy in her writing was apparent. I'm not sure Stephanie, Ranger, or Morelli ever walked anywhere. They were always hustling, kicking, jabbing, skittering, jogging, rolling, or peeling out of somewhere. This book was a good sit-by-the-pool summer read.

The Secret Life of Bees

For me, this was the second reading of the book. This time I read more carefully and enjoyed it much more. My heart aches for Lily. She is the narrator and shares with the readers a tragic childhood and an immeasurable longing for her mother. This book made me sad, yet I couldn't put it down....even though I knew how it was going to end. :) I can't imagine what it must be like for a child to lose a mother, especially due to a tragic accident such as Lily's. I cheered for Lily through each page and was mentally willing her to escape from T. Ray. He was almost the perfect antagonist to me. I just couldn't get past the fact that he lost someone that he loved so much. That doesn't excuse his behavior of course, but I found myself feeling sorry for him at times.
I learned from reading this book. I learned about the making of honey and bee etiquette. I enjoyed the quotes/information about bees at the beginning of the chapters. It was interesting how much honey ruled the lives of the calendar sisters. I laughed at all the remedies that honey could be used for; the spoonfuls in the morning to wake them up and the ones at night to put them to sleep, eaten at meals to calm the mind, give them stamina, and prevent fatal disease, used to disinfect cuts/chapped lips, to bathe in....according to August, honey was the "ambrosia of the gods and the shampoos of the goddesses" (84). The process of making honey and the never ending work of a beekeeper was fascinating.
August, June, and May were equally fascinating characters and being a twin myself, I could imagine May's pain. I share a closeness with my twin that I share with no other person. We feel one another's happiness and sadness, no matter how many miles separate us. It is a unique relationship. I think May finally found peace when she makes it to heaven and into April's arms. I think May's wailing wall is actually a brilliant idea. It would help us all to have a place to go to find peace and comfort during troubled times.
Kidd's inclusion of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 made the book more real to me. The attacks on Rosalee and Zach were tough to read about. I know those types of incidents were common and many were much more violent. 1964 was not so long ago, our society still faces equality issues today . It was interesting to read about a white child in a black home and her not noticing color except when it was brought to her attention by adults.
Finally, Lily. Her character matures right before our eyes. She begins as a child that feels unloved and unwanted by her family and community. Her need to be needed is heartbreaking as is her quest to understand her mother. She has a fuzzy image of what happened to her mother but believes that she is responsible for her death. She has a father who doesn't seem to love her, and needs her only to help on the peach farm. When she rescues Rosaleen and makes it to Tiburon, magically stumbling upon the pink house, we watch her go from a child to a young adult. Her courage and relationships help her find herself, not just her mother. The chains are lifted from her heart when she is given a picture of herself and her mother. She is finally able to see with her own eyes the love for a child from it's mother. It is at this point that she knows she was loved and needed. This is the sign that she has been looking for throughout the entire book.

The Lovely Bones

The Lovely Bones, by Alice Sebold, was a more difficult read for me than Jemima J. I had begun reading this book shortly after it was published and didn't make it through. The first couple of chapters were hard for me. Two of my kids are teens, one female, and it wasn't something I wanted to read for pleasure. I was glad to see Bones on our required list because it forced me to complete it. It was easier this time. Something interesting, two recent books I just read dealt with mothers that leave their families. All of the mother characters felt like they were never meant to be moms in the first place and that it was their "right" to "find" themselves, leaving the husband to raise the kids and handle all household activities. I was surprised of this. I find that selfish and unjust. As parents, we all need a break now and then but we aren't "entitled" to weeks and months of finding ourselves. I also thought it was interesting that George Harvey's mother left him as a child. I think that child abuse/neglect is pretty common in the early lives of serial killers.
The relationships between the characters were interesting to see unravel or become tighter through Susie's eyes. The book being narrated by the murder victim was engaging, she actually sees her death and has to watch as each member of her family deals with their grief in their own way. It wasn't surprising to me that Susie's family fell apart. You did feel for Susie though as she watched her family now and then shared "before" memories with the reader. Susie gets to experience things that upon Earth she would not be privy too. I didn't get an angry vibe from the narrator, in fact I thought she became curious and entertained by the actions of her friends and family. I also didn't get the feeling that she had reached the real heaven yet. I felt like she was in an in-between place and would only make it to heaven when she was satisfied that her family was going to be okay and she could let go. When Susie was able to let go, her family could move on: "When the dead are done with the living," Franny said to me, "the living can go on to other things." (pg. 145) As the reader, it was comforting to me when Susie was able to meet other victims, and especially when she was reunited with Holiday.
The relationship with Susie and Ruth was curious to me. I wonder if Susie's spirit needed to brush by a living soul or just happened to brush Ruth in it's hurry to ascend. If the spirit needed to touch a living person, was Ruth chosen? Ruth appears to be a perfect choice. She is steadfast in her belief and desire to help Susie. Are her troubled mind and visions a blessing or a curse? Is it because of the touch that she builds a meaningful relationship with Ray? I think so. Susie falling from the heavens was a surprise to me. Their brief trading of places was enjoyable to read. I cheered for Ruth as she was showered with rose petals by the women in heaven. The encounter between Ray and Susie was touching and emtional, and I hoped that Buckly was going to be able to hear her sister on the other end of the phone. I enjoyed the book and was really glad to have picked it up and finished it this time. I think I would enjoy reading another Alice Sebold story.

Jemima J

This book was an easy read. I enjoyed it, but wouldn't search out more Jane Green books as this genre is not my personal favorite. However, it is an excellent example of chicklit. The female protagonist, Jemima, overcomes a personal challenge by the end of the book and "gets the guy". I thought Green made it easy to connect to Jemima because most women have had periods in their lives when looking in a mirror is difficult. Unfortunately, women often view themselves much more harshly than needed and we beat ourselves up instead of patting ourselves on the back. The struggle to be thin and hip begins early in lives of females and while being healthy and fit is optimal, as a middle school teacher I'm witness to the pain of those that don't fit in. I liked the way the book ended with Jemima a "voluptous, feminine, curvy size 10 who is completely happy with how she looks."
When the book began, it reminded me of the movie Holiday. Jemima reminded me of the British character from the show (can't remember her real name) that had a secret crush on the newsroom hunk and as I read I could easily see this book become it's own chick flick movie. When Jemima and her friends from the newsroom discover the Web her world changes, we hope for the better. Jemima undergoes an amazing transformation, from overweight to fit, trim, and beautiful. I found it interesting that Green made most of the thin characters in the book shallow and unpleasant to be around. For example, Jemima's friend, Geraldine, takes her on as a "project" and has used her in the past to rewrite her work. Geraldine chooses Jemima as a serious friend only when she is acceptable to be seen out with. Her editor only offers her a better job when she is thin even though her talent has always been there, and her roommates reminded me of the stepsisters from Cinderella. Prince Charming turns out to be a pig. Besides Lauren and Ben, why were all the thin characters written as selfish snobs?
I thought that Green was trying to remind us of what our mothers told us as children; beauty comes from within, it's not what you look like on the outside, it's the inside that counts...
The book definitely fit the chicklit mold; personal issues - weight, professional struggles (the good ol' boy mentality that women aren't worthy of the good jobs unless they are "lookers"), the unattainable guy, sex, hangovers, friendship, and happy endings.
As I stated earlier, I did enjoy the book. The writing was humorous and light. Jemima's Cinderella transformation was predictable, but Brad's secret life was not. Something I thought that could help the book would to be to change the font when point of view changed. I think it would make it less confusing, and perhaps a little more fun to read.