Why must you break everything?!

For those that are interested, this shelf is about six feet off the ground. Yes, he did knock down the picture frame. And yes, he did break the shelf (a week later).

Night, by Elie Wiesel

• Pub. Date: January 2006
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
• Pages: 144

 

Rating: 5/5

Synopsis

 

A New Translation From The French By Marion Wiesel
Night is Elie Wiesel's masterpiece, a candid, horrific, and deeply poignant autobiographical account of his survival as a teenager in the Nazi death camps. This new translation by Marion Wiesel, Elie's wife and frequent translator, presents this seminal memoir in the language and spirit truest to the author's original intent. And in a substantive new preface, Elie reflects on the enduring importance of Night and his lifelong, passionate dedication to ensuring that the world never forgets man's capacity for inhumanity to man.

Night offers much more than a litany of the daily terrors, everyday perversions, and rampant sadism at Auschwitz and Buchenwald; it also eloquently addresses many of the philosophical as well as personal questions implicit in any serious consideration of what the Holocaust was, what it meant, and what its legacy is and will be.


Review

I've had this book for quite a while, but decided to read it yesterday and was unable to put it down until I had finished the last page. My heart still hurts , knowing that this is not fiction. I also wonder if the world can feel it's sadness - this week has been balmy, but today, a biting wind has broken the perfect weather. Of course, stories have a tendency to alter the emotion of the reader, but some, like this book, linger.

Wiesel has an abrupt style, but I really like it and think it fits with the topic and time. He also was successful with connecting to me as the reader: In the beginning, no one could believe that such things were possible, that people were capable of such evil. If that were to happen today, it would be almost a repeat because who would believe such madness? Even worse than this (in some sense) is the countless times when Elie and his family could have escaped but did not. It must be terribly disconcerting for him to know (now) that there were exits all throughout his nightmare.

Although short, the author makes up in sheer impact what lacks in length. I also have to wonder if it would be unbearable to read if it were any longer. In movies, and maybe books alike, it seems that we judge a story as 'good' or 'bad' by the ending. Most tragedies, whether said aloud or not, we internally think of them as bad because the ending was not wrapped up with a perfect bow; we are left hanging, incomplete somehow. Inside, I think of this book as bad in the way that it saddens me and shows the horrific side of human nature, BUT in the same breath I will say that as a story it altered my emotions and perception, in a way comparable to that of real life. Isn't that what makes a successful story?

The cat stand

I usually have books on my nightstand but every night Moses jumps up, gives them a disgusting look, shoves them all off with one swipe and lays down. I don't even think he likes sleeping on the nightstand....he just feels obligated to lay down for a few seconds to convince me that it was necessary for him to move all those books.

Smaller size, please?

Went to the Northeast Mall in Hurst, TX - apparently they have an entire store that sells flip flops (who knew!?). Biggest flip flop I've ever seen, and it's really heavy!!!

Sizzling Sixteen (Stephanie Plum Series #16), by Janet Evanovich

• Pub. Date: June 2010
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press
• Pages: 309

• Series: Stephanie Plum Series , #16

 

Rating: 5/5

 

Synopsis

Bounty hunter Stephanie Plum has inherited a “lucky” bottle from her Uncle Pip. Problem is, he didn’t specify if it brought good luck or bad luck!

Publishers Weekly

In this tepid Stephanie Plum adventure from Evanovich (Finger Lickin' Fifteen, etc.), a personal case distracts the Trenton, N.J., bondswoman from tracking the usual group of eccentric skips--the kidnapping of her cousin, Vinnie, who's being held for ransom in the high six figures. As Stephanie, sidekick Lula, and office manager Connie soon realize, Vincent Plum Bail Bonds is seriously in the red due to Vinnie's gambling. Vinnie's also gotten caught up with local mobster Bobby Sunflower in a complicated scheme. Even though her sleazy cousin isn't her favorite person and chasing oddball felons isn't her ideal career, Stephanie knows family loyalty counts for something, plus she owes him for giving her a job all those years ago. So with Lula and Connie in tow--and romantic interests Morelli and Ranger lurking in the background-- Stephanie must save the day once again. Evanovich is at her best spinning the bizarre subplots involving Stephanie's bail jumpers, but the larger story simply recycles elements from previous installments. 

Review 
If you haven't taken the opportunity to read anything by Janet Evanovich, shame on you. Her Stephanie Plum series is ridiculously good - how else can there possibly be a mass following of a series with SEVENTEEN (and going) installments? In my opinion, this would make a great TV show. Her characters are colorful and this is one of the only authors I know that has the ability to make me laugh out loud while reading (literally). It takes serious wit and description to do that.

So as of this point - those of you who've not read 1-15, there are spoilers!!! - Stephanie, an accidental bounty hunter, is not with Ranger, the seriously stealth, black-ops hunk of awesomeness, or Joe Morelli, the cop-next-door/boy-of-our-dreams. She's gone back and forth and I've come to the conclusion that she's just teasing me....just keep "dating" them both and everyone's happy (except maybe Joe and Ranger).

In addition to that, she and Lula track down Bobby Sunflower and bunch of other goons to rescue he Uncle Vinny. Slime of creation that he is, they both need the job and no one else cares enough to save his hide.

I have to say the reason this story is so appealing is because it's not unrealistic, superhero stuff - I mean, Stephanie is kind of like Mr. Bean - and at least a handful of things (cars, buildings, etc.) get blown up every hundred pages or so (in all 16 books). AND it's really funny. Evanovich does not disappoint.

The Fallen 2: Aerie and Reckoning, by Thomas E. Sniegoski

THE FALLEN 2: AERIE AND RECKONING, by Thomas E. Sniegoski

• Pub. Date: July 2010
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
• Pages: 541  

• Series: Fallen Series

 

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis

Destined for Heaven or Hell? The saga continues from THE FALLEN 1.

Aaron’s senior year has been anything but typical. Half-angel and half-human, he has been charged to reunite the Fallen with Heaven. But the leader of the Dark Powers is determined to destroy Aaron—and all hope of angelic reconciliation.

Struggling to harness the incredible force within him, Aaron trains for the ultimate battle. With the Dark 

Powers building in strength and numbers, their clash may come sooner than he expects. And everyone who’s ever mattered to Aaron is now in grave danger.

Aaron must protect the girl he loves and rescue the only family he’s ever known. Because if he can’t save them from the Dark Powers, how can he hope to save the Fallen?

Review

Holy mother of pearl, Sniegoski. You, sir, are the man of fantasy fiction. If you guys liked the first in this series, you will not be disappointed by this installment. The action in this story is ridiculous! And the emotion is all over the board. I haven't read something so sad in quite a while. Or something so inspiring.

I'm a real fan of theology and light romance but who knew you can have both in one book (sure, I've read all about Soloman, but guys, that's NOT light romance). In ways, the end is a bit obvious but I think that this is worth the read - a lot of ground gets covered in 500 pages so it's hard for me to comment about the action without giving away certain developments. Enjoy this one!

Cat in a bag