The Slap
By: Christos Tsiolkas

Paige’s Rating: (2) of 5
Recommended for: Fiction Readers

 At a suburban barbecue, a man slaps a child who is not his own. This event has a shocking ricochet effect on a group of people, mostly friends, who are directly or indirectly influenced by the event. The Slap is told from the points of view of eight people who were present at the barbecue. The slap and its consequences force them all to question their own families and the way they live, their expectations, beliefs and desires.

This book had all the bones to be a great novel: the topic is one that is controversial and edgy and the idea of writing it from the perspective of eight different characters is interesting. I was given this book along with five others and chose to start with this book first. It took me about a month to finally finish it. Why?

While the premise is right on, the details of the novel are sloppy. The first chapter from the perspective of Hector introduces so many characters, half of which are irrelevant later on in the novel. The characters are also very flawed; their personalities are wretched and there are not many redeeming qualities to them. Yes, the author attempted to make the reader sympathetic to some of the characters but it was not near enough. In this way, I felt that the novel failed to connect to the reader, at least this reader. And dear friends understand that I am by no means saintly. With that said, even I still found the characters gross and disgusting.

Speaking of which, the plot had a lot of disgusting sexual scenarios. As much as I enjoy some steam in a novel, the sex in this novel seemed forced and intentional to cause discomfort and bring the characters down to a primal level. And again, that is fine but not if you want the reader to eventually connect with the character and find the character redeemable. The characters also swore a lot, which again is not something I would normally find offensive. However the swearing seemed again, forced and done simply for shock value.

The language, being vulgar, is bad enough but the dialogue between the characters is ridiculous. The characters often lapse into internal dialogues, which are indistinguishable from the regular plot. Often, I was reading and got lost as to whether what I read was the plot or the characters personal thoughts. This is just sloppy writing, in my opinion.

The plot is interesting and I really did enjoy all eight characters’ separate stories; however, they all tended to drag on and the characters with their warts and all still became predictable and dare I say, boring. I actually skipped ahead in some areas because I either 1) knew what was about to happen and then 2) didn’t even care. I wasn’t invested in the characters at all.

And I get it. I understand that the author is trying to remind us bluntly that we are humans and that our society is becoming increasingly ego-centric and destructive. But this message is so loud and clear that you simply want to shut the book and say, “I get it. Some people really are selfish and suck. So?” After all, how does that pertain to me when I am not in any way connected or sympathetic to the characters?

A good try and a fantastic message, but I feel like The Slap is just a little too harsh and brutal. A nudge would have been more my liking.

The Eloquence of the Hedgehog
By: Muriel Barbery

Paige’s Rating: (3) of 5
Recommended for: Fiction Readers

Paloma and Renée hide both their true talents and their finest qualities from a world they suspect cannot or will not appreciate them. They discover their kindred souls when a wealthy Japanese man named Ozu arrives in the building. Only he is able to gain Paloma’s trust and to see through Renée’s timeworn disguise to the secret that haunts her. This is a moving, funny, triumphant novel that exalts the quiet victories of the inconspicuous among us.

I got this book sent to me in Istanbul and so I was excited to read it. I really enjoyed this book until the very end; needless to say for all the depth and beauty that was portrayed in the book, I felt the ending was a little cliché. It was like this witty and sweet first date where the goodnight kiss doesn’t come, or worse, it does and he ends up being one of those dudes who drools on you. Oh, it’s over even though there was so much potential.

This book really had a beautiful plot which was split between the life of an educated concierge and 12 year old girl who both felt it necessary to keep their intellect covered and thus, hide a large part of their personalities. Both characters live in the same building and the descriptions of the high class Parisians who also occupy it is done is a very simple yet effective way, from the point of views from the two main characters.

From these observations, the central and underlining themes of the book are exposed. I personally felt, however, that the main theme was not nearly as important or as interesting as the smaller ideas that were peppered through the book like chucks of jalapeños ready to bomb your taste buds. For example, “Can’t you tell when a person hates himself? He becomes a living cadaver, it numbs all his negative emotions…so that he won’t feel nauseated by who he is.” Or also, “…and maybe the greatest anger and frustration come not from unemployment and poverty…but from the feeling that you have no culture…How can you exist if you don’t know who you are?” There are more, but the idea is that there are some really nice nuggets of truth about human psychology.

The only down side is that a lot of this information is presented in an overly wordy tone. I understand that both characters are intellectual, but I found that their manner of speaking sometimes became too weighty and wordy. It was sometimes too rich and I wanted to skim some of the paragraphs. I felt this more with the dialogue of the concierge than the young girl, although, it was really hard to initially believe that a twelve year old girl would talk in such a tone.

Overall, the book is enjoyable. The plot is more interesting and developed than that of other books which have tried to weave story and philosophy together, and if the reader can get through some vocabulary, than it’s definitely worth a read. Barberry accomplishes a beautiful novel wound around a philosophical vein despite the ending leaving much to be desired. 

Dancer from the Dance
By: Andrew Holleran

Paige’s Rating: (5) of 5
Recommended for: Fiction Readers
It depicts the adventures of Malone, a beautiful young man searching for love amid New York’s emerging gay scene. From Manhattan’s Everard Baths and after-hours discos to Fire Island’s deserted parks and lavish orgies, Malone looks high and low for meaningful companionship. The person he finds is Sutherland, a campy quintessential queen — and one of the most memorable literary creations of contemporary fiction.

Wow and wow! I must admit that at first I was a bit apprehensive to read a novel about gay culture simply because my gay friend himself said, “Are you sure you want to read it?” “Why not?” was my reply and I am very glad that I did.

Dancer is a brilliantly written book! The plot itself is engaging as it follows the lives of two very different gay men living in New York in the late 60s and early 70s. Both are looking for something that seems to be beyond their grasp. The plot moves forward effortlessly as it describes the lives of these men without being repetitive or without being overtly crass. Throughout the book there are scenes of group orgies and lot of drug consumption, but presented in such a blasé way that I personally never felt uncomfortable. The plot ends in tragedy, but the reader knowing from the beginning of the book about this, is able to appreciate the plot more as it unfolds, making the end of the book a lot less shocking so that it may be simply heartbreaking.

The author is also incredibly skilled with words. Both the appearances and personalities of the two main characters are so beautifully and vividly described. Holleran is able to paint to portray Malone as an incredibly handsome man simply because of his humility and never-ending drive to find real love in a loveless world. Sutherland is eccentric, loud, wild and a great balance to Malone’s more rational tendencies. While both characters are starkly different from each other, they play off each other very well and their friendship seems to be one that is necessary for their own survival.

New York is also described with this mysterious air, as the neighborhoods that these men live in are not wealthy. But the sounds, the sights and the energy of New York and outer boroughs are so well written that even someone who has never experienced New York can easily feel at home in the novel.

This book was so well done that I felt as if it were written by three of my favorite authors. The characters themselves reminded me a lot about the multi-dimensional characters that Salinger would conjure up but set in a New York society that Fitzgerald would have described. The plot at times is melancholy and at other times shocking but in general it reminded me a bit of Burgess’ A Clockwork Orange where it is overall fascinating.

The mixture of the well-developed characters set in a magical New York with a scandalous plot makes this one of the best books I have read in the last year.

Location, location, location. Great writers will tell you it means everything when it comes to composing their next sentence. Whether you are writing a classical fiction tale or just putting thoughts down in a journal, it can be the catalyst that breaks down writer’s block. Changing location doesn’t have to require a van and movers; maybe getting off the chair is enough. No matter what you write, work environment plays a role.

Make a Small Change

Taking the occasional break helps keep your thoughts flowing. Writing is a complex task. Sometimes the words seem to write themselves, but those moments are few and far between. When you are struggling, a minor change in location can give you inspiration. Leave the words behind while you walk around, take a shower, do the dishes or watch a movie. Stepping away will freshen up your thinking so when you sit down to write again, the struggle is over. It’s also beneficial to step away from a first draft before you begin editing it again. When you come back with a different mindset you can view your writing more objectively.

Get a New Perspective

If you have been staring at the screen or paper for hours, now might be a good time to change your perspective. Location doesn’t have to be where you physically are, it might be where your mind rests. Minimize the word processor screen and read some emails or surf the web for a few minutes. If you are writing by hand, flip the page and doodle for a while. Since you are not actually leaving your spot, your mind will still be somewhat in the writing game. You might find the next line pops in while you’re looking at something other than the page. Let your brain soak up some visual art or music. Muses play across art forms. It wouldn’t be surprising for your next writing spark to come from a completely different type of flame.

Just Get Moving

Grab your work product, whether it is a laptop, tablet computer or notebook and move to a different location. Go to the nearest coffeehouse and work over a piece of pie. If nature is an inspiration for you, move to a quiet area in the park to work. Sometimes just changing rooms is enough. There might be distractions in the office that are interfering with your thinking whether you know it or not. Move from the desk to the couch or from the couch to the kitchen table. Changing the environment around you may be all you need for inspiration. Lighting, noise level and room temp—all have an effect on you. If your current position isn’t inspiriting, then a different area of the city may help too.

Think Bigger to Get Better

The writing process is funny. It’s hard to say what will truly inspire. When you are really stuck, then it might be time to consider a big change. Ernest Hemingway used to run to the Florida Keys when he needed inspiration. Some writers require solitude to get their creative juices flowing. Finding the right setting might take some time and travel. Maybe you need to stare at the New York City skyline, sit under the arch in St. Louis or light a fire in a Colorado cabin to focus on your task. Making a big location change to get away from life’s distractions can help writers finish a book or work on a dissertation. Going to a place with the purpose of finishing keeps you on task.

Writing is an art form and like any creative process, it is different for each artist. Take the time to figure out what truly inspires you. Location may be the key that unlocks your creative self.

This Burns My Heart
By: Samuel Park

Paige’s Rating: (4) of 5
Recommended for: Fiction Readers

In a country torn between past and present, Soo-Ja struggles to find happiness in a loveless marriage and to carve out a successful future for her only daughter. Forced by tradition to move in with her in-laws, she must navigate the dangers of a cruel household and pay the price of choosing the wrong husband. Meanwhile, the man she truly loves remains a lurking shadow in her life, reminding her constantly of the love she could have had.

This book was beautifully written, and I thoroughly enjoyed the majority of it although I felt that the first half of the book was far superior to the second half. The story begins with a head-strong Soo-Ja who has the nontraditional dream of being a foreign diplomat. Her parents refuse her to leave alone, her mother suggesting she could pursue her dream if she left her village with a husband. Soo-Ja finds a young man who is easily won, but finds to her horror just how weak he is soon after their marriage. The author makes the story believable and does an excellent job of describing the consequences of Soo-Ja marrying the wrong man.

It is in the second half of the book, however, where Soo-Ja runs into the other man who desperately wanted to marry her. He is a doctor now, married, and while he should have no concern for Soo-Ja, it is apparent in his actions that he still loves her and cares for her. At this point, their relationship becomes one where there is love still between them, but neither act on it. Here I find the plot a bit stagnant and parts of it even far-fetched. The love that is suppose to exists between the two seems cold, and maybe that is only because it would be culturally inappropriate for them to have any sort of physical contact. Regardless, the character of Soo-Ja has opportunities to correct her mistake of marrying the wrong man, but doesn’t and I find this to actually be out of line with the character that had been described all along.

The ending is what it is, and I won’t say anything else to spoil it. However, I dove into the first half of the book and read it steadily but found myself losing interest towards the end. The plot seems to become loose, the characters rigid and the writing hurried. Yet overall, a nice book indeed.

Writers create their best work when their environment is conducive to creativity and concentration. However, achieving the optimal writing environment can be challenging. If your workspace is too warm, too cluttered or too distracting, you may be unable to complete your assignments. Below are some tips you can use to improve your workspace and encourage productivity.

Organization

An organized workspace makes it easier to write and allows you to accomplish things faster. When your desk is cluttered, you may become distracted and find it difficult to formulate ideas. Keeping your workspace organized is often the key to ensuring that you don’t procrastinate and do keep on track.

The first step to organizing your workspace is to deal with the existing clutter. Sort your items into piles based on what you need to do with them. For example, you may make a pile of items that belong in other rooms, a pile of items that need your attention and items that need to be filed. Next, deal with each pile, individually, to clear the area.

To prevent the clutter from piling up again, take some time each day to tidy up your work area. Create a filing system for important papers, and file your paperwork at least once per week if not every day. Try your best to keep items that don’t belong in your work area in their proper places and remove trash from your desk every day.

Distractions

Some writers find that they become easily distracted with other tasks, such as checking email, watching television or playing games on the Internet. To avoid these distractions, consider eliminating them from your work area. If you don’t need the internet to write or do research, don’t connect to it. Similarly, you should avoid working near a television. If you must work in a room with a television, keep it off when you are trying to concentrate. You may think the TV is just noise in the background, but as soon as you hear something that intrigues you, distractions and delays will follow.

Though some outside influences may distract you from your work, some writers find that they can focus more effectively while listening to music. Because lyrics can be distracting, the best writing music is usually instrumental. Some writers have also found that playing the same song each time you write can train you to jump into writing mode as soon as the song begins. Try to avoid songs that make you feel too relaxed and lethargic, though.

Whatever your distractions may be, make sure your writing area is conducive to your health, comfort and creativity. You don’t need an empty space to be an excellent writer. A bit of organization and a tidy workspace should keep you on track, writing efficiently and effectively!

Air and Water Quality

One of the best things you can do to better your workspace is to monitor the temperature, water cleanliness, and air quality. When the temperature is too high, you may feel sleepy or otherwise distracted. Likewise, if the air quality is poor, you may experience allergies or trouble breathing which can also take away from your focus. To create the best possible environment, keep the temperature comfortable, but cool enough to keep you alert. Warmer temperatures tend to sooth and can even cause tiredness.  To maintain good water quality, consider using a water purifier or a special filter, such as the 5231ja2006a filter. Similarly, air quality can be maintained by regularly changing out filters. Water and air quality are often taken for granted, but maintaining these two elements is essential in creating a comfortable and effective working space. Ensuring these three elements are balanced creates the natural environment for you to be an effective writer because they ensure your body, not just your mind, is ready for work!

The Help
By: Kathryn Stockett

Paige’s Rating: (3) of 5
Recommended for: Historical Fiction Readers

Twenty-two-year-old Skeeter has just returned home after graduating from Ole Miss. She may have a degree, but it is 1962, Mississippi, and her mother will not be happy till Skeeter has a ring on her finger. Aibileen is a black maid, a wise, regal woman raising her seventeenth white child. Something has shifted inside her after the loss of her own son, who died while his bosses looked the other way.
Minny, Aibileen’s best friend, is short, fat, and perhaps the sassiest woman in Mississippi. She can cook like nobody’s business, but she can’t mind her tongue, so she’s lost yet another job. Seemingly as different from one another as can be, these women will nonetheless come together for a clandestine project that will put them all at risk.

I saw the previews for this movie in the summer, when I was back visiting my family in America. My eyebrows raised as the trailer played in front of me and when it finished, my friend and I leaned in at the same time to say, “Looks good.” When I got back to Turkey, I was disappointed to find out that the movie would not come here until December, so I decided to legally purchase it when it came out on DVD in November. Right? Anyway, the movie was disappointing so when my friend handed me the book last week, I sighed and thought, “Well the book is always better than the movie right? So this must be okay.” And the verdict? The book is okay. It’s not bad like the film but it is not as good as it could have been.

I think the plot is good considering we have been down the 1960’s Mississippi dirt road many times before. Yet, the idea of maids producing a book about their life with the driving force of a white girl behind them is unique and Stockett actually makes it believable in the book. In addition, the author paints a much more dynamic and dangerous view of Jackson than was portrayed in the movie, with extra details and sub-plots. What would have made the overall plot better, however, would have been the development of some of the sub-plots which were introduced and then never developed, like Minny’s pregnancy. Also, some of the sub-plots were unnecessary or in my opinion, a bit ridiculous like the fact that Skeeter’s mother has cancer.

The characters are also done well. Stockett writes from the perspective of the three main characters and does a very good job of making their voices unique from one another. The relationship between the characters is okay, and that is one area that could have also been better. Skeeter and Aibileen grow together as they believe they are doing the right but dangerous thing of organizing the book, but you don’t see them actually have “a moment” where their friendship is apparent, and that is quite a bit of a letdown. In addition, Minny begins to care about the white woman she works for, Celia, but you never see Minny do anything to prove that. Instead the author uses internal dialogue to convey feelings poorly.

Even if you didn’t care much for the movie, you still may find the book a bit more interesting. At the worst, it’s a good rainy-day book to read when nothing else is available to you. It passes the time. But if you liked the movie, than I am sure you are going to love the book and enjoy the extras that didn’t make it to the big screen.

Brida
By: Paulo Coelho

Paige’s Rating: (2) of 5
Recommended for: Spiritual- Fiction Readers

Brida, a young Irish girl, has long been interested in various aspects of magic but is searching for something more. Her search leads her to people of great wisdom. She meets a wise man who dwells in a forest, who teaches her to trust in the goodness of the world, and a woman who teaches her how to dance to the music of the world. As Brida seeks her destiny, she struggles to find a balance between her relationships and her desire to become a witch.

Lately, I feel as if I am in a real bad relationship with the books I am reading. It seems like there is a lot of hype about these books, and my heart quickens when they are described to me. “Oh yes, this one is a best-seller and this other one very smart and deep. Paige, you need to read them.” Wow, that sounds good, and so I can’t wait to meet these books. And while we should never judge a book by the cover, I see that these books have potential; they are attractive and I can dig them. But then, oh, then I read them and get to know them. It is somewhere around page 20 where I find that I am already bored with them but like all my past lovers, I stick it out in case something good does end up coming out of it. *sigh* Oh the hopeful masochist that I am.

I had a few friends, both American and Turkish, recommend this book to me. When I noticed that it was written by the same author of The Alchemist, which also came highly praised, I thought that it would be a good buy. While The Alchemist was good, Brida was barely redeemable.

The character of Brida is a young Irish girl, going to University in the 1980s. Brida begins that journey we all take in order to search for ourselves. Maybe it was due to the translation, but I felt that her character was unchanging from start to finish, even though the words in the book were trying desperately to convince me that she was in a great spiritual transition. In the end, the reader is told that Brida has this new-found knowledge of life and of herself, but when I looked at the actions in the book, I just wasn’t buying it because those actions wouldn’t have personally developed my spirituality.

So let’s talk about that, the actions in the storyline. There was action that occurred that moved the plot forward, but it was in a way that seemed detached from the progress of the character and naturally, to the reader. Let me give you an example from the book, without spoiling the plot too much. There were two love-making scenes that were to be pivotal in Brida’s journey toward spiritual understanding. Now, I have had some good sex in my day, but hardly anything so good that I hit a new level of enlightenment. So I get it, and yet I don’t. Consequently, I have had sex so bad, that it brought a new level of knowledge to me, the knowledge of dead fish whoppie, but I digress. In this way I think Coelho is trying to connect with his reader but failing miserably because the actions in which he chooses to show Brida’s spiritual journey aren’t likely to be the same actions the reader would take, as I stated early. It’s like a lover trying desperately to make you understand that he loves you, but he shows his love for you by making you pay for dinner. You get it and yet you don’t. It’s not bad action, but it’s just not normal actions that would prove the point.

Again, maybe this is due to the translation or maybe the context of these books is so deep that its true meaning is lost to… herm… people like me. Read it if you wish to read about a nice girl who becomes a woman through actions unrelated to the progress, but don’t expect to find your spiritual answer here. After all, real love and real answers comes from within. And that is what Coelho tried to convey ironically, without connecting to the reader.

The Alchemist
By: Paulo Coelho

Paige’s Rating: (3) of 5
Recommended for: Spiritual- Fiction Readers

This story, dazzling in its powerful simplicity and inspiring wisdom, is about an Andalusian shepherd boy named Santiago who travels from his homeland in Spain to the Egyptian desert in search of a treasure buried in the Pyramids. Along the way he meets a Gypsy woman, a man who calls himself king, and an alchemist, all of whom points Santiago in the direction of his quest. No one knows what the treasure is, or if Santiago will be able to surmount the obstacles along the way. But what starts out as a journey to find wordly goods turns into a discovery of the treasure found within.

Even being half-way around the world, I have heard the hype surrounding this book but have only been able to find it in Turkish, that is until last week. So being in a book store that has twelve different books in English and six of those by Paulo Coelho, I bought this one and Brida, which I will be writing a review about shortly. But this book seems to fall into the same category as: The Last Lecture and The Secret. People whisper and rave about this book and when you pick it up to read it, you have hope that this book will forever stick with you. And when you finish it, you simply go, “Huh.”

The character was nameless or at least 98% of the time regarded as “the boy,” and naturally this wasn’t coincidence: Coelho wants us to identify with the boy. The character seems young and inquisitive, which is why he was perfect to go on a physical and spiritual journey. He seemed to ask the right questions and find the answers easily.

The plot was that of a journey in search for “treasure.” The boy first found himself in Northern Africa for some time before making his way across the desert towards the pyramids. During the travel the characters whom he met on his journey all help him take the necessary steps forward. The Universe made sure that the boy can always continue forward. He does hit a few obstacles along the way, but it was still interesting to see if he would make it to his destination.

Naturally, everything at this point sounds pretty simple and that’s the truth. The book is very simplistic in its characters and plot. Even the writing takes on a sort of folktale-prose style which is generally short, simple sentences. So is the book incredibly boring because everything is so simple? Well, everything must be simple because it’s the meaning of the book that is so complex.

While reading this book, I felt that the theme of spiritual journey was nice, but the other life lessons were too much. The different characters who helped out the shepherd spoke in short but deep sentences about many Universal truths that couldn’t be processed back to back. Coelho mentioned having fear and faith, he mentioned beginners luck in finding your destiny, he mentioned destiny and following your path in life, he mentioned the signs in the Universe God readily shows us when we follow our path, he mentioned the nature of the human heart and emotions, he mentioned a Soul of the World that we all belong to and so on and so forth. All of these issues are pretty complex, but Coelho sort of breezed through them as if they were regular water-cooler talk. I found myself purposely re-reading some sections because I felt there was a deeper message that was being glazed over.

Overall, the book was good. Was it something that changed my mind and spirituality forever? No and in all honesty, I will probably have forgotten about this book in two years time. But is it good? Yes. If you sit down with a patient mind, I find the issues raised in this book are worth contemplating in your heart.

Our Man in Havana
By: Graham Greene

Paige’s Rating: (4) of 5
Recommended for: Satire- Fiction Readers

Our Man in Havana is an espionage thriller, a penetrating character study it tells of MI6′s man in Havana, Wormold, a former vacuum-cleaner salesman turned reluctant secret agent out of economic necessity. To keep his job, he files bogus reports based on Lamb’s Tales from Shakespeare and dreams up military installations from vacuum-cleaner designs. Then his stories start coming disturbingly true.

What a fantastic read! The main character, Mr. Wormold, is a British citizen living in Cuba in the 1960’s. His wife has left him and so he is alone in raising a young daughter who is incredibly spoiled and spends her father’s money without knowing whether he has it or not. As a vacuum cleaner salesman, he really does not.

As a character, Wormold is great because he evokes a sense of pity even though you know his indifference makes him rather pathetic and you can’t help but understand why his clever wife left him. Milly is Wormold’s young daughter who is so innocent, you allow her to be irresponsible with her father’s money and heart. Greene does a fabulous job of creating supporting characters that have glaringly obvious flaws, but the reader loves them regardless.

The plot is also creative and comedic. Because Wodmold’s daughter uses his money with no regard, he is in a tight financial position when he is cornered in the men’s room by a man named Hawthorne. Hawthorne is a British spy and convinces Wormold to keep important tabs on the going-ons of Havana and send reports to Britain. Of course, Wormold is not only compensated for his work, but he is compensated for a team of additional spies who will help him. Wormold is not interested in playing spy, but being interested in the money, he creates a team of spies that work for him and conjures up dangerous missions that they take on. All is fine until, of course, Britain sends in some extra help and the spies that Wormold has created begin to show up dead in reality. From there, reality and fiction spiral out of control as Wormold tries to hang onto the illusion of his spy life while figuring out how his fantasy has turned into non-fiction.

The writing is wonderful, and Greene is not only great at creating unique characters and story lines, but he also infuses a lot of wit into the character’s dialogues. The result is a charming book with a subtle dark lesson: don’t take the easy way out!

I suggest this book to anyone who is looking for something that is entertaining and light.