Doctor Sleep

Everything of pop culture that I enjoy has inevitably come directly from from pop-culture and Stephen King's The Shining was no different. I started watching Melrose Place on DVD in my mid-twenties after the iconic Seinfeld episode, and I decided to read The Shining after it was the only book Friends' Joey Tribiani would actually read (I tried to read Little Women too, but that didn't work out so well).

Almost ten years later and thoughts of The Shining still give me the creeps. I can't remember anything other than the general plot-line, and the movie forever tarnished the book for me as a "good one," but I still think it is a must-read. I didn't know King was releasing a sequel until about a week before, and while I've never been excited about a book release (Harry Potter doesn't count, of course), the news of this made me excited in the way you are to go on roller coasters. I didn't remember most of The Shining and that was written over 30 years ago; only God and Mr. King knew what could possibly be in...Doctor Sleep.

Danny, being too smart and too experienced for his young age with a mother who was too naive and too inexperienced for her age, didn't have the best childhood. His horrific history in Colorado combined with a family history of alcoholism didn't line him up for the best of opportunities, either. Running from town-to-town, bottle-to-bottle, the now-middle-aged Dan searches for a place he can call home. Far-removed from the horrors of Colorado, in a small, Norman-Rockwell, New-England town, Dan begins to make a life for himself that just happens to include being able to do the same....uh....tricks he was able to do when he was younger. Only now he's not alone.

A young girl with talents similar to Danny is wanted by sub-human, literal soul-suckers (there are a lot of those in Colorado) and the only person who can really help her is Dan. This, of course, means facing evils he's spent his entire life running from and drowning in liquor. But the question isn't if he'll save her but how.

Given that King isn't the first author on my reading list, his books are always a bit of a surprise. I don't remember what I was expecting from The Shining, but there are parts of it that I still don't understand. Ten years and a lot of read-books later and what I expected from Doctor Sleep was not to understand everything. Probably the biggest thing I don't understand with authors like King, Martin, and Tolkien is the extent of their imagination and the expert way they are able to weave together stories to make one fantastic tapestry of story-telling. So many times I had to put Doctor Sleep down so my heart could quit racing and let my brain digest everything. Reading like part diary, part novel, part AA pamphlet, King's latest scare-fest is something you can't put down and could conceivably finish in a weekend if you're ambitious.

I'm not a fan of being scared. I've hated Halloween most of my life, and horror movies have grown largely distasteful after they turned into the exploitation of the worst of the human race instead of creating monsters that could never actually exist. King expertly delivers both. Doctor Sleep creates the monsters from under your bed but has them prey on the fears and evils of the human condition. And I'm not sure about King's other books, but in this read, one bad-ass literary hero emerges and that is always a bonus.

Abra Stone is the only other person in the world who knows what it's like to be Daniel Torrance. Plagued by the same...shining...we go along for the ride as she is born, lives, "meets" Dan, and battles to keep her life from ending before hitting her teens. And all the while I'm reading her journey, my friend's question of If You Could Be Any Female Character from a Book, Who Would You Be? kept running through my mind. While I don't think I'd change my answer from Hermione to Abra, I think they are one in the same: problem-solvers, smart, brave, kind, true, and strong. But of course Hermione still wins because she ends up married to Ron Weasely in the end.

Other Doctor Sleep reviews prohibit reading The Shining first, obviously mistaking it for the Robert Langdon trilogy of Dan Brown, a case in which I adamantly suggest reading The DaVinci Code before Angels and Demons as the latter will literally give you nightmares. But I think reading The Shining first is imperative to really understanding Dan, how Abra and him are so inexplicably linked, how they're able to fight the ultimate fight, and in being able to comprehend the importance of certain characters who only make small appearances but huge impacts to the story.

Doctor Sleep truly is a remarkable story and King is nothing short of a miraculous storyteller. Weaving factual information with personal experience and the ultimate imagination results in a book you sort of float through; you're not consciously aware of picking up the book and reading but all of a sudden you're on page 400. If there is one thing that plagues me, it is that there is one main question left, if not unanswered, largely assumed. Given it took 30 years for the sequel, I highly doubt a third book to accompany The Shining, so that can't be the reason, in which case I will assume what I can only assume the author wanted me to assume.

That point aside, Doctor Sleep is definitely worth a haul in your tote and highly recommended. Score another one for pop culture!

 

(The creepy starts about page 4 but the cover gets things going well enough.)

The Prince of Mist

Our book club is back from summer-break and starting things off with a bang with Carlos Ruiz Zafron's The Prince of Mist. He is apparently well-known in the Young Adult genre - which is what this is classified as - as well as the adult market. His hopes, as he states in a letter to the reader, is that there will be a cross-over for fans, that young and old alike will appreciate all of his writing.

This month's book-picker has read Zafron before and loved it. While I didn't particularly "love" this, it kept me entertained while I read, spooked me to an appropriate degree (I usually hate being scared), and was well-written. It was also a short read so I was surprised I didn't finish it in a weekend; it actually took me quite awhile to complete this book.

The writing was a tad juvenile but I can hardly fault a Young Adult novel for that. Max Carver, the son of a watchmaker in the 40's, is suddenly moved with his family from the city to a remote beach that holds a lot of dark secrets. In a spooky tale that combines sunken ships, haunting spirits, crazy, unexplainable occurrences, creepy clowns and circus freaks, strange symbols, and the appropriate degree of drama and tragedy, The Prince of Mist is perfect for stormy, beach summer nights, or now - as Halloween stalks eerily closer.

While I found the story entertaining, it wasn't something that hooked me or even really sunk into my brain. Some books you read and feel like you're living them. I've even been so involved in books that I've dreamt them. The Prince of Mist wasn't like that. After picking up the book from the previous day, I'd have completely forgotten what happened and have to read the previous page to get my brain caught up. So when I'd look at the book, I wouldn't think, oh I have to find out what happens to this character. I'd think, I have no idea what is going on in this book right now.

I don't know if that speaks more to the book or my roller-coaster book-reading; sometimes I can't read enough books; sometimes I'm just not into it and would rather devour magazines and online articles instead.

The Prince of Mist doesn't take much effort, but it is ultimately worth it (there are few things I read that I think *aren't* worth it), and if you have the time, it is something that could conceivably be finished in a weekend. And - most important - it will definitely fit in your tote. It's a great book to ask to borrow from your kids when they're done.

Mini Shopaholic

I know you're not supposed to judge a book by it's cover (then why do they try so hard to make them pretty, I ask you?!), but since shopping is in my blood, I instantly gravitated towards Sophie Kinsella's Confessions of a Shopaholic. Then leaped for joy when I learned it was a series. And even more when I learned the series would continue (this discovery was many years back so *sigh* Mini Shopaholic is the final book in the series. I did tweet Kinsella begging for a Shopaholic Takes Hollywood but have yet to hear back. Fingers crossed!)

So then I guess I don't need to tell you, I love these books. But more so, I love Sophie Kinsella. A British charmer with a quick wit and the vital talent of putting said wit to paper and have it properly translate. One of my goodreads friends gave her a bad review and I was offended! Her books are laugh-out-loud funny, endearing, intelligent, dramatic, fun, and completely worth the effort (unlike Outlander but don't even get me started on that hot mess).

We pick up shortly where Shopaholic and Sister leaves off, with Luke and Becky Brandon living with her parents while they try to find a suitable home for them and Minnie, their precocious two-year old. I'd say spoiled, but Becky's parenting skills aren't what's being reviewed, here...

In the midst of deal after deal falling through, for one unimaginable reason or another, a national financial crisis leaves Becky feeling like the fate of the economy is on her shoulders when she's probably the only one supporting it. While laughing at the ridiculousness that is her and her life, you can't help but like her, feel like she was the best friend you never had, understand the euphoric ecstasy that comes with shopping, and might even be compelled to do a little shopping yourself. She is assertive and stands up for herself, while also reminding us readers why it pays to be nice to everyone all the time no matter what.

No, the subject matter doesn't make you squirm for the sake of art; the climax of the story was Becky spending an obscene amount of money when the entire series was based on one question: will Becky finally get her financial life under control? The answer: no! And that's ok because we love Becky and everything about her. And no one can say she didn't help the economy.

Any of Kinsella's Shopaholic series - or The Undomestic Goddess, Can You Keep A Secret?, Twenties Girl, Remember Me?, or any of the litany of books she has published - is worth a haul in your tote, but it probably won't be there for long. I blew through these books because they're fun, funny, and surprisingly down to earth. Kinsella - as usual - gives us a sparkly, designer life-raft to survive the dark, deep ocean that is made up of the critically-acclaimed uber-dramas. I hope Kinsella never stops writing.

Fifty Shades Darker

I'm going to go out on a limb and assume that avid readers of the Fifty Shades trilogy are well-versed in Sex and the City, up to and including both movies (sorry, the quality of the second is a discussion for another time). The series ended with a nice little wrap-up of everyone's feelings in just the way you expected them that it was difficult for devoted fans to predict where the movie would pick up and eventually take us. The end of Fifty Shades of Grey was considerably the opposite, ending on heartbreak, sadness, loneliness, and extreme confusion, leaving devoted fans how the story could possibly continue given Christian's "fifty shades of fucked up." But where Carrie explores what happens after "happily ever after" in Sex and the City: The Movie, Anastasia Steele explores what happens when you change the unchangeables and actually get exactly what you want.

Let's face it: there's a bit of Anastasia in all of us, especially as we embark on finding and cultivating adult relationships. Virgin in every sense of the word, Ana, gets back together with Christian Grey faster than us women-of-the-world would, but probably a lot slower than most of us in our early 20s. Loving all of his "fifty shades of fucked-up-ness," she finds herself easily manipulated by Grey and his, what I at 31 years old deem, obsessive and controlling behavior. She finds it cute. And in the beginning it is. But what was tawdry and risque in Fifty Shades of Grey, is sticky, saccharine, and disgustingly sweet in Fifty Shades Darker. I mean, SPOILER ALERT they don't get to the real kinky stuff until the second to last chapter! Otherwise, there is a lot of "vanilla sex," and "making love." The declarations of love are enough to actually glue my eyeballs to the ceiling as my grandmother had always warned. By 100 pages in, I was giggling at the sheer absurdity of it instead of any sexual explicitness . It did make me seriously consider how my husband and I could go from bitterly arguing to making out and ripping each others close off in a matter of seconds, though. *That* is something out of the book I'd like to try.

Like we are all Anastasia to some degree, we all know a Christian Grey; someone of the emotionally unavailable variety. And while this book encompasses fairy tales old and new - including the name Anastasia, who, coincidentally, decides to keep her long, flowing hair - it explores the ultimate fantasy: what happens when we get exactly what we want from our partner?

Christian is willing to give Ana everything she ever wanted if she just stays with him, moves in with him, and SPOILER ALERT agrees to marry him all within a span of a week after getting back together with him from breaking up because of his pain fetish. It was hard to believe the span of time collectively between the two novels was approximately six weeks, and that's being generous (and don't even get my friend, Mer, started on how Christian is only 27-years old. And don't even get *me* started on how a girl with zero sexual or relationship experience has multiple, mind-blowing orgasms. That alone should classify it as Science Fiction/Fantasy.). Naturally, though, if Ana got everything she wanted without any drawbacks, us housewives would have thrown the book down with disgust. Apart from getting the sex she wanted, getting everything else didn't come without it's drama, which - let's face it - we appreciate. Would we be one of Grey's crazy exes who didn't understand why she wasn't The One to Fix Grey? Possibly. He's rather difficult to deal with and I'd want some sort of retribution for being with him, especially if I was one of the few who did caning.

Written to suck you in, sentences usually no longer than a handful of words, E.L. James had one purpose: to lay it all out there. I remember her giggling through a Today Show interview, shrugging and saying she just wrote down every fantasy she's ever had whenever she had a spare moment, even if that meant on her iPhone. As luck would have it for her (ok, and us), they ended up being some variation of all of our fantasies. After all, none of us have actually changed anyone, especially someone with a strong, unorthodox compulsion that requires professional psychiatric help. And where leaving our respective non-changers would have worked for two weeks maximum, Grey seems to be instantly cured. Sorry, still laughing...

While James claims these books have no deeper meaning, I can't help but think the study of these in some sort of sociological, psychological, or even anthropological setting would be interesting.

It was definitely what the Romance genre boasts a "page-turner," but the obsession with the book series is beyond my comprehension. While I'm not attracted to series in general, those of only three books usually leave me panting for the third (Hunger Games, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo). Not this time. Darker sort-of ends with a cliffhanger, something James threw down at the end to leave the door open for more sexually charged mischief. My friend, Mer, said she thought Fifty Shades Freed was a waste of time and paper and that the story could have ended with the second book. Me, I have no looming desire to pick up the third book, if only for the reason I picked up the second: something easy and mindless to read after a summer spent reading memoirs (I realize that sounds book-snob-ish). But if I never know how the story ends, I'll be able to live with my bookish self. The only real draw to me finishing the series is so I get all of the Fifty Shades of Grey-inspired e-cards.

A Dog's Purpose

What is a dog's purpose? Not *the* dog's purpose, but this specific dog's purpose? Like, your dog? What is his purpose in his life, a considerably shorter one than we'll hopefully enjoy? Is it just to be a human companion? To save people in every definition of the word? What about a dog who doesn't enjoy the comforts of domesticity? What purpose do the stray dogs have? In W. Bruce Cameron's A Dog's Purpose, one such dog - yes, dog - grapples with all of these questions and more as he moves through, experiences, and loves and hates various different lives.

As a puppy - and as he continues to grow, die, and be reborn a new puppy - his instincts are sharp, the most pointed towards humans; responding to them, reacting to them, obeying them, and feeding off the emotions of them. He knows right off that man trumps all other Top Dogs in his makeshift packs, that his life is completely dependent upon how his owner wants it to be; and he's ok with that, relishes it and even craves it.

"He" has various names as he navigates the very different aspects of each of his lives. He is given names and accepts them wholeheartedly but, interestingly enough, is very particular about who he chooses to attach himself too. Some extra scrutiny pointed towards my own dogs and I notice this is very much the same - other people just don't matter.

But once he leaves his most favorite person of all, he's frustrated and confused to learn that taking care of him hadn't been his ultimate purpose. What was it?! And if his life is supposed to have purpose, why did he come back only to have lives that seemingly had no purpose?

Over the span of several lifetimes - some short, some long - he experiences a wide range of the dog-life spectrum, from puppy-hood, to the family dog, to the working dog, stray dog, forgotten dog, neglected dog, abandoned dog, traveling dog, but always a good dog. He always remembered his previous lives, and the lives before that, often drawing on experiences from each to roll him into one extraordinary dog (clearly my own fur-babies are on their first life).

Research was done, and while the book isn't anything scientific, it does offer some enlightenment and heartfelt appreciation for those pooches we do make as family. And it's interesting to see some of Cameron's simply-described, yet incredibly vivid scenes play out in my own dogs, being aware of them taking their cues from our emotions, observing when they know they need to stay close as opposed to wandering more freely, and noticing when each sticks to the respective person they've deemed "theirs" (I type this as the dog I had before getting married lays at my feet).

Written simply, as though written by a dog, I often found myself needing to be reminded that it was actually written by a human. And then there were other instances where it was clearly written by a human who didn't think very highly of cats (or horses). As appropriately stated on the front cover by the author of The Color Purple, "I laughed and smiled and cried," sometimes all at the same time.

So while The Art of Racing in the Rain focused on the Mongolian belief that dogs are reborn as humans, A Dog's Purpose operates on the idea of reincarnation until their purpose is satisfied, reminiscent of what little I know of Hindu theology that a person will continue to come back and live until they have lived a "good" life. This book makes me wonder if my childhood Golden Retriever, Sam, might someday make it back to me.

As Buddy, he finally, heartbreakingly understands his purpose and is ready for peace. But his work might not be over yet....

I wasn't aware of the sequel until writing that last sentence so the sudden, rough ending of A Dog's Purpose is now understandable. Written as if Cameron wasn't sure a sequel would follow, the end is an abrupt, ragged, everything-wrapped-up-in-a-tear-stained-bow ending without really explaining why.

I emotionally rated this book on goodreads.com five stars out of five after it was the only book I actually cried after finishing as opposed to while I was finishing. After calming down and considering the blunt - dare I say, forced - ending, I'd change it to four out of five. While this read is completely worth the time and effort, and worth hauling around in your tote, animal stories - particularly dog stories - always come with a certain trepidation. Being written from the dog's perspective can ease that as well as make it worse, depending on the circumstance. Do I really want to know how he feels being dropped off at the shelter? While at the same time, appreciating his lack of understanding when he just *has* to be in the bedroom during "adult wrestling," Cameron expertly dancing between the two.

All in all, A Dog's Purpose is a great book, worth the time, and one of those rare specimens that leaves you a little altered afterward. And it's like my dogs knew I was reading about them or something, as they seem to appreciate me just a little more, too. But maybe that is just their purpose.

Goodnight Nobody

After perusing Goodreads.com, I briefly considered making this summer the Summer of Weiner (as in, Jennifer). There is quite the long list of hers I've not read or even heard of so I'm sure they'll wind up on a summer reading list at some point.

I brought few books with me on vacation to Arizona and Mexico because I'm literally the last person on earth not to have an e-reading device (when I made an effort to pay close attention, I noticed I was the only one around me in airplanes holding a physical book). Being in the middle of Gone Girl, I knew I would want my next read to be something that would suck me in and make me laugh. Weiner did not disappoint. Just as I suspected with The Guy Not Taken: Stories, Weiner really shines in the 350+-page novel category.

As a full-time working mom, Goodnight Nobody is a story of what I want to be, but is also a frightening portrayal of what some fear of becoming. And, of course, working or stay-at-home, discovering a murdered neighbor isn't high on my priority list.

Kate Klein is what she refers to herself as an "accidental mother of three." With her husband gone a lot, she spends a lot of her time with arts n' crafts, frozen, microwavable food, board games, and at least one trip to the playground a day that usually ends up leaving Kate frustrated with her apparent ineptitude at parenting according to the suburban, Stepford, super-moms. But one of those super-mom ends up dead, Kate being the one and only to stumble upon her body, and the only one with the resources to solve the crime. What ultimately ends up happening is that the world is just too damn small, something everyone everywhere can relate to.

Once again, Weiner delivers a witty, intelligent, funny, dramatic, and intriguing novel with great mystery and the obligatory twist. It was a great beach n' travel book, totally worth hauling in your beach tote (no doubt you've downsized to a clutch for summer). The cast of characters keeps you involved, constantly wanting more, and liking them even though you probably shouldn't; just like Miss Klein, herself.

Glad to check off another one of hers as read.

Gone Girl

So I took a bit of a detour from Jennifer Weiner's The Guy Not Taken: Stories and Goodnight Nobody with a returning author, Gillian Flynn and her incredibly disturbing Gone Girl. I read her Sharp Objects for book club and was thoroughly creeped; most of the scenes left me feeling like Flynn could use a nice long stay in a pysch ward. And I have to admit, had I read Gone Girl first, I think I would have "accidentally forgotten" to read Sharp Objects. For the losers who didn't read the book that month, we filled them in and it was enough to detour them from ever reading it.

Flynn writes the story we've seen a million times splattered over the news - wife disappears, husband is the prime suspect, and his strange behavior isn't helping matters. But the vivid, creative, every-detail-thought-of way she tells the story can only lead me to assume she's thought about unfolding this scenario before.

Flynn leads you on a wild chase of you knowing who did it, not being entirely sure who did it, wondering who actually did do it, and all the while in the back of your mind thinking what you do when it's a news story: was anything actually done or is it like that story of the bride who staged her own kidnapping? You never actually know until you do, and then you're even more disturbed than before.

This book is a definite beach-read and something you'll get sucked into and feel slightly dirty by. I lent it to my coworker and it was the first and only book we actually discussed (besides the quality of the bodice-ripper I gave her as a joke for Christmas).

I said before that Sharp Objects was fuuuuuucccckkkeeedd up and I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Gone Girl is fuuuuuucccckkkkkeedddd up to the second power. She has another book floating around the book-o-sphere and I might be compelled to read it in the future. But I say that more so because I would never close myself off to reading something. At least now I know that when I feel that draw, I will be reading some seriously disturbing shit. I mean, I knew Gone Girl was going to be similar in disturbing nature as Sharp Objects but now I'm like that puppy who's been bopped one too many times.

The Guy Not Taken: Stories

I decided it had been far too long since I'd read a Jennifer Weiner book and when I found some time in between book club reads, but not enough to start and finish an entire book, I picked up The Guy Not Taken: Stories, a book of short - you guessed it - stories packed with the wit, charm, empathy, and great sense of humor that I've come to expect from Weiner, and why she is one of my favorite authors with Sophie Kinsella (Shopaholic and Baby got me through some very rough bouts of morning sickness. And she had a girl, too!! And, no, I've never seen the movie,. I've seen parts and know the plot and I think their depiction is a complete travesty.).

Weiner expertly walks the line - if one even exists between the two - between chick-lit and what book-snobs would consider respectable literature. Her stories, long or short, deliver laughs, sympathy, drama, romance, and a certain serious nature that results in you pondering long after you've read the acknowledgment (because you know you read every last page). The first few stories, for instance, center around a family that has suddenly split apart and the consequences - good and bad - are revealed. And even if we aren't going through something similar ourselves, we still find ourselves being able to relate in some fashion.

While I don't envision ever being detoured from reading one of Weiner's books, I do have to admit that I enjoyed the book less as I neared the end. I'm not exactly sure what the last story - about an elderly woman taken hostage and forced to vacation by two young teenagers - is trying to convey, it just sort of left me feeling depressed. I found myself surprised at this, but it made me want to get back to reading one of her novels, where I really thinks she really shines (she does write incredibly funny Tweets about The Bachelor and Bachelorette, but because I can't watch live with her and I don't want to spoil it for myself, I avoid her Tweets like the plague).

So I picked up Goodnight Nobody.

Mockingjay

Suzanne Collins' Mockingjay was one of the first books I read this year, and I think I waited so long to review it because I have absolutely no idea where to begin.

To say this series blew me a way is an understatement. And don't even get me started on how it's classified as a YOUNG ADULT series. I mean, seriously?!

I'm ashamed to admit that I actually forgot I hadn't finished the Hunger Games series until something unmemorable triggered my mom-brain memory (as in, I have none), and Mer gasped and said, "You still haven't read that?! I'm bringing my book over right now so you can finish it. The third is absolutely my favorite." And she wasn't wrong; in my book of books, the final installment of the Hunger Games was absolutely the best, most worth the effort, and second easiest to plow through behind the first. Finally, everything I had hoped for in the first and expected in the second, was finally happening in the third.

Completely unaware of the goings-on behind the scenes, Katniss miraculously escapes her second Hunger Games on the side of the "good guys." Or did she...? Peeta has been captured by the Capitol to be used as a pawn in these larger-than-the-Hunger-Games games, and Gale is weird and distant, a far cry from the one person she could count on and trust. Expecting and motivated to hit the front lines of the now-emerged civil war, Katniss' role in the unrest is largely trophy-ish, a symbol used by the rebels to remember what they're fighting for. As the reader, I had hoped for more scenes from the fighting but that doesn't mean everything Katniss was up to wasn't heart-palpitating and breath-taking and, well, game-changing.

Reading this reminded me a lot of what Mer said about Game of Thrones; the good guys are the bad guys, the bad guys are the good guys, and you never know which is which, even as the story nears a dramatic and horrifying end. If nothing else, this story shines a bright light on the inter workings of war, the evil that is at the heart, and the coming together of people who believe they deserve better for themselves. And, if nothing else, provides a clear warning message for our future.

In general, stories of the post-apocalyptic nature provide us with a waning self-assurance of, that will never happen to us/our country/our world. But I firmly believe the Hunger Games provides more of a foreshadowing then we care to admit, taking into account the large consumption of reality TV we can't steer clear of, and the large degree of human suffering we find it easy to turn our heads away from. The way our current media sensationalizes every gruesome crime is the major foundation to our own Hunger Games, I just hope we never start to fear our power-hungry government more than we hate them.

Ask Again Later

It has been several years since I've read one of Jill A. Davis comedic masterpieces, of which I remember laughing out loud in a room full of people with my nose buried in Girls Poker Night. To this day, I can't even tell you what it was about, but certain lines about trying to gain admittance to a mental hospital, and a quick one-liner about suicide with a blow dryer stick out prominently in my brain. I can't tell if it's because I'm older and arguably wiser and less gullible, or if Davis really isn't as funny as I previously thought. And that was long before I ever tried smoking weed.

Ask Again Later is your typical young-woman-trying-to-find-herself chick lit littered with absolutely ridiculous scenarios that make you laugh out loud in that "WTF?!" kind of way. I wouldn't say it was the best book I've ever read - certainly not the funniest and I have yet to read anything by the All Mighty David Sedaris - but it wasn't a complete waste of time, either. It made me appreciate my boring, married-with-children life and made me wonder how necessary it is to have chick-lit in my literary life right now. Like rom-com movies, most romance novels, and porn, once you've seen/read one, you've read/seen 'em all. The random twists Davis peppers throughout the generally hum-drum story definitely keeps you on your toes, though, is much appreciated, and keeps the 240ish paperback pages turning.

Written as if we've secretly picked up a stranger's diary, we're led down a wandering path of a woman who has absolutely no idea what she's doing, where's she's going, or what her basic interests are. It reminds me of Runaway Bride when she has no idea how she prefers her eggs. By the end, we're not really sure if she's figured anything out, just that her life will continue in less of an up-heaved kind of way. So, good for her.

Beyond Belief: My Secret Life Inside Scientology and My Harrowing Escape

From the very first paragraph, nothing more aptly describes Jenna Miscavige Hill’s Beyond Belief:My Secret Life Inside Scientology and My Harrowing Escape than “beyond belief.”

Growing up in the throes of Scientology, first as an outsider then as a full-fledged participant as her parents got more immersed in the “religion,” Hill’s experience was confusing, contemplative, mysterious, and anxiety-ridden all rolled in to one, which, excuse me if I’m wrong, isn’t supposed to be the epitome of religious epicenters as it so claims. As a disclaimer, I warn you my review is biased and largely tainted by my new-found Scientology education and I could very possibly come across hostile and I completely mean to.

Jenna’s life started as most of ours do – school, friends, chores, relatively stable home-life with most of the activities and minutia we civilians – or Wogs as we’re referred to by Scientologists – take for granted. Her grandfather played a prominent role in the founding of Scientology, thereby forcing his son, Jenna’s father, into the organization. Generally against it, Jenna and her siblings began their childhood, like I said, as most do. At some point, however, her father decided Scientology was the way to go and packed up the family to live in what I can only describe as a very underdeveloped compound.

Separated from her family for extended periods of time, only getting to see her parents at most an hour each week, Jenna’s “schooling” consisted of learning via memorization of L. Ron Hubbard’s “teachings,” emotion control, and manual labor to restore “The Ranch,” a California desert expanse of dilapidated buildings that was to one day be a major hub of Scientology.

Predominantly reminding me of a very brief reality show in which kids lived in a replicated old Western town and we got to watch what would happen if the world was left up to children, adults were often absent from The Ranch, but neither adults or fellow children could be trusted. As part of the higher class of the "church," Jenna was constantly scrutinized, monitored, questioned, and even punished for indiscretions she was often completely unaware of.

Hill explained early on the the founders of Scientology learned they could be an organization without religious affiliation and avoid some such tax law, but what the public is actually funding is nothing more than a cult. With no god(s), idols, deities, prayers, ceremonies, or anything involving anything spiritual, how exactly does it fall under the religious umbrella?

Operating on a belief of sort-of reincarnation, Scientology is based largely on the amount of control we have over ourselves and emotions; thus more supernatural than spiritual, as supposed previous lives are thrown into the mix. Scientology is of a fundamentalist nature based largely on the treatment of their members and the lengths they'll go to avoid scandal.

It's a benefit to the book that the baseline story is interesting as the writing would have caused me to put it down barely a third of the way into it. Written accompanied by another author, it is definitely obvious who wrote what.

The content alone is enough to keep you reading. But it's frustrating at times, hard to witness Jenna's treatment then subsequent devotion to to a group who didn't want to keep her but couldn't get rid of her and ultimately didn't know what to do with her. More than one thing will boggle your mind as you have this front-row seat to the largest (at least one of?) government subsidized cult.

The Great (??) Gatsby

Committing the ultimate faux pas in book-reviewing (ok, really on in my anal-retentive mind), I'm book-jumping to squeeze in The Great Gatsby during its 15-minutes of popularity due to the latest Leonardo DiCaprio movie. Go figure.

Hailed as one of the greatest works of fiction - and F. Scott Fitgerald's - The Great Gatsby is a story of complete and utter absorption, from the main character, Nick's, preoccupation with the ostentation neighbor, to Gatsby's unhealthy infatuation with a woman he knew long ago, Daisy. The intense imagery and plethora of metaphors transport the reader back to a different era that keeps them plenty occupied while they wait for the actual story to begin.

Just shy of halfway through the short 180-pages, the story actually begins; a pretty messed up one at that. More of a short story, Fitzgerald's tale lack a lot of the drama, mystery, and mystique we've come to know and love with contemporary novels. Just as quick as the story begins, it's over and we're left wondering why we were participatory.

The span of several months, and even years, reads much like the length of only one day, and our knowledge of the main character - our accomplice, if you will - is startlingly limited. Even our knowledge of the would-be main character, Gatsby, is rather limited and sporadic and is seems like we're only left with the attributes of him that are grossly unflattering and downright sad. DiCaprio's Gatsby, however, will no doubt melt even the coldest hearts to pools of rich butter while his predecessor couldn't melt anyone's, even with a hearty helping of the finest champagne, the finest food money can buy, a mansion, and an air of mysterious, intriguing, possibly troubling past.

For most, this was required high school reading and in the beginning I could for the life of me fathom why; "spectroscopic gayety," really?! And, "...[she] began to cry stormily. 'They're sure beautiful shirts. It makes me sad because I've never seen such beautiful shirts before.'" Then, as the story gets moving, I realized walking through the world of The Great Gatsby (more specifically, his somewhat nosy neighbor) is an over-analytical individual's utopia. What better way to waste an hour than sit in a classroom and hypothesize why this book takes us through the various twists and turns, and analyze the supposed symbolism in the plenitude of metaphors? Perhaps, then, I might have liked and appreciated it more, and why my friends who did read it in high school think it's "AMAZING."

This might be the very first case where I enjoy the movie considerably  more than the book. At least if the story is told equally as bad, I'll get to preoccupy myself with looking at all the pretty outfits.

Sharp Objects

There was a lot of chatter about Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl within the book club and - as I later realized - all over the non-literary world (not book-snobs, just people who can appreciate a good book). My friend - you all know and love her - Mer, read it and after reading a few chapters of Sharp Objects, decided Flynn needed serious psychological help. As most of the group had read Gone Girl, we opted to read Sharp Objects, which was equally dark and disturbing, but lacked Gone Girl's humor so the reader just ended up feeling...violated...by the end.

Don't get me wrong, Sharp Objects is such an amazing story that Flynn should be praised for her creativity by the best of mental health professionals as she's strapped so a bed in a padded room (ok, I'm slightly biased since I have also read Gone Girl). We follow a woman, Camille, who is fresh out from just some situation because she was addicted to cutting herself; although not in the traditional way. Her obsession was of a different nature that also happened to correspond with her career as a reporter.

As her first assignment, she is to return to her hometown and cover the murders of two pre-teen girls. That means, of course, confronting the demons of her own past. One such demon in human form is her half-sister, who is the very definition of creepy.

Like most whodunits you've read, the killer seems obvious, but - as you also know - things aren't always that simple. The beauty of Flynn's storytelling, though, is that she's able to plot the most basic of stories - by that I mean a lack of overly dramatic emotion - with incredible intricacies, complexities, and - naturally - the creepy twist you never saw coming.

It is definitely a book you can read in a weekend, but you may need to put it down every once in awhile just to reassure yourself you don't live in this perpetually-grey world Flynn has made so vivid. I'll be honest - I felt taxed.

What I Was Reading February 3rd

Former Navy SEAL Fatally Shot at Texas Shooting Range

Black Delegate Decides Against Va. GOP's Redistricting Map

The 'E-Nup' Contract I Want All My Facebook & E-mail Friends to Sign

Boehner Steadies Republican Team, Reframes Deficit Debate

I've been a real book-nerd this year so I'm hoping to eventually find the second - and motivation - to write some reviews. If you have any extra, send it my way!

A Clash of Kings

For the first time since reading Harry Potter, in my reading career, I immediately picked up the next book in the Song of Ice and Fire series, A Clash of Kings. I finished it awhile go - after it took me over a month to read - and I realized I had better write my review before it completely escapes me. And there is so much going on in the book, it's possible for a lot of things to escape me.

In George R.R. Martin's sequel to Game of Thrones, the war for the Iron Throne has just begun with more than a handful believing it is rightfully theirs. Some seem a bit of a stretch but it proves what we all know deep down - when the rights to a throne are at stake, everything matters.

Once again, the story is spellbinding. Almost in-discussable. We get a front-row seat to the surprises, shock, and heartbreak of war, as well as the intrigue, mystery, and treachery that takes place behind the scenes. As my friend and fellow book-clubber so eloquently put it - the guys you think are good guys are actually the bad guys; you don't know which end is up. And the beauty of it is that you are never tricked into thinking you do; you're completely aware of the fact that you don't, based largely on the fact that with each change of chapter, you're transported to a completely different world.

The entrance of new characters to a story is always a bit confusing and off-putting. But with each new chapter heading comes a new dimension to this world we already don't completely comprehend. And we're 100% ok with that. I don't re-read books as a practice - I can't think of one I actually have since I was addicted to the Fear Street: Cheerleaders series - but these are books I feel I could read again and again and get different things out of it each time.

I do find the story difficult to follow, and feel it requires a great deal of concentration, so my general level of book interest needs to be slightly higher than normal. But it often doesn't take much to get me sucked in, and I find myself reading during any bathroom break I get - much like my friend who devoured the series while pumping.

I've since taken a break from the series between book two and book three - A Storm of Swords. I felt some book club guilt for not participating due to this captivating fantasy series.

For the hefty page amount and the wordiness of each page, this monolith of a book is totally and completely worth the time and effort. If stolen moments are all you have, the race for the Iron Throne makes them all go way too fast, but it's impossible not to be captivated the entire time. Each character provides such a pivotal aspect to the story, you may not find yourself liking every character, but you end up respecting them and their personal rationale of their means to their ends. With twists and turns at every bend, there are actual moments you can feel your heart beating slightly faster.  

The Return of "What I'm Reading Now"!

I've been experiencing book ADD lately - can't pick what I want to read, and can't get sucked into my picks - so here's the luke-warmly anticipated return of What I'm Reading Now (or as it was previous called, What I'm Reading Today).

Miss American 2013 Mallory Hagan Sounds Like a Genius Next to Her Competition

Tom Cruise Crazy Aliens Theory Is the Least of His Problems

Boy, 13, Drives Car 500 Miles Across County to Find Birth Parents

Super Easy, Wildly Delicious Homemade Oreo Ice Cream Cake Recipe

5 Surprising Ways to Prevent This Year's Nasty Flu

See Cheerleaders Evolve from Timeless Spirit to Tiny Shorts

New Girls Scouts Super Cookie

Sunday Talk Shows (1/13/13): Gun Control, Chuck Hagel, Meet the Press, Face the Nation

*Update*

Lincee Ray: 'Bachelor' Premier Recap: Season 17 Kicks Off With Some Crazies

Armstrong Will Answer 'Honestly' During Oprah Talk