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Good news! Not only did I complete one Vonnegut novel in the past week, I read 4! In addition to broadening my horizons by reading, I am also adding to my book count for the year. Which, admittedly, is a little shabby. Speaking of my goal, I will tell you that I am 16% finished (having read 8 books so far in 2012), and only 7 books behind! I am pretty confident I can get back on track in the next few weeks.

But enough about that challenge, what I really want to write about today is my favorite of the Vonnegut books I have read thus far. And that is Sirens of Titan. Before I decided to delve more into the writings of Kurt Vonnegut, I really only knew of the big 3: Cat’s Cradle, Slaughterhouse 5, and Breakfast of Champions. I had never heard of Sirens of Titan, but I figured I would give it a shot. And I was pleasantly surprised.

The premise of the book revolves around the life of the richest man in the world: Malachi Constant. Constant is invited to the mysterious Rumfoord Estate to witness a materialization of a man and his dog that occurs every 59.9 days. As a result of his encounter with a phenomenon in space, the man (who we learn is Mr. Rumfoord) now exists as a wave phenomena and has complete knowledge of the past a future. . Malachi is the first person (other than the man’s wife, Beatrice) who is allowed to see and speak to Rumfoord during one of these materializations.

During the visit, Rumfoord tells Constant explains that Malachi will go on a series of journeys through space, and will end up with Beatrice on Titan, one of the moons of Saturn. Of course, the richest man in the world does not like this idea, so he does everything he can to prevent this fate. This starts the series of events that make up the novel. Along the way, Vonnegut explores religion, free will, the meaning of life, and the meaning loss.

The book (and all of Vonnegut’s books I have read so far) perfectly blend sci-fi with satire with humor with observation of daily life. And the novel also took some giant leaps and turns in directions that I wasn’t really expecting. It’s clever, and easy to read — but it still holds a lot of thought-provoking questions. I have since read Galapagos, Cat’s Cradle (again), and Breakfast of Champions. While still interesting novels, they didn’t compare to the wit and the story found in Sirens of Titan. It is definitely a hidden gem in the bibliography of such a prolific writer. I am skeptical if any of his other works can come close to that one, but I am excited to find out!

When I first decided to read The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey, it was because the synopsis I read explained that it was based on a Russian fairy tale. The fairy tale, called “Snegurochka” (or The Snow Maiden), is about an older couple that make a typical snowman out of snow. This couple is older, and never had children, but always wished they would. They make their snowman into more of a snow child, and to their surprise  — the next day, she is alive. I love fairy tales, and knowing that The Snow Child was an adaptation of sorts of that fairy tale, I hoped it would live up to expectation.

It did, for the most part. The actual novel takes place in the brutal landscape of Alaska in the 1920′s. A couple in their fifties, Mabel and Jack, have moved to this wilderness following tragedy. As the years wear on, they begin to drift apart. Jack is always working in the field, trying to make a living on a farm. And Mabel is lonely and desperate for the life she envisioned when they decided to move to Alaska.  Much like the couple in the fairy tale, the two wish for a child that they never had. One night, in a moment of child-like happiness during the first snow, the couple builds a snowman. They give it gloves, a scarf, and make it look like a little girl. The next day, the snowman is gone. But they glimpse a little girl (wearing the same red gloves and scarf as the snowman) running around outside of their home. This wouldn’t be suspicious if they weren’t in Alaska, where their nearest neighbor is miles away. And no parent in their right mind would let a young child wander around alone.

She calls herself Faina, and seems to have simply stepped out of the pages of one of Mabel’s fairy tale  books. Eventually, Jack and Mabel start to think of her as their daughter. But, much like the fairy tale, she disappears in the summers and returns in the winters. The mystery of the girl is eventually explained, but only to an extent. There are still many things we never understand about this girl. She brings Jack and Mabel closer together, and brings them joy. But there are things going on that nobody can predict, and leads to an unexpected ending of the book.

Like I said, I love fairy tales. And this book was almost like a fairy tale in a fairy tale. Mabel has a book she refers to (which contains the Russian tale Snegurochka), which she expects the girl to abide by. She believes she is in this fairy tale. She believes Faina is truly their snow child they made that first snow. It is interesting to see how things transform in the book. The relationship between Jack and Mabel is brought together by this young girl. Mabel first wanted to move there to be alone, but the more time goes on you realize she never wanted that. They befriend a family from a few miles away, and continue to see Faina. And Mabel is transformed from this lonely, depressed woman into a happy, friendly one. And Faina most of all. She starts out as this woodland nymph, maybe only 6 or 8 years old, and eventually becomes a ruthless, ethereal hunter.

The only caution I will give you about this book is that it contains a lot of sadness. There are few moments when all characters are truly happy, and those moments are always cast with this net of foreboding that comes from Mabel and her fairy tale book. When thinking of a fairy tale, you think that it might be happy and lovely. But this is more tragic, and the story is more about loss and grief and how to move passed that. Only, you come to realize, you can’t. You can move from one loss, only to be steamrolled by another. But you have to enjoy the moments in between, because those are all you have. Don’t take life too seriously, build a snowman, act like children, have fun, because that’s all you can do.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of fairy tales, or is interested in reading about what life must have been like in Alaska in 1920. Sure, this isn’t a non-fiction book, but it is easy to envision how Mabel and Jack must have lived. They moved from their rather cushy life in the Eastern United States, to this desolate land of forests and winter. Only to realize this is where they were meant to be all along.

I recently finished reading Swamplandia! by Karen Russell. I was familiar with the story because not long ago I read a book of short stories by Russell called St. Lucy’s Home For Girls Raised by Wolves which featured the short story Ava Wrestles an Alligator that was basically the condensed version of the book. There are differences, and the book goes into more detail, but it seems she decided that the story was good enough to transfer from short story to novel.

The book is told from the point of view of Ava Bigtree, a thirteen year old girl who has lived her entire life on an island in the Everglades. Her family owns Swamplandia!, an alligator wrestling themed amusement park on the island. We learn early on that Ava and her siblings (sister Osceola and brother Kiwi) have recently lost their mother, the star of the alligator wrestling and diving show at Swamplandia!, to cancer and are in danger of losing the park. Following the tragic death of the matriarch of the family, their father (who they call the Chief) is in denial and believes he can save the park, Osceola falls in love with a ghost called the Dredgeman, and Kiwi leaves the island for the mainland and gets a job at a newly opened park called The World of Darkness in order to save money to send his family. Ava feels it’s up to her to not only save the park, but to save her sister Osceola from the Dredgeman. But to do that, she will have to take an adventure through the dangerous Everglades.

Since I have read both the short story and the novel based on the same idea, it’s hard not to compare the two. I will say, the story is more successful in short story form. Not to say I didn’t enjoy the novel, because I did. But, about 3/4 of the way through, the book took some unexpected turns and kind of stumbled over itself. I loved reading about the gator theme park, Osceola’s romances with ghosts, and even Kiwi’s adventures on the mainland. It’s also funny how the family calls all of the alligators on the island “Seths” after the first alligator at the park. But at one point, the author seems to lose the wind from her sails, but she continued the story. At 416 pages, it is far from a long book, but it probably could have been much shorter. Having read many reviews prior to reading it, I was expecting something lighter and more fantastical. Instead, I got a lot of bad things happening to naive people. It seemed like it was going to be a magical story, but kind of turned out to be a depressing one.

I highly recommend the book of shorts stories I previously mentioned, as the variety and conciseness of the short stories in that book are more indicative of the author’s creativity and skill. It’s worth your time to give Swamplandia! a shot. I am on the fence as to whether or not I loved the book. I liked it, and I have read the first few chapters of many worse books. I  mean, I was able to finish it which I can’t say about every book I pick up. It just wasn’t quite what I expected.

As a child, I loved books. I learned to read when I was fairly young, and I attribute this to my parents and teachers who would always read to me. And Christmas books are some of my most remembered books. For some reason, they stick out in my head much more clearly than other picture books. So, today, I thought I would just share some of my favorite Christmas books from when I was a child. Maybe they would make great presents for your children. Or, perhaps, you’ll remember these books as fondly as I do.

1. How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss

Of course, this would be on the list. This book is a classic, and I grew up with it, along with the television special that aired every Christmas season. The red, white, and black illustrations were perfect for the story, and I remember them vividly. I learned that Christmas doesn’t come from a store, and that maybe Christmas means a little bit more. Although, I am still working on what exactly a “fuzzle” or “who hash” is.

2. The Night Before Christmas

There was no certain edition, author, or illustrator of the Night Before Christmas books I remember because there were so many. It is a story that has been told over and over again, and for good reason. It brings together the magic and the wonder of Christmas as a child. Any iteration of this classic story is bound to bring smiles to children no matter how old.

3. Apple Tree Christmas by Trinka Hakes Noble
I have always wanted to live on a farm, and have lots of animals and land and a giant farmhouse. Even as a kid, I begged my parents for a cow or a horse to keep at our house. Apple Tree Christmas is set in the late 1800′s, on a farm. There is an old apple tree that gets taken down by a storm, and its branches used for firewood. The child in the story has grown very attached to the apple tree, and can’t believe her parents are just using it as firewood like it’s no big deal. It’s a simple story, and reminiscent of the Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder for a younger audience.

4. The Christmas Cat by Efner Tudor Holmes

I am an animal lover, and have always been an animal lover. I have 4 cats, and have had cats as long as I can remember. Which is probably why I loved this story so much. Bad weather is causing problems for Santa, and a poor, abandoned kitten. It’s a cute story with a happy ending that anybody who loves animals can appreciate.

5. Merry Christmas, Strega Nona by Tomie dePaola
Tomie dePaolo wrote many children’s books, and many starred Strega Nona or Grandma Witch. I loved reading this because the story includes many Italian Christmas traditions that I had never heard of. I liked that Strega Nona was a good witch who always taught Big Anthony a lesson, and this book is no different. And the illustrations of Tomie dePaola books were always a favorite of mine.

Looking back, I haven’t changed that much. I still love all 5 of these books, and would gladly give them as gifts or read them to any of the children in my life.

Even though it seems the whole world has already read it, I finally got around to reading The Help by Kathryn Stockett. It took longer than usual to finish due to the interruption of the Thanksgiving holiday, but it was worth it. I can see why it has been on the best seller list for so long, and adapted to a movie.

The book is about a girl, Skeeter, who just graduated from Ole Miss. She comes back to her Jackson, Mississippi home, only to realize her life is completely different. Her parent’s maid Constantine who has worked for the family for 29 years is gone. All of her friends are married, most with children (and thus, most with maids or ‘help’) and these women are not interested in working. Skeeter’s dream is to be a writer, and everyone else wonders why her dream isn’t to meet a man and have babies. After her closest friend, Hilly, introduces a new initiative that states all of the help (who are all black) must have separate bathrooms in the employer’s home, Skeeter considers how the help might feel about that. This leads to a great idea — to write a book from the perspective of the help. Something that has never been done before.

Two maids, Aibileen and Minny, along with Skeeter work together to write this clandestine book with the help of a dozen other maids. And, of course, a collaboration between white and black isn’t the most simple thing to do in 1960s Mississippi. The characters are funny, tragic, and so authentic you feel like you know them. You really get a feeling of what it must have been like during this time of civil rights upheaval. There are moments you want to laugh or cry, or scream at someone because of their intolerance and hate.

Although the chapters told through the point of view of Minny and Aibileen were a little heavy on the dialect, I know this is a book that is going to stay with me for a long time. It is a story about reaching your goals, learning about yourself, and being courageous in the face of those who doubt or betray you. Many reviews of this book call it an “instant classic,” and “the best book in years.” I haven’t read every book that has come out in the last few years, so I am not sure I can say it is the best book in years, but I certainly agree it is an instant classic.

If you are one of the few dozen people left on the planet who haven’t read this book yet, I highly recommend it. I also recommend the film adaptation, but only after you have finished the book, of course!

Thanksgiving is next week, and we all know what that means! Yes, it means giving thanks, spending time with family, and the official kick-off to the holiday season (although some radio stations and department stores will have you believing that was two weeks ago!). But it also means food! Lots and lots of food.  There are so many different ways to celebrate Thanksgiving, but most celebrations always involve cooking, baking and (of course) eating! No matter if your gathering is for two people or twenty-two people, it’s hard to imagine Thanksgiving without food.

For the last few days, I have been getting everything in order for my own holiday feast. I don’t host a gathering at my home, but I always make a few dishes I know I can eat with my dietary restrictions (I have been vegan for the last six months). Plus it’s nice to share these dishes and show others that I can be vegan, and still enjoy a wonderful Thanksgiving full of delicious food! One of the best ways for me to get inspired is to just sit and flip through a cookbook. My go-to book for inspiration this year has been The Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau.

The reason this book is so perfect for holiday inspiration is due to its unique recipe organization. Whereas most cookbooks divide the recipes by type (main course, sides, soups, etc), the author has divided the book by occasion and again by season. For example, Chapter 1 is entitled: Romantic Dinners for Two and is broken down into spring, summer, autumn, and winter menus. But what makes it so great for holiday cooking is Chapter 5: Feasts for the Holidays. Recipes in this chapter include Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Apples and Onions, Mashed Root Vegetables with Fresh Herb Infusion, Sensational Stuffing with Nuts, Garlic Glazed Green Beans, and Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies (a personal favorite of mine). Vegan or not, who wouldn’t want to eat all of that mouth-watering food?

Although all of the recipes in this book are vegan (meaning no meat or animal products are used), I believe it has a place in every kitchen. Every recipe I have tried out has been very successful. The recipes use pretty basic ingredients (aside from a few more specialty items in a few recipes), and aren’t too difficult. Another one of my favorites is the Elegantly Simple Stuffed Bell Peppers. They are simple, quick, and delicious. So, whether you are vegan, vegetarian, trying to incorporate more meatless meals, or simply want to eat some yummy food, this cookbook is sure to please.

If you’re anything like me (although I have shelves upon shelves of books), I always have trouble deciding what I want to read next. Last month, I was on a reading streak. I finished six books in three weeks! I wanted to continue the streak, but had difficulty choosing the next book. I started to read no less than five different books, but abandoned them for greener pastures when I couldn’t finish an entire chapter. I have very particular tastes, and I can normally tell within the first 20 pages if I want to continue reading.

Luckily, technology is here to solve all of my problems! At least the problems that involve deciding my next reading venture. There are websites that are created specifically to help readers choose their next book. How very 2011. The following are the three websites I use when trying to decide on my next book, but there are many more out there.

1. What Should I Read Next?
This site works by analyzing collective opinions and recommendations for more than 75,000 books. You enter a book title (or register and enter multiple titles), and the site will generate recommendations based on user lists. These lists contain favorite books, and the more often titles appear in the same lists, the stronger the association between them becomes. For example, I entered the book: Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. The top book recommended generated for me was: Lemony Snicket – The Ominous Omnibus. This means, the association between these two books is strongest based on the number of user lists on which they both appear. This site typically recognizes any book I enter, and seems to consistently recommend at least two titles.

2. Booklamp.org
If you are familiar with Pandora.com (an internet radio site), then you will quickly understand how this site works. Booklamp compares what it refers to as story DNA (thematic elements, writing style, subject, etc.), and recommends books that have similar story DNA. There is an ever-increasing counter on the home page that tracks the number of of points of book DNA Booklamp analyzes. As I am typing this, that counter is at 688,211,893. This means there are almost 700 million different DNA points being tracked in order to give the most accurate recommendations. I entered The Da Vinci code, and was suggested another Dan Brown novel based on its DNA. Soon, they are going to turn on an option to allow users to find books based on specific DNA points, rather than by entering a title. This site doesn’t recognize as many titles as the previous option, but it seems to be much more accurate.

3. Whichbook
Finally, there is Whichbook. This site offers users a listing of twelve elements, of which you can choose up to four that you enjoy in your books, and recommends books based on those four elements. To get a recommendation, I chose the following four elements: funny, unpredictable, larger than life, and unusual. My best match was a book titled: Six Black Candles by Des Dillon. Another option on this site is to choose a book from user-created lists with titles such as “Weird and Wonderful” and “Short and Sweet.” While this site allows you the most control over your recommendations, I have found that it tends to recommend more obscure books than the other two websites.

There you have it! The next time you are stuck on what to read next, all you need to do is go to one of these helpful sites, and just let it make the decision for you. Of course, you could always just rely on human interaction to get book recommendations, but that is so 1992!

It’s not often that I read a book, and then feel compelled to immediately read every other book that author has written. But once I read The Sugar Queen by Best Selling Author Sarah Addison Allen, I knew I had to get my hands on all of her other books. At the time, only two other titles were available (Garden Spells and The Girl Who Chased the Moon), and I read them both within three days. I marked my calendar for the release date of the fourth (something else I rarely do), and got it the day it came out. I didn’t rush out at midnight (like I did to buy the last five Harry Potter books), but don’t think I wasn’t tempted. To date, she has released the following four books:

The Peach Keeper
The Girl Who Chased the Moon
The Sugar Queen
Garden Spells

One of my favorite characteristics of these books is the way Allen sprinkles a little bit of magic into the book, and it never seems completely impossible. In fact, she makes it seem quite probable. Being someone who has always adored fairy tales, I highly enjoy this magical, fairy tale quality. Food is another dimension present in most of her books that keeps me coming back. In Garden Spells, baking is integral to the plot. And, in The Sugar Queen, candy and sweet snacks are very essential to the story. I love food (eating it and making it!), so it is only natural I would love reading about it. The descriptions of all the food make it all sound so delectable. Lavender bread, hummingbird cake, espresso brownies, even Gobstoppers!

While my favorite of the four novels is Garden Spells, the remaining three are all close 2nds. The stories are so creative, and the characters very memorable. Each of these books prominently feature romance, mystery, and (of course) magic! They are all fairly quick reads, and I believe they would make fantastic book club selections. There is even a section of her website specifically for book club meetings. This section features discussion questions, and even recipes from the book to make for the get together!

http://www.sarahaddisonallen.com/book_clubs.html.

If you are familiar with this author’s work (or you intelligently take my recommendation and read her books), then you will probably also enjoy Kate Morton. I recently finished her novel, The Forgotten Garden, and her writing is very similar. But I will save that for another time!

It’s that time of year again! No, not the time of year when department stores start putting out Christmas merchandise way too early (although that is often the case). I am talking about Halloween! The season of jack-o-lanterns, candy corn, and trick-or-treating. Fall is in full swing; the nights are getting colder, and the days are getting shorter. And a lot of people choose to celebrate by going to pricey haunted houses or haunted corn mazes, but why celebrate with $20 admission when you can do it in the comfort of your own home? I like to hunker down on my couch with a mug of hot chocolate and a good book. Here are a broad array of books, ranging from scary to silly, that can put you in the Halloween spirit.

1. Pet Sematary by Stephen King

Of course, I had to include a book by Mr. King on this list. He writes the epitome of the modern horror story. Growing up, I was (foolishly) allowed to watch Pet Sematary (intentionally misspelled). It gave me nightmares for weeks, and hasn’t lost its ability to scare me (especially if I am watching it at night). A few years ago, I decided to read the book on which the movie is based. And I was equally scared. I was so drawn into the story, I didn’t realize how creepy it truly was. Only later, when I woke up and needed a glass of water – and had to turn on every light in the house to do so – did I realize how chilling the book actually is. This is the scariest book on this list, and some say the scariest book Stephen King has penned to date.

2.  Weird U.S.: Your Travel Guide to America’s Local Legends and Best Kept Secrets by Mark Moran and Mark Sceurman

If you aren’t one for horror stories and are more interested in travel and history, this collection of vignettes about the weird things you can find in each of the 50 states might be a better route. Highlighted in this book are creepy cemeteries, abandoned mental asylums, and regional urban legends. On a lighter note, the book also includes campy tourist attractions and other oddities found in each state. This book was the inspiration for the weird state series that goes deeper into the weirdness found in each individual state.

3. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith

If the non-fiction lover who enjoyed Weird U.S. would kindly avert his or her eyes, I present to you Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. Admittedly, the whole mixing of classic books with zombies and vampires is becoming a bit stale (Pride & Prejudice and Zombies, Little Vampire Women, etc), this book is able to hold its own. Written in biographical style, the book weaves Lincoln’s past with the fact that all his life, his main goal was to hunt vampires. Those who enjoy Halloween because of their love of zombies and bad horror films will get the most out of this book. Not exactly a literary masterpiece, it’s a good, fun read that you shouldn’t take too seriously.

4. Devil in the White City by Erik Larson

Okay, to those non-fiction lovers I offended with my previous selection, you will be happy to see a 2nd non-fiction book has made my list. Devil in the White City is the historical account of two men in the late 1800′s – an architect and a serial killer. The 1890 World’s Fair in Chicago is the event that brings the two together. While not a typical Halloween story, this chilling tale will make you think about fairs in a different way. And possibly appreciate architecture a little more. Larson’s ability to write non-fiction in a way that feels more like fiction is a tell-tale sign of his amazing literary inclinations. This book is by far the most well-written, and fascinating, book on the list.

As always, we would like to say thanks to Cafe Lily Book Reviews who has graciously agreed to allow us to reprint her book reviews.  For even more book reviews, hop on over to Cafe Lily Book Reviews to find out what is worth reading.

This was the first “chick lit” book I’ve read in awhile and it was a fun twist from my usual reading preferences. I am not that familiar with Leanna Ellis or her other books, but Facelift is a cute read – especially for those who are over the age of 30.

Younger readers may not be able to identify with the main character (Kaye Redmond) who is questioning everything about her life.

30-somethings and above readers will totally “get” Kaye. She is a middle age divorcee, trying to start a new career while raising a teenage daughter and still pining for her ex-husband (who left her for greener pastures.)

She has a love-hate relationship with her mother-in-law who just never seems to go away and can’t seem to imagine herself ever being in another romantic relationship. She wildly careens through life trying to juggle too many tasks and often times finds herself spinning completely out of control. For most of this book I felt sorry for Kaye as she just couldn’t seem to ever successfully jump through all of the hoops that she lined up for herself and then constantly beat herself up over it.

While this book is humorous and chock full of tongue-in-cheek quips and sarcasm, it also has its serious elements. The overall message that I got from this book is that life changes whether we give it permission to or not. Sometimes those changes are good and sometimes not so good. Even though we will face unexpected changes and circumstances – the one constant we have to rely on in life is our relationship with God.