Book #35 - Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs: A Low Culture Manifesto by Chuck Klosterman

Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs was recommended to me by my boss. Not because she had read it, but because she read about it and its entire chapter devoted to "Saved by the Bell." A whole section on Bayside and Bayside alone? Sign me up.

I like non-fiction books where the chapters are episodic. It's much easier to read, and you don't feel like you need to keep reading because something just got good. I like books like that too, but sometimes it's nice to step away from the paperback.

I felt like I could've read this book in college for a class. Klosterman's observations on mass media and its impact were not only thorough, but they also included sound arguments and insightful comments. And best of all, it was FUNNY. How could a discussion on your hatred of John Cusack (not as a person, but his characters) not be funny? Obviously the SBTB chapter was my favorite, but I also enjoyed his account of traveling with a Guns 'N Roses tribute band.

I think the review on Amazon sums it best: "There's quite a bit of intelligent analysis and thought-provoking insight packed into the pages of Chuck Klosterman's Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs, which is a little surprising considering how darn stupid most of Klosterman's subject matter actually is." Pick it up if you want to be intellectually stimulated and entertained at the same time.

Book #34 - Gossip Girl by Cecily von Ziegesar

I have been a fan of Gossip Girl the TV series since it first began airing a few years ago. So when I saw that young adult novels were a part of this challenge, I knew I had to read the novel that inspired one of my favorite guilt pleasures.

The book is very different from the show -- the main characters are pretty similar, but their family lives are a little bit different. I was shocked at how graphic and inappropriate the novels were, especially for a young adult book. However, I guess that makes sense, taking into consideration the content on the show.

It was an entertaining, easy read. von Ziegesar creates characters that are as intriguing on the page as they are on the screen. Blair is devious and you hate to love her. Serena is mysterious and you are left wanting to know more and more about her. The male characters fall a little flat in the novel -- Nate, Chuck and Dan are much more interesting on the series, but they still serve their purpose in the book: to cause drama between all of the girls.

I'm looking forward to reading more of the Gossip Girl books. If the characters get into only half of the trouble they do in the series, I'll be in for a good time, for sure. XOXO, you know you love it -- I definitely do.

Book #33 - The Host by Stephanie Meyer

I'm probably like every other Twilight fan in American who read The Host in hopes that it would be similar to the beloved Edward/Bella saga. Although it was nothing like Twilight, I still enjoyed this novel by Stephanie Meyer.

The Host is a novel about aliens taking over civilization, or more specifically, taking over all the human bodies on the planet. Melanie, the main character, is one of the last surviving humans; at the beginning of the novel she's captured and an alien soul is implanted into her body. However, she is what's called a resistant host, and her human mind/soul is not completed erased when Wanderer (the alien soul) takes control. For the first part of the novel, we follow the internal struggle between Melanie and Wanderer; she can't understand why this host is so troublesome, when every other one she's inhabited has never caused such headaches.

While trying to solve her problems with her resistant host, Wanderer is persuaded by Melanie to leave alien civilization to search for a hideout in the dessert that her Uncle Jeb told her about at a child, and what could now be the home to her soul mate Jared and her younger brother Jamie. Once the pair finds the hideout, we follow Wanderer's struggle to be accepted by the remaining humans and to try and coexist with them without getting killed.

The writing of The Host was not much better than the Twilight series. It was still very lengthy with a lot of superfluous information. The book could have been 200 pages shorter and still told the same story. Shoddy writing considered, Meyer did write an entertaining novel. I'm glad I didn't give up on this book after the first 100 pages (because trust me, I thought about it). The plot caused me to think about what life would be like if everyone I loved were gone, but it appeared as if they were still here. The daily emotional torment that Melanie and the remaining humans endured seemed to be too much at times -- hoping that they would be reunited by some stroke of luck or fate.

But like all good pieces of entertainment, I was happy to know that when I put down the book, there would be no aliens and I could go back to my life as it was, after that mini-escape into science fiction.

Book #32 - Atonement by Ian McEwan

I will always remember when I watched the movie Atonement - I had just moved into my first apartment and it was one of the first movies I got from my very own Netflix subscription. I was shocked at how sexual the movie was, and I guess I thought that was Hollywood's interpretation of the novel. I was wrong.

Reading the novel, I quickly discovered that the film closely followed the book (which is rare) and I found it more shocking to read such sexually charged literature than to view it onscreen. The story follows three main characters: 13 year-old Briony Tallis, her sister Cecelia and the servant boy's son, Robbie Turner. Through a series of events, Briony assumes Robbie is a sexual maniac and is targeting her sister; however, in reality, Robbie and Cecelia are both consenting adults who have recently uncovered their love for each other.

One night, Briony accuses Robbie of raping and attacking her cousin, Lola, who is staying with the Tallis family. The events that follow change the Tallis family and Robbie forever.

The novel provides observations on the dangers of writing - whether it's Robbie's initial letter that falls into the wrong hands, Briony's over-active imagination, or the correspondence that sustains Robbie and Cecelia during their long separation, the threat of misinterpretation is always present. Another prevalent theme in Atonement is satisfaction. Every character is looking to satiate their own needs, even if it means blatantly disregarding what's right and wrong in relationship to everyone else.

A compelling read, but long-winded at times, Atonement is probably one of the most critically acclaimed pieces of literature in the last 50 years. It truly forces the reader to think about consequence, in a way that seems abstract and very real at the same time.

Book #31 - Bed of Roses by Nora Roberts

I really enjoyed the first book in Nora Roberts' Bride Quartet, so when I saw that the second book was out, I knew it would be my second romance novel for this challenge.

I think it's part of a woman's nature to be fascinated with anything having to do with weddings when you're planning one. Or maybe that's just something I tell myself to make me feel better. Regardless, I can't seem to get enough weddings right now. Like Vision in White, this novel follows another of the Vows partners, this time Emma who's the florist of the group, as she embarks on a new relationship with an old friend. The formula's not exactly reinventing the wheel, as it's the same plot line as the first book. But it's still entertaining to follow the story of Emma and her new, main squeeze Jack.

The friendship of the four women also continues to grow and blossom during this novel, and you can already see hints of the couplings that will likely take place in the last two books. However, I don't like to give up on a series once I've started it - so expect a recap of the third book not long after it's published.

Book #30 - Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

I'm going to be honest - the main reason I decided to read Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was because it was short, I needed more classics and I'm behind on my book count. However, I'm glad that I did.

Growing up, we've all heard someone referred to as acting like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The major misconception though, is that it's a trait that can't be helped. But in reality and in the novel, Dr. Jekyll was curious what it would feel like to live without consequence and made himself transform into Mr. Hyde. The uncontrollable and nasty personality that emerges is not some curse that Dr. Jekyll has to bear - instead it was desired by him.

The novel follows Mr. Utterson, a lawyer and a friend of Jekyll's, as he tries to uncover who Mr. Hyde is and where he is hiding out. Lo and behold, he discovers that Jekyll and Hyde are one in the same, and tries to do everything in his power to prevent the change from happening. Eventually Jekyll realizes that having his alternate personality isn't all he thought it'd be and tries to take an elixir that stop Hyde from emerging. But it's too late, and the evil personality ends up taking over and erasing Jekyll forever.

This novel touches upon some very real desires of the human condition; to be able to act freely and not have to worry about repercussions. And it also provides a very real lesson as to what happens when you feel above the law - sometimes you're not able to transform back into your better, former self and live within societal norms again. Perhaps it's worth keeping in mind; that sometimes it's better to just be yourself and be happy with the life you have, instead of wishing for something entirely different.

Book #29 - Emma by Jane Austen

I know it's probably hard to believe, but I have never read Emma by Jane Austen. As an English literature major, the only Austen I was ever required to read was Northanger Abbey.

This novel follows Emma, a young, single woman in a small English village who imagines herself to be a gifted matchmaker. She successfully pairs her governess with a local widower, and attempts to make love matches for other young women around town. However, things start to go awry and she convinces her friend Harriett to turn down a proposal from a kind man in order to try and win the affection of a wealthier suitor instead. He ends up being interested in Emma, not Harriett and she is left humiliated.

Emma then begins to fancy Frank Churchill, the son of her governess' husband. But it's uncovered that he is secretly engaged to Jane Fairfax, a newcomer to the village. All's well that end's well, and Emma eventually discovers her feelings for Mr. Knightley, her brother-in-law and they end up happily ever after, as does Harriett to Mr. Martin, when he proposes to her a second time.

Austen is a master at weaving tales of love and intrigue. She suggests that trying to marry too far above your station causes strife and struggle. Thankfully, the class system is something that we don't have to worry about anymore. But every new relationship still carries its own amount of excitement, which is something that hasn't changed from Austen's time.

Book #28 - 7th Heaven by James Patterson

I'm sorry it's been so long since I've updated - the start of summer has definitely affected my reading and posting!

I actually finished reading this book nearly six weeks ago. It is another novel from the Women's Murder Club series. It follows the ladies as they try to solve a series of gruesome murders and arsons, as well as solve the disappearance and perhaps murder, of a politician's son.

There's nothing too groundbreaking about the later books in this series - they follow the same format every time, but for some reason I keep reading them. These books are a quick read and entertaining enough, and when you've read seven books of a series, it's hard to give up and not see it through until the end. I've seen there are at least two more books published in the Women's Murder Club, so be on the lookout for a couple more posts on Mr. Patterson's work.

Book #27 - Becoming Jane Eyre by Shelia Kohler

This was a book I had read about in a magazine and decided to include it as part of my challenge. The novel follows the life of Charlotte Bronte, her sisters and her writing of her most famous novel, Jane Eyre.

I don't know much about any of the Bronte sisters, other than that they were all struggling writers. This novel brings to life the hardship they faced in getting their novels published because they were women. It also uncovers the competitiveness between the sisters, albeit through Kohler's imagination and not facts. The parallels between Charlotte and her famous heroine Jane Eyre are present throughout the entire novel - her suffering, her rejection from her male companion and ultimately her success.

The story spans a period of nine years - the remarkable time during which Charlotte frees herself from obscurity and becomes one of the most celebrated writers of her day. As the reader, we follow her memories of her deadly boarding school; we see her studying and then teaching in Brussels. And we also see her home life and the tensions between her sisters. We witness the delusions of her father and the self-destructiveness of her brother. But as I was reading, I never stopped rooting for her. Despite all of the hardships that befell the Brontes, it's a satisfying moment when Charlotte eventually attains the wealth and domestic happiness she always wanted for both herself and Jane Eyre.

Book #26 - The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling

I am a HUGE Harry Potter fan. If I was allowed to re-read books for this challenge, you could bet that those would be seven of my 100. I got this book for Christmas in 2008, and started reading but never finished. Just so you know, I got the Twilight Saga that Christmas, too. Now I think you know why I never finished.

In this collection of wizarding fairy tales, if you will, Rowling entangles as many Harry Potter characters as possible into this collection. Hermione Granger is the editor of the text; notes of Albus Dumbledore's are included with every story; but strangely enough, there are no references to Harry at all.

It's interesting to see how Rowling takes the lessons learned from traditional, muggle fairy tales, and transforms them into stories that are applicable to her famous wizarding world. At first I thought this was just another avenue for her to milk all that's left of Harry Potter's popularity. But I was wrong. Like every other work of Rowling's, The Tales of Beedle the Bard are all meticulously thought out and extremely well-developed. Hopefully she'll continue to find ways to keep the Harry Potter franchise alive and well, long after the last movie has been released to DVD.