This was by far one of the craziest books I have read recently. The story starts on the morning of Nick and Amy Dunne's 5 year wedding Anniversary, and suddenly Amy is gone. There are signs of a struggle and more and more elements are popping up leaving Nick looking like the guilty one. And his actions and choices don't help to alleviate the suspicion.
This book was great at manipulating the reader, and what you think is reality and who the real victim/victims are here. Did Nick really do something to his wife? What are the events that led this seemingly nice couple to this fateful day? With each chapter there is more and more deception and further questions to answer. I absolutely loved this book from beginning to end. I would recommend if you like thriller/mysteries that are fast pace and really suck you in.
I don't want to reveal too much plot, but there is so much hidden here that it will really keep you guessing until the last page on what happens next.
(Sub note, they actually mention The Wind Up Bird Chronicle in this book, which was the book I had read just before this! It made me laugh.) Also, this is the second book in row in which the husband is trying to find out what happened to his wife, as The Wind Up Bird Chronicle was also mostly about a man trying to find out where his wife is and why she left him. Very interesting...
A must read for me! I loved it.
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
15. The Wind Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami
This was one strange book. I mean I am all for pushing the limits on the human mind and the types of things we can do that seem beyond the realm of normalcy, prophesying or communicating with the dead, anything and everything but this novel just took a really long time to go nowhere for me personally.
The story starts off with the main character. Mr. Okada, gets a phone call from a woman claiming he knows her very well and with her mantra "I just need 10 minutes of you time" and from the start of the book to the end you just feel like you are on a whirlwind of events that seem to connect but then never eventually do. Nothing ever seems to actually correlate and come back to square one, and the novel is lacking the cohesion from point a to b to c, as its a to m to i to z. Nothing seems to flow and some of the plot I just didn't get why the author included it or why it was in the novel.
And their cat is missing, so Kumiko, the main character's wife, is trying to get the stay at home husband (Mr. Okada) to search for it. She sends him to a psychic and to the random alley behind their house that leads no where, as it is closed off on both ends.
It got to be a little mundane also because all these other sub characters (Malta Kano, Creta Kano, Nutmeg, the Leutenant, Ushiwayga) they all feel compelled to tell their own min-stories as well. So the plot gets more and more dense with these "other" stories, which you think are revealed to somehow explain the main plot of the novel which is what happened to Kumiko once she leaves the house and never comes back. I kept waiting for the "aha" moment where everything became clear and came back together, but it never did.... I am still waiting for some closure here.
Don't get me wrong, there were some really interesting ideas and philosophies at play here, but it was all so muddled and lost in the book that any meaning or relevance was pretty much lost on my by the end of the book.There were psychics and people who could push the limits of their mind. Kumiko's brother, Noburo Wataya had the power of influence and could make people hang on his every word. Creta Kano could get inside your dreams, Okada had the power to heal people and access some hidden facets of the mind. But there was so much going on that these plots get confused and loose their meanings.
The story starts off with the main character. Mr. Okada, gets a phone call from a woman claiming he knows her very well and with her mantra "I just need 10 minutes of you time" and from the start of the book to the end you just feel like you are on a whirlwind of events that seem to connect but then never eventually do. Nothing ever seems to actually correlate and come back to square one, and the novel is lacking the cohesion from point a to b to c, as its a to m to i to z. Nothing seems to flow and some of the plot I just didn't get why the author included it or why it was in the novel.
And their cat is missing, so Kumiko, the main character's wife, is trying to get the stay at home husband (Mr. Okada) to search for it. She sends him to a psychic and to the random alley behind their house that leads no where, as it is closed off on both ends.
It got to be a little mundane also because all these other sub characters (Malta Kano, Creta Kano, Nutmeg, the Leutenant, Ushiwayga) they all feel compelled to tell their own min-stories as well. So the plot gets more and more dense with these "other" stories, which you think are revealed to somehow explain the main plot of the novel which is what happened to Kumiko once she leaves the house and never comes back. I kept waiting for the "aha" moment where everything became clear and came back together, but it never did.... I am still waiting for some closure here.
Don't get me wrong, there were some really interesting ideas and philosophies at play here, but it was all so muddled and lost in the book that any meaning or relevance was pretty much lost on my by the end of the book.There were psychics and people who could push the limits of their mind. Kumiko's brother, Noburo Wataya had the power of influence and could make people hang on his every word. Creta Kano could get inside your dreams, Okada had the power to heal people and access some hidden facets of the mind. But there was so much going on that these plots get confused and loose their meanings.
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Movie Time
39. Cars - So cute! I had actually never watched this movie. I really enjoyed it. I can see why all the young kids (particulary the boys) love this one. I went to Disneyland and actually went to the Carland area and it was adorable. Now it is all in context. What I found funnier was as I watched the movie I was like oh, I remember that from the ride. I know, I am one of a kind. (Also, I watched this as part of a Disney day experience, in which wine and glorious bread with an assortment of cheese was available. A grown up kids day, I like to think of it as.)
40. American Reunion - Not as awesome as the original, (come on, nothing can top American Pie) but had its moments. I think the cast are all too old to make the jokes as funny and new compared to the first one. But overall it was worth a watch. I liked that literally all the original cast members come back.
41. Machine Gun Preacher - I was not a fan of this movie. Don't get me wrong, the heart of the story about the cruelty and terrible slaughtering of people and the recruiting of young children of Sudan to be part of the armies, that was so shocking and terrible but one of those things that people have to see. We have to know what is going on in the world. And this probably seem terrible of me to say, as this was based on a true story, but I did not like the main character. He really bothered me from the moment the movie started. He was a drug dealer and druggie, and treated his girlfriend/wife like crap. Then he finds his calling to his faith, and goes to Africa to try and make peace with the messed up life he made himself by helping the Sudanese. However, his fight to save these people ends up warping his own mind and he becomes obsessed with it. He will kill and slaughter the same way, and it just angered me. The movie ends on a slightly happier note, but I was just annoyed by it.
42. Brave - I was so excited to see a disney movie about a Scottish family! That is my heritage! This was an enjoyable movie, and the plot was completely different than what I had anticipated the movie to be about. Which was refreshing. The triplet brothers were so cute and mischievous. Plus one of besties Ellen was here so I got to do a girl's trip to the movies to see a Disney flick. Super awesome.
40. American Reunion - Not as awesome as the original, (come on, nothing can top American Pie) but had its moments. I think the cast are all too old to make the jokes as funny and new compared to the first one. But overall it was worth a watch. I liked that literally all the original cast members come back.
41. Machine Gun Preacher - I was not a fan of this movie. Don't get me wrong, the heart of the story about the cruelty and terrible slaughtering of people and the recruiting of young children of Sudan to be part of the armies, that was so shocking and terrible but one of those things that people have to see. We have to know what is going on in the world. And this probably seem terrible of me to say, as this was based on a true story, but I did not like the main character. He really bothered me from the moment the movie started. He was a drug dealer and druggie, and treated his girlfriend/wife like crap. Then he finds his calling to his faith, and goes to Africa to try and make peace with the messed up life he made himself by helping the Sudanese. However, his fight to save these people ends up warping his own mind and he becomes obsessed with it. He will kill and slaughter the same way, and it just angered me. The movie ends on a slightly happier note, but I was just annoyed by it.
42. Brave - I was so excited to see a disney movie about a Scottish family! That is my heritage! This was an enjoyable movie, and the plot was completely different than what I had anticipated the movie to be about. Which was refreshing. The triplet brothers were so cute and mischievous. Plus one of besties Ellen was here so I got to do a girl's trip to the movies to see a Disney flick. Super awesome.
Sunday, August 26, 2012
14. Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris
This book is literally what the HBO series TrueBlood was based on. It was a very silly book. I enjoyed it, but it was nothing fancy. Sookie Stackhouse was a funny southern character that has an interest in Vampires. As they have just "come out of the coffin" as it were and announced their real existence to the world. The novel is all about her weirdness, as she can hear people's thoughts and always felt like an outsider, but once Bill Compton comes into Merlottes, he is the first person she encounters that she can not hear, and that brings her peace.
The book as pretty much exactly like the first season of the show, and I am not going to lie, TrueBlood is my guilty pleasure. But what I thought was crazy, is that there is no such character named Tara!! She was a character they made up for the show! Other than that, everything else was pretty similar to the book. If you want a light read that is silly and easy going, than this is one for you.
The book as pretty much exactly like the first season of the show, and I am not going to lie, TrueBlood is my guilty pleasure. But what I thought was crazy, is that there is no such character named Tara!! She was a character they made up for the show! Other than that, everything else was pretty similar to the book. If you want a light read that is silly and easy going, than this is one for you.
13. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
This book I really just read because I saw the movie version, and it was the only book I recognized that I could get for free on my kindle. The movie was just okay to me, pretty boring and took me like 3 tries to finish watching it so I thought the novel would be better.
I liked how the novel went back and forth with Jacob in his present day self, old and left at some nursing home as his kids couldn't take him in, and then his flash backs to what his life was like back when he worked on a circus. The scenes of his life in the nursing home were so heart wrenching and real, reminded me of when my great aunt was in one and just the more lonely and senile she got, just because of where she was.
The book was a decent read, it kept me pushing through to hear more about Jacob and Rosie, the elephant. I actually felt that the elephant wasn't as big of an element in the book as it was in the movie, which is interesting. Especially as the book is literally titled Water for Elephants.
I liked how the novel went back and forth with Jacob in his present day self, old and left at some nursing home as his kids couldn't take him in, and then his flash backs to what his life was like back when he worked on a circus. The scenes of his life in the nursing home were so heart wrenching and real, reminded me of when my great aunt was in one and just the more lonely and senile she got, just because of where she was.
The book was a decent read, it kept me pushing through to hear more about Jacob and Rosie, the elephant. I actually felt that the elephant wasn't as big of an element in the book as it was in the movie, which is interesting. Especially as the book is literally titled Water for Elephants.
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
12. Sun Storm by Assa Larsson
This was a crazy book. Pretty short but had me hooked from the start. This was originally a story written in Swedish I believe and so its translated into English. Certain sections and the writing can be off with meaning and flow, but otherwise I found it to be an intriguing thriller with the "who is guilty" constantly wracking your mind. A lot of questions remain unanswered for me, and the end isn't a neat bow tying everything up nicely. A lot of it is still open-ended leaving you to piece together exactly what happened. I think in the end Sanna was the most guilty person in the whole novel, but that you can decide for yourself.
The character's I thought were very believable. Many of the men seemed to have issues with woman and looked down on them constantly throughout the story. The prosecutor, the pastors, most of the men in the novel. There were many different people's perspectives and views you were able to see, which made the book very interesting. You got to hear inside most of the main characters heads exactly what they thought and were feeling which gave more questions and less answers at the same time. Very interesting way of writing.
If you liked the "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" this is a lighter dose of a thriller/mystery type of novel and would be a great dip in the pool of such types of books.
The character's I thought were very believable. Many of the men seemed to have issues with woman and looked down on them constantly throughout the story. The prosecutor, the pastors, most of the men in the novel. There were many different people's perspectives and views you were able to see, which made the book very interesting. You got to hear inside most of the main characters heads exactly what they thought and were feeling which gave more questions and less answers at the same time. Very interesting way of writing.
If you liked the "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" this is a lighter dose of a thriller/mystery type of novel and would be a great dip in the pool of such types of books.
11. 50 Shades of Grey by E.L. James
This book took me a long time to get into. I honestly took like 2 months to get through the first 8 or 9 chapters. Then I was like a woman possessed and read the rest of the book within 3 days. This book was very ridiculous in some ways, but also made me laugh and enjoy the risque elements I would never have otherwise.
The plot was a little ridiculous, and the main character annoyed me a little. She was whiny and at times also moody and reminded me of a teenager in love. I mean I know she was only supposed to be 21, but I don't know it seemed more like a high school novel with crazy sex scenes thrown in. The writing was nothing special, and the beginning chapters I found really boring. Then half way through it is revealed Mr. Grey's sexual preferences and the book gets semi interesting and pretty unbelievable.
If you want an easy book to read with a basic love story and the sex write out there in the novel, then this would be the one for you!
The plot was a little ridiculous, and the main character annoyed me a little. She was whiny and at times also moody and reminded me of a teenager in love. I mean I know she was only supposed to be 21, but I don't know it seemed more like a high school novel with crazy sex scenes thrown in. The writing was nothing special, and the beginning chapters I found really boring. Then half way through it is revealed Mr. Grey's sexual preferences and the book gets semi interesting and pretty unbelievable.
If you want an easy book to read with a basic love story and the sex write out there in the novel, then this would be the one for you!
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