Books I Wouldn't Recommend

In the past few months since I’ve started this blog I haven’t given a single book a score below 3/5. I’ve just been lucky I suppose to have read some pretty decent books of late. However, lest you think I will recommend every book I read, there are, in fact, some books that I wouldn’t recommend to anyone. I know there are people out there who wouldn’t agree with me. That’s fine. They can keep reading those books, but I won’t. Here are a few books that I did not enjoy for one reason or another:

I, Coriander

I think the thing I liked most about this book was the cover. It's pretty intriguing in and of itself, but the book itself was a bit "meh." I read it a few years ago when I decided I really needed to go through my bookshelf and read the books that had been sitting there forever but I had never actually read them. I honestly can't remember a ton of details about this book except for mostly the fact that after I read it, it went straight into my Goodwill pile.

It has some fantastical elements to it, and as I recall, it just kind of settled into the realm of weird for me. Clearly it wasn't a favorite, and it's not one I have any interest in trying to read again. 

A Great and Terrible Beauty

I know someone will disagree with me on this one. I'm pretty sure it was pretty popular and even landed on the New York Times Bestselling list. I didn't even finish it. I almost finished it, but then it too just got too weird, but a different sort of weird than I, Coriander. This was like dark magic kind of weird, like "let's strip off all our clothes and run through the woods and kill something" weird. I think I'm remembering that correctly. If you're okay with some darkish magic stuffs, then go ahead and read it. People liked it for some reason. It just wasn't my cup of tea. And this was just the first book in a series,  so who knows what other crazy magically shenanigans filled the other books in the series.  

Blood and Chocolate

This is a book about werewolves before Jacob Black made werewolves popular. However, there are
no vampires in this story. This is another book on the ALA frequently challenged list, but I don't recall there being any big questionable content. What I remember is that I thought the story itself was lame. It's one of those forbidden relationship type stories. Werewolf girl likes normal human boy and the werewolf community frowns on that sort of thing. You get the idea. I don't want to spoil too much in case you do decide to read it for yourself, but it didn't seem believable to me, I mean besides the obvious fact that there aren't werewolves going to high school, falling in love with the normal kids. The ending was totally unexpected and in a way was a "Oh, how sweet" moment, I also didn't necessarily care for it mostly because of who the scene was with. Anyway, if you like teenage werewolf romance, you may enjoy it. There was also a movie made of it which has a completely different ending. Not the best movie ever, but again, if werewolf romance is your thing, you may find it enjoyable.

Life of Pi

Okay, there are some good things about this book. The ending leaves you wondering what was real and what wasn't real. And you know, being stuck in a small boat with a tiger has some interesting moments. Mostly the thing I didn't like it was a portion close to the end of the book that dealt with a carnivorous island that was just weird. I guess the moral of this post is if a book gets too weird on me it ends up on the don't recommend list. I never saw the movie adaptation of this book. Maybe I would enjoy that better. So I suppose there were some interesting things about this book, but not enough to make me want to keep it. I believe it was another one that ended up in the Goodwill pile.

There are other books that I could list, such as books that I only finished reading because they were required for college courses, but this is a good list for now.

Do you agree with my picks? Or are you offended because I chose a book that you actually enjoy? What are books that you wouldn't recommend to other people?

A Wrinkle in Time

Rating: 5/5

Author: Madeleine L'Engle

Pages: 211

Genre: Children's/Young Adult/Science Fiction

Synopsis:

It's been a long time since Meg Murray has seen or heard from her father--long enough for people to start spreading rumors. Meg knows that he's off doing something incredibly important, but she doesn't know what. It's getting to the point where people are telling her to move on, but she can't while there's still hope that her father will one day return. 

One day, Meg is introduced by her incredibly intelligent younger brother to three mysterious figures who not only seem to know what her father was working on before he disappeared, but they also know where to find him. And he's in incredible danger! Meg, Charles Wallace, and there newfound friend Calvin are whisked away on incredible adventure to different worlds where they learn about the war of light against the darkness. Only together can they save Meg's father, but can they resist the powers of darkness and save her father before it's too late?

Reaction:

This is my fourth time reading this book, and I must say, that I don't think I've ever enjoyed it so much as I did in this last reading. I loved it! The only slightly negative thing I could think of is that Meg is sometimes a little whiny, but given the circumstances and her age, I think it's justified. Not only that, but the fact that she has flaws is actually pointed out by the characters and is used to make a good point--we can do great things despite our flaws, and there are times where what we consider flaws can actually become a strength. So it worked in this case, and wasn't too the point where I wanted to tell her to shut up. That sort of thing happens to readers on occasion when they encounter certain characters.

But I digress.

Not only does this book stir the mind and imagination and has some great adventure and conflict, there were themes in the book that just spoke to me this time around. That classic fight of good versus evil, the idea that our world isn't perfect but having our own individuality is a blessing, or the idea that we can be a force for good no matter our circumstance. There are also some religious references in the book, and for me, being a religious person myself, I enjoyed having those in there.  They talk about how Jesus is taking part in the battle against the darkness, there's reference to guardian angels, and Meg's father quotes from the bible to bring her some encouragement. I saw L'Engle's style of writing compared to that of C. S. Lewis who is also known for Christian themes in his writing.

It's a great read that kids everywhere will love to read under their desks instead of listening to their fifth grade teachers, just like I did (Just kidding, teach your children to pay attention in class!).

Fun Fact:

This book is a Newbery Medal winner, but it is also on the American Library Association's list of  Frequently Challenged Books, meaning it is a book "that is sought to be removed or otherwise restricted from public access, typically from a library or a school curriculum" (Thanks, Wikipedia!). Did you know there was a such a list? I learned about it in my Young Adult Fiction class in college. We were given an assignment that involved reading one of the books on the list. I chose this one, and that's how I got one of my four readings in. It sounds like it's been challenged for references to witches and crystal balls, religious content, and listing Jesus alongside well known artists, philosophers, scientists, and other religious leaders as people fighting against the darkness. I wasn't bothered by any of those things at all, and I should mention that those references to witches and crystal balls aren't actually references to magic or witchcraft, not really. One of the characters even says essentially, "You know they're not witches." Anyway, no dark magic going on. Take a read for yourself and see if you would put it on the challenged list!

Reader Guidance:

I've already mentioned the Christian themes, so if that's something that bothers you, this may not be the book for you. The only other thing I can think of that might be troubling is a glimpse at a boy who didn't stay synchronized with this particular world's rhythm (watch the trailer for the new movie and you should get an idea of what I'm talking about). He appears to be in extreme pain as he is forced to synchronize. 

Similar Books:

Well, this is the first of five books, but as I recall, they also work pretty well as stand alone books. But, besides the other books in the series, another great series is The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis. That series is more on the fantasy side than the science fiction side, but still a great one if you enjoyed A Wrinkle in Time.

Next Book:

Next up is the next book in the series of course, which is A Wind in the Door. The only thing I remember about this next one is that it deals with saving Charles Wallace. Let's jump in! Also, you should know, I finally got a copy of Red: The True Story of Little Red Riding Hood which I've been wanting to read ever since I finished Rump. So, just keep in mind that that book will be coming up on our list shortly!

Life is so Good

Title: Life is so Good

Rating: 3/5

Author: George Dawson and Richard Glaubman

Pages: 260

Genre: Autobiagraphy

Synopsis:

People forget that a picture ain’t made from just one color. Life ain’t all good or all bad. It’s full of everything. –George Dawson

This book is a reflection of  the life of George Dawson. He was the grandson of a slave who didn’t get the chance to learn how to read until he was 98 years old. He was an inspiration to many when word spread that he had gone to school for the very first time just two years short of being 100. He continues to be an inspiration to many.

Just check out this video and you will see how his legacy has lived on.

My Reaction:

First of all, I can’t even imagine what it would be like to start school at the age of 98, not knowing all those years how to read (I suppose I wouldn’t be writing this blog if that were the case.). Not only that, George’s memory was amazing! I’m not sure I’ll remember my life so clearly when I’m that age.

I enjoyed his story for a few different reasons. One reason was the simple fact of seeing parts of history from a different perspective. Richard Glaubman, who interviewed George and put the book together, asks George about major events in history, things I learned about in school, and his perspective is so much different than anyone else’s I’ve heard, mostly because his circumstances were different. For example, when the United States entered the depression, George didn’t really notice a difference. He’d always had to work hard and didn’t have much. That’s just the way it was.

Towards the end of the book, George mentions how everybody started asking him what he eats—what does he do that’s made him live so long in such good health? He basically said he eats whatever he wants. Besides that, and some good genes I’m sure, I’m convinced that part of the reason why he was in such good health is because he had one of the best attitudes. Sure, his life wasn’t easy, but he never complains! Throughout the whole book he says things like, “I didn’t mind it much.” He took things in stride, he worked hard and took pride in that work, and he didn’t worry too much. He comments that people today (that being the early 2000’s) worry too much.

Some other little golden nuggets I gleaned from his experiences are:

-You have to believe that you can accomplish something

-Treat people with respect

-Try your best—it doesn’t matter if you fail as long as you do your best

I enjoyed the book and seeing history through the eyes of someone who lived it. It’s worth a read. It started to feel a little long to me (that could have been due to the fact that I had a good break from it before coming back and finishing it), but other than that, it was a good story.

Reader Guidance:

Keeping in mind the time period in which George Dawson was a child, there are mentions of things like the KKK and their activities, or the use of the N word. There usually wasn’t a whole lot of specific details. However, near the beginning, George recounts a lynching he saw as a boy, and that goes into more detail. That’s the most dramatic thing violence wise. There was a case of language, but not super hard language.

Similar Books:

The first book that came to mind was The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer. It is the autobriography of a boy in Africa who dreamed of building a windmill so that he could bring electricity and running water to his village. It was another inspirational story, and one that touched me especially because William is about my age. Reading about what he was living through and thinking about my own life at that same time was a humbling experience.

Next Book:

There are a billion different covers for this book. It's been around for awhile, but this is the version of the book that I had hiding underneath my desk at school.

Next month, Disney new movie version of A Wrinkle in Time is hitting theaters! It looks pretty fantastic, and I have high hopes for it. It can't be any worse than The Wonderful World of Disney version. Don't even bother watching it. It's not worth it. 

In honor of my excitement, I've decided it's time to reread the book! I will always remember it as the first book I read secretly under my desk instead of paying attention to my teacher. Maybe that's why I always felt like I missed out on some of my 5th grade learning--I was too busy not paying attention. Figures.

I may have to read the other books in the series also because I don't remember too many details except that I liked them. So let's give it another go!