Contemporary Fiction: The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami

I picked up The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami because I was looking to try something new and kind of get out of my comfort zone. The English translated version of Murakami's latest novel, 1Q84, arrived in bookstores on October 25, 2011. And even though the idea of tackling that particular book kind of intimidated me (hence, the reason I chose to go with one of his previous works), I do plan to get a guest blogger to explore it at a later date. As for this book, I will go ahead and say that I am pretty sure I don't get it, but I nonetheless enjoyed the ride. 

The Situation: Toru and Kumiko Okada live a fairly mundane and normal life in suburban Japan where Kumiko works in the publishing business, and Toru is currently unemployed. Toru is not quite sure what he wants out of life or what he wants out of a career. Motivated by the disappearance of their cat, Noboru Wataya (which is also the name of Kumiko's bother, whom Toru can't stand), Kumiko enlists the help of a sort of psychic medium name Malta Kano. Both the disappearance of the cat and the initial meeting with Malta Kano seem to jump start the action of the novel and the interesting sequence of events that continue for Toru in the next few years or so.

The Problem: Yeah, the missing cat turns out to be the last thing Toru should have been worried about. On day Kumiko doesn't come home from work, and at some point Toru finds out that she never intends to. The even deeper problem that stems from this is that Toru is not sure if Kumiko is staying away of her volition or against her will. And either way, it is clear that Kumiko's family (who never thought much of Toru) are involved and know more of what is going on that they are willing to tell her husband. Also, Toru's investigation of Kumiko's disappearance causes a few unwanted confrontations with Noboru Wataya, a charismatic but inherently evil politician that seems to be in his rise to power. And as the novel progresses, it becomes clear that Toru's quest is much more complicated that just a search for his estranged wife, and that it is about to yield a whole lot more than he ever thought.

Genre, Themes, History: I don't even know where to start in terms of genre. I know it is a novel, that much I can tell you. But I really don't feel prepared to go much deeper than that. 

And the themes are incredibly varied and complex. Just to start, themes include water, war, travel, mind-reading, life/death, dreams and even politics. There is one part of the novel where it stops being Toru's story and we get a detailed account Lieutenant Mamiya and his time in the Japanese military during World War II. His story contains one of the most gruesome scenes I have ever read in any book, and yet I kept reading (you'll know it when you see it). Also, many of these strange characters that Toru comes in contact with end up having doubles or counterparts to other characters. Or the reader will realize that the collective pasts of two different characters link up in some weird yet unexplained way. It adds to the mystery of the novel, and also my unending confusion.

My Verdict: Although I didn't get it, I do want to try reading more of Murakami's stuff. Maybe I'll attempt one of his shorter novels (this one clocks in at a whopping 600+ pages in paperback, which also makes it a door stop) that was published more recently. I recommend it for anyone wishing to try something new and get a little bit outside of the typical contemporary fiction comfort zone.

Favorite Moment: When May Kasahara realizes all of the lengthy letters she has sent to Toru never made it. I just really love her reaction.

Favorite Character: Although she annoyed me at first, my favorite character ended up being May Kasahara. At first she came off to me as a bratty teenage girl who didn't want to go to school, but little bits of her are slowly revealed over the course of the book and she turns out to be refreshingly honest in a see of really cryptic characters. 

Recommended Reading: I would have to go with something else I consider "out of the box" that most modern American readers wouldn't think to pick up, so I have decided to recommend To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis. Great British humor coupled with time travel. Great time had by all.

Historical Fiction: The Coffee Trader by David Liss

For this week, I thought I would take the opportunity to highlight a local San Antonio author that I discovered just a few years ago. David Liss's newest novel, The Twelfth Enchantment, was published this past August. But the first book by Liss that I ever picked up was given to me. The Coffee Trader is one of those books in which I was not always quite sure what was going on, but I was still utterly fascinated and just had to know how it all would end. I am also not typically a fan of historical fiction, but Liss's books have turned out to be the rare exceptions.

The Situation: Miguel Lienzo has a plan to get out of a bad financial situation by trading in coffee, which in 17th century Amsterdam is a new commodity. His trades in sugar have gone horribly wrong and have left him in the financial crisis he is in now. Miguel simply needs to buy and sell the coffee at the right price in order to not only be rid of his debt but also make a handsome profit.

The Problem: Miguel cannot openly deal in coffee as it is forbidden his community council. Also, because of his financial troubles, Miguel lives with his brother Daniel, whom he dislikes, and his brother's young pregnant wife, whom Miguel has a thing for and the feeling is pretty mutual. Also, an unstable Dutchman named Joachim is also after Miguel after losing five hundred guilders that Miguel invested for him. Joachim continues to essentially stalk Miguel looking for his money. Amidst all of this, and a few other seedy characters in the novel, Miguel must successfully, but illegally, trade the coffee, pay off his debt, and avoid being caught in the process. Oh yeah, and being a Jewish refugee from the Portuguese inquisition in Amsterdam has its own issues.

Genre, Theme, History: As I already mentioned this is a historical novel. And while neither that, nor the themes of commerce and religious persecution often excite me, I really got into this book. Perhaps it was the constant adventure and the fact that no matter what, Miguel really didn't know who to trust because at any moment any his so-called allies could have turned out to be against him. Also, Miguel is the uncle to Benjamin Weaver, the protagonist in Liss's first novel, A Conspiracy of Paper. But even though this novel is set about 30 years earlier, it is not considered a prequel.

This book also makes many references to the Portuguese Inquisition, whose main target were those who converted from Judaism and Catholicism, but were still suspected of secretly practicing one or those religions.

My Verdict: As I have mentioned already, this type of book is usually not my cup of tea, but I found myself thoroughly enjoying this book. Definitely a must for fans of historical fiction, and maybe even a few that aren't. I have never in my life had an interest in commerce in 17th century Amsterdam, but here I am endorsing this book.

Favorite Moment: I really enjoyed basically any moment where any of the characters, including Miguel, weren't quite sure how to consume coffee because it is such a new substance to them. This is definitely not a problem in our society today.

Favorite Character: Hard to say really. Liss likes to create characters that may be likeable, but still have some sort of major character flaw. I guess I would go with Hannah, the young Catholic bride because for me she was the most sympathetic. 

Recommended Reading: A Conspiracy of Paper is the first book by Liss in a three-book series that involves Benjamin Weaver (Miguel's nephew) and his adventures involving intrigue, politics, murder, religion, and even some romance.

Young Adult Fiction: Twenty Boy Summer by Sara Ockler

I have decided to review another young adult fiction novel by an author who also has recently published another work. On January 3rd, Sarah Ockler's third novel Bittersweet hit the bookshelves and I am excited to eventually read it. Twenty Boy Summer was Ockler's first novel and one that I am glad I picked up on kind of a whim.

The Situation: Anna is getting ready to tag along with her best friend, Frankie, and her family for their annual summer trip to Zanzibar. Frankie is determined that they each meet one guy a day for each of the twenty days they are there. If they really do meet a different guy each day, than there is a real chance that Anna will have her first summer romance.

The Problem: Anna already had her first summer romance the previous year...with Frankie's brother...and Frankie has no idea. Matt promised Anna he would tell his sister after his family had left for their trip, but he never came through on the promise. Before the family leaves, Anna, Matt, and Frankie are all in a car accident that leaves Anna and Frankie as the only survivors. A year later, everyone is still hurting. Anna can't seem to let Matt and her secret romance go, and Frankie has turned into a self-destructive, self-absorbed nightmare. Even so, the trip to Zanzibar Bay is on and so is the twenty boy challenge.

Genre, Theme, History: Not much I can come up with here for history, but there is of course the general themes of love and loss, and also the kind of hurt and anger and bitterness and resentment that can result when people refuse to acknowledge or talk about their loss. Anna holds onto her secret for over a year, fearing that it will damage Frankie even more if she tells her. I personally don't see the big deal, but I am also not 16 anymore so my viewpoint of the situation is slightly altered and probably somewhat jaded. And instead of talking about her brother, Frankie decides to hook up with every cute (but incredibly vapid) guy she meets and dress like a street-walker. Her mom and dad are also pretty preoccupied with their own feelings, so Frankie is kind of left to deal with her pain on her own there.

My Verdict: I enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought I would. It is kind of a light summer read, but there is more to it than that. With some of the scenes I could almost feel the tension from the pages. And some of the interactions between Frankie and Anna will make a lot of females incredibly embarassed because some of us know we have had similar conversations...more similar than we would care to admit.

Favorite Moment: Overall I just liked the setting of Zanzibar Bay. I am having a hard time picking one particular scene in general but I kind of wish this vacation spot actually existed.

Favorite Character: I also do not think I could pick out a favorite character since they all spend a good amount of time getting on my nerves. Anna is a very sweet and very relateable girl next door, but I still have a hard time rooting for her. This may be why I only gave the book three stars on Goodreads even though I thoroughly enjoyed the book.

Recommended Reading: Fixing Delilah, Ockler's second novel. Not as strong as this one in my opinion, but still a good read. 

Nonfiction: Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling

I have yet to read Bossypants by Tina Fey, but I think I can go ahead and say that this book is not like Bossypants by Tina Fey. So if you just finished Bossypants and are picking up this book thinking it will be just like it or just as good, I think it is safe to assume (from what I gather from other reviews) that you will be disappointed. Mindy Kaling even says so in the beginning of her book.

Genre, Theme, History: We can't really call Kaling's book an autobiography since 1. I think she is too young to be writing an autobiography, and 2. it is really more of a memoir, although even that does not quite fit. It is more like a collection of essays that anything else because as is proved by the last quarter or so of the book, Kaling does not yet have enough material to write a full-on memoir or biography.

The book of course talks about Kaling's childhood and growth through college and into adulthood, and eventually gets to where she is now, a writer and actress on the NBC television show The Office. Throughout her story are anecdotes from Kaling's ongoing issues with her size and weight. And there are also more than a few discussions about just how famous she wants to be, what kind of fame she wants, and what she would like her future to look like regarding her career, love life, and wardrobe.

My Verdict: The best moments in the book come from Kaling talking about her road to becoming a writer on one the most popular television comedies in the U.S. today. The middle of the book was by far my favorite part as I enjoyed Kaling's honesty about her personal trials in her attempts to break into the business. She does not hold back on some of her most embarrassing moments in the business, including her less than memorable stint as a guest writer for Saturday Night Live. Of course, she has plenty of successes to share as well. But as great and endearing has that part of the book is, the last 40 pages or so are a rambling mess. It is as if once Kaling tells us about The Office she really has nothing left to say. At one point the reader is seriously being shown the pictures that are currently on Kaling's Blackberry. And the part that I found almost depressing was the chapter where Kaling tells exactly how she wants her funeral to play out. It is not that I think the idea of planning your own funeral at 34 is morbid...I plan mine every time I start a new journal (I really don't know why I do this so don't ask...I don't have an answer), it is just the way she goes about it and what she wants to happen that makes me incredibly sad all of sudden after reading such a seemingly joyful book. Overall, I gave it three stars on Goodreads, and I at least recommend it to fans of The Office, even if you don't like Kelly Kapoor. 

Favorite Moment: I actually will have to go with the very beginning when Kaling lists a series of considered but ultimately rejected alternative names for her book. My favorites are "The Girl With No Tattoo" and "Harry Potter Secret Book #8." Ha!

Recommended Reading: Born Standing Up by Steve Martin. This book is also an easy read but Steve Martin, who I feel is old enough to write an autobiography, tells his life in such an honest and frank way that does not hide his trials and hurts, but with the same sense of humor his fans have come to love so that his honesty is not at all painful to read, but just, well, honest. It reads more like a conversation than a book, and who wouldn't love to have that talk with Steve Martin?

Young Adult Fiction: Paper Towns by John Green

Since I will eventually read and post about John Green's most recent novel, The Fault In Our Stars, released on January 12th, I thought I would first start off with one of his earlier works and the first one of his books that I read. I enjoyed Paper Towns a great deal, more than I expected to, and I thing there are plenty of adults who would enjoy it as well.

The Situation: Quentin (a.k.a. Q) is a fairly normal and well-adjusted senior in high school who lives next-door to his life-time crush and childhood best friend Margo. In high school, Margo went the route of the popular kids while Q was...well...much less popular. Then one night Margo gets Q to tag along with her on an all-nighter of revenge pranks against other popular kids that are supposed to be her friends, including her quarterback boyfriend. Q manages to survive the night and is hoping this is the beginning of them maybe having a friendship again.

The Problem: Turns out the all-night prank fest was not the beginning of a rekindling of the friendship...because Margo then runs away, leaving only a series of clues as to where she is. Q of course takes it upon himself to solve the mystery of Margo's whereabouts while also trying to navigate his last few days of high school and graduate. In my opinion, the clues are incredibly impressive since they are coming from a teenage girl. What annoys me though is her heavy use of Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass (all you Simpsons fanatics out there will remember what Homer said about Leaves of Grass after stumbling upon Whitman's headstone and grave in the "Mother Simpson" episode...pretty much how I feel about it). Still, the clues and revelations that result from it all are pretty fascinating.

Genre, Theme, History: This is a young adult novel with a good amount of mystery. Also, it explores an issue which I have always found interesting when it comes to teenagers and high school, and that is the issue of the popular kid who feels trapped in always acting like someone he/she is not. It is something that comes up a good amount in popular culture, and I have found it to have a very real basis in real life.

The novel also talks about the phenomena of the "paper town," which can be an unbuilt subdivision or a copyright trap used by mapping companies where they will include the name of a town somewhere on their map, but that town does not actually exists. Of course, what will then sometimes happen is that people will start using the name of that town for other purposes, realizing that it doesn't really exists but it can be found on certain maps. 

My Verdict: I gave the novel four out of five stars on Goodreads. My only real criticism (aside from the use of Whitman, but that is really my personal issue) is that the character of Margo really does not appeal to me at all. I realize she is the popular and pretty girl, and the girl that Q has been longing for all this time, and I am fine with that, but what I am not okay with is how self-obsessed she is and how people like Q do not see that...or do not care. This may also have to do with my impatience for teenagers who think that whatever issue they are currently going through is the biggest thing to happen to anyone ever in the history of the world, and I feel like Margo has a little bit of that. Of course, she is a teenager, and I was totally guilty of this too when I was 17. 

Favorite Moment: Pretty much any instance that involved Q deciphering the clues that Margo left behind interested me greatly. 

Favorite Character: I have to go with one of Q's best friends, Marcus (a.k.a. Radar). Marcus is African-American and his parents currently own the world's largest selection of black Santas (Ha!). He is also really into, like really into, editing a website called Omnictionary - a collaborative online encyclopedia (yeah, guess which site that was modeled after). In fact, there is actually now a real life Omnictionary website that includes more detailed information about the Paper Towns characters and the life of Green.

Recommended Reading: I recently finished Green's An Abundance of Katherines. If you enjoyed Paper Towns you may also like this book.

Contemporary Fiction: Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

First I just have to say: Delightful...absolutely delightful. I mean honestly, just...one of the best books I have read in a long while. So thoroughly enjoyed it. It should really be illegal to have as much fun as I did reading this book. Really. I just cannot sing it's praises enough. I have to say...alright I'll stop and get on with it. 

The situation: Wade is a pretty typical 17 year-old boy who attends school and spends as much time as he can online. Pretty relateable right...most of us can understand this guy and probably knows someone like him. Here's the thing though: Wade lives in the year 2044, the earth has become pretty much a wasteland due to the global energy crisis, and most of society, not just the super-tech savvy, spend most of their time online in the OASIS, which can be treated as just another social media/online gaming site, but that would be limiting it's power entirely. Wade goes to school there, has friends there, works there, but more importantly he, and the rest of humanity, are currently locked into a contest to see who can finish out a treasure hunt left behind by OASIS creator James Halliday (think Howard Hughes) when he died. The first person who successfully finishes the quest not only becomes the most famous egg hunter or "gunter," but also automatically inherits Halliday's massive estate, control over the OASIS, and billions upon billions upon billions of dollars. I probably could stand to add in a few more billions, but you get the idea.

And don't worry, the OASIS isn't so far beyond what we have now that Wikipedia no longer exists. And bonus!...it is still free. Plus, if you lived through the 80s, you would be way ahead of the game since Halliday was a teenager during the 80s and was obsessed about any and every type of popular culture from the decade. The year may be 2044, but because of Halliday's treasure hunt and massive fixation on everything from Cyndi Lauper to John Hughes to Atari, the stuff that made up the 80s is what is popular of the time and what anyone who is interested in the treasure hunt ever studies. There is little to no mention of the music, movies, games, or television shows of the time of the time, but there are several mentions of Devo, WarGames, PacMan, and even Family Ties, plus so much more. Seriously, half the fun of reading this book is trying to see if you can catch the references. I'll admit, I was born in 1982, but a good amount of this stuff was lost on me. True, I am also not a big gamer, so maybe that is where I lost my edge.

The problem: It does sound like one big romp through an 80s themed virtual reality in order to win a mass amount of money. And for the most part, it is. Just one issue...well two really: the real world is still a festering waste land, and the Innovative Online Industries (IOI) would also like to win Halliday's fortune and take over the OASIS themselves in order to make more money off it and essentially only limit it to high paying customers. Oh, and they are okay with committing real murder in the real world in order to make that happen (think The Matrix...but not as stylish). So not only does Wade have other gunters to compete with, but he also has to stay off of the radar of the IOI, both in the OASIS and in real life.

Genre, Theme, History: To just slap on the label of science fiction would be way too short-sighted. I actually like dystopian fiction or maybe even dystopian fantasy. Of course, the case could be made for utopian fiction or fantasy as well since the world known as the OASIS is THE place for everyone to escape to and live the life that is not available to them in the real world. The massive overarching theme is anything and everything related to 80s popular culture. Having this story, which is set over 30 years in the future, have it's base in a decade that most adult readers know about made me like this book even more. Wade's world as he knows it came out of the current recession and energy crisis. It also appears that the middle class has finally disappeared and only the very poor and the very rich exist. Cline did an excellent job of giving us a glimpse into a possibly future society, but not making it so alien to us that it was difficult to keep up.

My verdict? Well, I kind of gave that away in the first paragraph. Easily five stars. There were times where I did feel a little lost, but like I said, that may be due to my limited knowledge of heavy gaming. It is the kind of book that makes your blood pressure go up as you read it, almost as if you are playing a video game because you can feel the enemy breathing down Wade's neck as he wills himself to figure out the puzzles and move forward. Also, because Wade is the typical teenage boy with the typical teenage friends and the typical teenage boy habits, he will get on your nerves on occasion.

Favorite moment: When Wade has to recite every one of Matthew Broderick's lines from one of his movies (I won't give away which one...visit Wikipedia if you absolutely must know) in order to pass one of the gates. The very idea just made me so happy for some reason.

Favorite character: I just have to go with Ogden Morrow. He was James Halliday'sHalliday for the last decade of his life. He is the Gandalf of this story, so whenever he shows up I just feel so much better. 

And that is my take on Ernest Cline's debut novel Ready Player One. I definitely recommend it to any child of the 80s or fan on 1980s popular culture.

Recommended Reading: Junot Diaz's The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

Door Stop: Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

It felt appropriate to me that I should not only do the first blog post on not only a door stop, but my favorite door stop, Les Miserables by Victor Hugo. This book is long, like War and Peace long, but it is so very worth it. And FYI: the version pictured at right is an abridged version, so watch out for that.

The Situation: Oh there is so much here...like a crazy amount, but I guess I'll just start with Jean Valjean, who remains at the center of everything throughout the novel. Valjean is an ex-con who breaks parole in order to start a new life for himself and prove that a man with a dark past can become a virtuous member of society. He does just that and becomes mayor of a prosperous town.

Then there is Fantine, who is let go from her job in a factory where she earns money to send back to the Thenardiers for taking care of her illegitimate daughter, Cosette. After being fired, she becomes a prostitute and (spoiler alert!) eventually dies of what appears to be tuberculosis. After learning about her and her fate, Valjean vows to find her daughter Cosette and raise her himself, which he does.

The Problem: Once again, there is just so much, but again I'll just start with Valjean. He could have easily continues to be mayor and raised Cosette to be a beautiful young woman (which he gets to do anyway), except that before he even gets Cosette his true identity is revealed when another man is about to be convicted for his crimes. Valjean (spoiler alert!) admits to being the real prisoner 24601 but manages to escape the hand of justice once again and find Cosette. And here is another issue: the Thenardiers, who have been taking care of Cosette all this time, are complete pariah's and bottom feeders and only let her go for a price, only to keep popping up again and again throughout the book to take advantage of people. And Javert, the police officer who first wanted to accuse Valjean of being 24601 also continues to pop out and chase Valjean throughout his life so he can arrest him and force him to serve his debt to society. Oh yeah, and there is a whole student rebellion going on in the background and one of the quasi-leaders falls in love with Cosette, and those kinds of situations are never easily dealt with.

Genre, Theme, History: It is definitely a novel, and a long one. In my personal opinion, the running theme throughout the novel seems to be one of grace. Valjean continually exercises it, but cannot for the life of him seem to be able to accept it. This problem of his shows up in the very beginning when a priest shows him the true meaning of grace (I won't spoil the scene for you because it is just so good) when he has first gotten out of prison. And Javert cannot exercise grace or accept it, and this is ultimately what makes him such an awful person to deal with. The Thenardiers don't seem to have any grace at all and it shows. And Cosette is the product of grace from one of the most unselfish men in all of literature and she grows up to be all sweetness and light.

As for history, I constantly make the mistake of thinking that the battle going on in the background is the French Revolution, but it is so not. The French Revolution took place in the 1700s, and this story is set in the 1800s. Really, the only revolution portrayed is the June Rebellion which is led by students, which makes sense as Marius and his friends are a part of it. Also, at various points Hugo does take many opportunities to voice his opinions on the many issues concerning the politics, society, and religion of France (and more specifically, Paris) at the time. Hugo's tangents can be incredibly lengthy, but there is more story than there are digressions, I promise.

My Verdict: It is a masterpiece. That is all.

Favorite Moment: This is hard for me because there are more than a couple. But I'll spare you and only choose one. Or I'll choose two and justify it by saying one is for the musical and the other is for the book. I would go for the movie as well but there are so many versions and about to be a new one come December 2012. IMDb it...

The Musical: When Valjean decides to confess to being prisoner 24601 before going back to Fantine's death bed. Chills.

The Book: I won't reveal it all, but basically the last 10 pages or so of the entire novel. It takes an incredible amount for a book to get me to do something like cry or laugh out loud. But the final pages of this book left me pretty much inconsolable.

Favorite Character: Jean Valjean. Hands down. No contest. The man is a living saint and only went to jail in the first place for stealing bread for a family member. He then goes on to sacrificially give of himself for other people, even if that means he potentially goes back to jail and is executed. Oh yeah, and he is pretty indestructible and has incredible strength. And Hollywood had to top it off for me by getting Liam Neeson to play him. Awesome.

Least Favorite Character: Okay, I won't point out my least favorite character in these posts unless that character is not a villain or antagonist. In the case of Les Miserables, I definitely go against the grain of the female population and have to say that Marius is my least favorite character. He just generally gets on my nerves and is such a...well...boy. And I guess it doesn't help that I adore Valjean so much because no one can stand up next to him, so my standards are going to be ridiculously high. But even so, the boy just needs to get a grip and I feel like he does after it is already too late.

I hope I didn't ramble on too much in this post. This is a book that is very dear to my heart and I wanted to talk about it without just gushing and going on and on. It will most likely be awhile before I hit on another door stop (gotta space those suckers out), so next post look forward to something more contemporary.

Recommended Reading: The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo: almost the same amount of action with less than half the pages.