Jane Eyre

This past weekend, a dear friend and I went to see the film adaptation of Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre. Even though I had seen and enjoyed the preview for the film a while back, I was still anxious to see whether or not the film "got it right". This is a book that I adore (I've read it probably six or more times). And I feel that other films make the title character to be a mouse. Jane Eyre is no meek and mild character! What I love about her character is that she has a strong sense of who she is and she refuses to compromise her principles or to yield to others because of their status or sex.
The film did an excellent job of capturing her spirit and telling the tale with mood and mystery! I highly recommend it!

Better than Hunger Games?

So I had more than one male student come up to me and tell me that they loved this book called The Maze Runner so much more than The Hunger Games! In fact, these boys said that they read Hunger Games and then went on to its sequel but abandoned it in favor of this one. Well, if even one boy tells me (of his own volition!) about a book he's read and enjoyed, that's really something. But when a second boy and then third boy do the same, well, I just had to get my hands on a copy! And it turned out to be every bit as great as their praise! I can see why boys abandoned Catching Fire in favor of this one and its sequel, Scorch Trials. It's about an all-boys' society living by their own code and exploring the ever-changing maze outside their walled in "city" called The Glade. The catch is that none of them remembers their past--only their first names and that each wake up inside a huge metal box that opens out into the middle of The Glade. The story is told from the perspective of the newest member. I love this because the reader learns about this society bit by bit as the character pieces it all together. And did I mention there's a maze, a secret code, mysterious killer robot/blob creatures, oh, and violence? What's not to love?

A book for groundhog day

My dentist claims that Groundhog Day is one of his favorite holidays. Of course he also told me that getting my cavities filled would be, "great fun," so his judgment is clearly questionable. I certainly don't have much of an attachment to the day but perhaps I will now at least view it with more interest after the book I finished, appropriately enough, on Groundhog Day. The book is called Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver. It is about a 17-year old girl on the day she died (you learn this in the first chapter so I'm not spoiling anything). The thing about it is that in the next chapter, she wakes up in her bed the same day as before and she continues to relive this same day for a week. You can see why I think this would be a perfect book for Groundhog Day!

I found the book very hard to put down! I was intrigued by the variety of plot twists and different outcomes that occurred as a result of this girl reliving her one day over and over again. In the beginning of the book, Samantha is a self-centered popular girl who's major aim in life seems to be to stay popular. I really didn't like her and I didn't particularly want to keep reading after the first chapter. It wasn't that I looked down on her so much as I just didn't feel that I cared what happened to her. However, all this changed as I continued to read. Once she realizes that she is reliving her last day over and over again, she begins to see herself, her friends, and life in a whole new way. I even found myself thinking about what things (people, circumstances, situations) I take for granted!

I would love to know what other people think of this book--particularly the ending!

Little Bee

This week I finished reading Little Bee by Chris Cleave. The story centers upon two women, a Nigerian refugee desperately seeking safe haven in Britain, and a posh 30-something English magazine editor. It's told in alternating chapters from the point of view of these women and flashes back to fill in their life stories. Although on the surface it would seem that these two women have nothing in common, they form a strong, believable bond through their mutual sufferings.
I loved this book for two reasons: one, the story of the Nigerian girl, Little Bee, was thrilling and eye-opening on its own, and, two, I found Cleave's writing of both women's voices very convincing and authentic. This is a must-read! I liked, too, how it made me think about the plight of immigrants in this country and around the world. I hope it causes more sensitivity in our society and in other western countries towards the immigrants' cause--but perhaps I'm a bit too optimistic!

Ah! Summertime!

For YES teachers and students, the summer is quickly dwindling away. And as a book lover, that means not only less free time but also less reading time. So I'm trying my best to squeeze in at least five more books before the official start of school. Here are my picks: Sarah's Key, The House of the Scorpion, Middlesex, Ender's Game, and Inkheart. I've heard great things about each of these titles so I'm hoping that though it is a pretty long list given the time left, it will all go quickly.