Jurassic Park, by Michael Crichton

I LOVED Michael Crichton’s Andromeda Strain, so of course I was excited to read his Jurassic Park. My high expectations were not at all let down. I haven’t seen the movie in a while, so I can’t compare it to the book, but the book is definitely a must read! It was one of those books that you couldn’t believe covered such a short amount of time, because so much happened during it, but at the same time, it wasn’t an unrealistic amount of activity.

If you’ve seen the movie, I imagine you know the general story (and if you haven’t seen the movie, you are either REALLY young or sheltered…) It’s a few years in the future, and scientists are going through biochemistry overload. They are learning about genes, DNA, and cloning. It’s to be expected that someone’s going to come up with the idea of cloning a dinosaur!

However, why just clone a dinosaur when you can clone a bunch of dinosaurs! And what better to do with them than make an amusement park-style zoo on a secluded island for people to observe the prehistoric animals at will. Dr. Grant, a fossil expert, is invited to this park with his associate Ellie in order to study the animals and perhaps offer some expertise. However, he is not expecting the danger that can be involved in a rushed project with security flaws.

Of course, you can put two and two together. Dinosaurs plus security flaws equals intense danger and constant action! OF COURSE I’m not going to give away the plot, because I want you to read this intense novel. Just know that the action in this book is not to be contended. Reading it at night before bed was a bad idea, because the action kept me up and excited throughout the night, and I didn’t get the best sleep.

So awesome plot, awesome action, of course I’m giving this book FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARS! I mean, I loved this book, it would be silly for me to give it less! Another fast read, but I may have just taken more time to read it because I loved it so much. Definitely not one of those books where you have to read each sentence three times in order to truly understand it

Reading Next:: To the Lighthouse, by Virginia Woolf

Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll

Well I believe it's probably obvious, but if you enjoyed Alice in Wonderland, you're also going to love Through the Looking Glass! So adorable. In this book we finally learn Alice's age, 7 1/2. Some familiar characters, such as the red queen and the red king, reappear, but we get to meet loads of new friends! A white queen and white king, Humpty Dumpty (that's right, he's legit), and many other odd creatures, all of whom seem to have a sort of obsession with fish-related poetry.

Alice's purpose while in the Looking Glass Land is to become a queen. She's in a sort of chess game, starting as a pawn. She has to surpass 8 tiles or stages of her adventure and then she can be crowned a queen. As she begins her journey, she attempts to reach a hill located off in the distance. However, whenever she heads towards the hill, she ends up bumping into the house that she is trying to leave. Of course, in the Looking Glass world, one must walk away from their destination in order to reach it. That's perhaps one of my favorite parts, because it kept me wondering about it for days after I read that situation. I mean, how does one see the progression their making on their destination if they're headed away from it?!

Perhaps her experiences aren't quite as odd as those in Alice in Wonderland. For example, there is no awkward and sudden growing and shrinking. I was rather bummed that we didn't get to meet the Cheshire Cat again (a personal favorite) - with his wide grin that always seemed to stick around for slightly longer than he did. Her entrance into this world is slightly easier, walking through a Looking Glass instead of falling for miles down a rabbit hole.

At the end, we are notified that these adventures were definitely with a dream. But Lewis Carroll wouldn't give us that solid of an ending, would he? Of course not, for we're not sure who was dreaming this dream. Was it a day dream of Alice's, or did it belong to the Slumbering Red King? And what about the kittens she was playing with before her adventures. Did the little black kitten turn into the Red Queen, and it's white sibling turn into the White Queen, and if that's the case, what exactly was Dinah in this long dream?

I give this book FIVE STARS OUT OF FIVE, a quick and easy read full of humor, adventures, and fun. I love when a book can make me laugh outloud, and this one certainly succeeded.

Reading Next:: Jurassic Park by Michael Crighton

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

It seems like it was just yesterday that I was posting about Dracula... oh yeah, it was! That's right, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is PERFECT for the busy student, mom, worker, etc who just wants a fun and feel good read. Such an adorable book, and it's great fun to compare the book to the movie. Honestly, I don't feel the movie captures the uniqueness and oddities that the book spotlights with such ease.

I'm pretty sure most of my readers know the general story of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. While laying out on the grass with her sister one fine spring afternoon, Alice sees a white rabbit go running past her. She watches as the white rabbit pulls out a pocketwatch, and then frantically calls out "I'm Late, I'm Late!" and goes running into a rabbit hole. Of course, Alice cannot resist following the creature down the rabbit hole, which is evidently much deeper than she initially imagined as she falls for an unmeasurable amount of time.

When she reaches the bottom of the hole, she discovers a tiny door and the key to it. She drinks and shrinks, eats and grows, and goes through this process a few times until she somehow manages to escape the room (though not through the door she initially hoped to use). This begins her adventures. As she travels through this wonderful land, she meets many odd creatures, such as a hookah smoking caterpillar, a grinning Cheshire Cat, a Mad Hatter, a Dormouse, an animated pack of cards, and a Queen with a beheading obsession.

This book was such a fun and easy read, I would recommend it to anyone. Honestly, I've never been a big fan of either of the movies made on the book, but allowing my own imagination to create the scenes and creatures worked much better for me. I haven't found one thing that I don't like about this book. It was an amazing escape from the tedious world of college. Of course I am giving this FIVE STARS OUT OF FIVE! It's just to amazing not to. Read it, now! Seriously, its adorable.

Reading Next:: Through the Looking Glass, by Lewis Carroll

Dracula, by Bram Stoker

My best friend recently purchased a Kindle (due to envy of my Nook), and since we both got Dracula for free on our devices, we decided to read it together. It took a while for the two of us to free up our reading schedule so we could start at the same time, so news of our plan got around the music department. Soon I was having people coming up to me left and right telling me how amazing of a book Dracula was. I'll admit, I was a little iffy. For one, I'm not the biggest fan of the 'classics'. It's just the way I am. Also, I had just finished reading the nowhere-near-horrific-but-still-decent Frankenstein. Since Dracula is also perceived to be one of the classic horror stories, I was a little unsure.

Boy were my doubts wrong! This novel was absolutely amazing! The first chapter sucked me in, and in only a few pages I was beginning to feel tension, suspense, and a smidgen of fear as I followed to adventures of Jonathon Harker. Even when new characters began being added, I did not get lost because of the excellent form of organization exhibited by Bram Stoker.

In Dracula, we follow Jonathon Harker, a type of real estate agent, as he visits the home of his newest client, Count Dracula. Before he even arrives at the home of Dracula, he begins suspecting that this man may be slightly different than what he would consider a normal client. Of course, it's probably just that he's traveling through a strange land at night, who wouldn't be frightened. The story quickly becomes weirder and weirder from there, but I would hate to give away the plot! You HAVE to read this one yourself, so I'll just leave the summary hanging there to entice you further.

On the down side, there were a few sections of the book that I would deem 'unnecessary', and it was in no sense a quick read. Definitely not the best book for the night time reading that I only have time for right now in my busy, college life. However, I do have to put a quick plug in for my Nook! I am absolutely in love with this eBook reader. It was a birthday gift for my mom, and I use it constantly! I have compared it side-by-side to a Kindle, and I have to say that I MUCH prefer the Nook! Probably one of the best things about it is while you're reading it, people don't get down in your face and personal bubble trying to read the title page of the book you're reading. Also, it is great for those people who enjoy reading while they eat, such as myself, or reading while doing other random activities.

Back to Dracula. Great plot! Slow read. A few unnecessary spots, and a pretty slow read unless you're willing and able to sit down and really delve into it. However, it provided me with the suspense, thrill, and horror that I was expecting. Therefore I give this book FOUR STARS OUT OF FIVE. I know many of my readers are mothers or college students, but seriously, read it. It may take a few months, but it's worth it.

Reading Next:: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott

This was the first book off of my 1000 novel list that I read on my Brand New Nook, a birthday present from my fabulous mother. I highly recommend Nooks, they are great! I am a reader, I like reading when I work out, when I eat, and I like always having a book with me. Nooks are thin, easy to handle, and ALWAYS lay flat (no more trying to use knives to hold open my book while reading!)

This book is the most adorable book I've ever read! I was honestly expecting to hate this book, just because it's an older book and considered a 'classic', and I honestly think that many classics are just boring. however, this book was just so cute! The 4 girls, Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy, remind me of the sisters found in my Sister-in-Law's family, so I was easily able to assimilate the characters to myself.

I love how the author accentuates the differing personalities in the girls, because this is a phenomena I find so fascinating in real life. Girls who are raised by the same parents in the same environment have completely opposing personalities, and the characters in this book are the perfect example of that. I especially love the male friend Laurie. He seems like the type of boy I would have played with as a child.

***Spoiler Alert***

Of course, not all elements of the book go the way I want. I think the fact that Beth dies is a REAL bummer. I mean, I realize why it is necessary for the growth of the characters, but she was such a sweetheart. She was also the musical character, so I felt that I related with her the best. Jo should have ended up with Laurie. Period, the end. However, I'm fine that she ended up with Mr. Bhaer, because he was equally as perfect for her. However, I don't like that Amy ended up with Laurie. Yes, he helped her grow and nature, but it just seemed so, wrong!

All in all I give this book FIVE STARS OUR OF FIVE! After all, it was absolutely adorable. A story of growing, learning, and most importantly, falling in love.

Reading Next:: Dracula by Bram Stoker

Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley

This book was an exciting find in an small American bookstore called Big Ben Bookstore in Prague. They sell very high quality used books, and since this book was slightly less than mint condition, the shop owner let me have it for free (even though I would have happily paid).

One of the biggest shockers this book gave me was how NOT horrific it was! I mean, if you think of the classic Frankenstein movie, you're expecting to be given chills and get some shocks! However, there was really nothing frightening in the novel. Yes, the monster kills someone, but you hear his entire background story and end up feeling pity for the lonely creature.

Another shock was how eloquent of a speaker the monster was. I mean, whenever I think of the monster featured in this book, I think of incoherent moans and groans. However, when the monster is relating his story to his maker, his speech is so fluent and well-versed, it was nothing but an absolute shock.

I believe the true monster in this book is Mr. Frankenstein himself. He created this creature, and the minute he lays eyes on it he abandons the poor thing. The monster is forced to raise himself, to learn the lays of the land without any parent to teach him, though he learns from experience than everyone has some sort of parent or creator. His appearance is horrific, and no one will give him a chance to explain himself after taking one look at him. He begs his creator for a partner, someone like him, and promises to run away and never hurt another being as long as he never has to live alone. However, the creator selfishly refuses, his thoughts being that the monster would continue killing, despite his promises.

Being a person with a fear of living alone for the rest of my life, I can empathize with the monster, which is perhaps why I'm rooting for him in this situation. While I feel sorry that the creator looses his wife, I feel that he was fairly warned and was rude to the monster. People can find other partners, the monster never could.

In total I give this book 3.5 OUT OF FIVE STARS!! Yes, I enjoyed the storyline, but I feel that Mary Shelley strayed from it a little too much. There were too many moments that were completely unnecessary, not to mention boring. If they had at least had some excitement or humor to them, it wouldn't have been quite so terrible.

Posting Next:: Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Lake Wobegone Days, by Garrison Keeler

(First blog post in the air! Thanks Delta for the Free WiFi! Will update with a picture when on the ground with better internet)

This book was certainly entertaining, to say the least. Then again, I’m not sure anything that has been developed in the brain of Garrison Keeler could be anything less than humorous. As an avid listener of A Prairie Home Companion, I was excited to read an entire novel about the citizens of Lake Wobegone, a mere segment of Mr. Keeler’s weekly two hour show. The book very much assimilated the radio show in Garrison Keeler’s style, and it was easy to hear his voice narrate the words to me in his sober tone as I read through the book. It was a nice book for just reading while laying in bed, or random short intervals throughout the day. This is mostly due to the fact that there was no constant plot, but rather just short stories about the citizens of this small town, a population of less than 1000 people.

One of my favorite parts about this novel was the footnotes, included in many of the stories with a purpose of extending the story or giving a sort of background. Some of the footnotes went on for pages (literally, I’m pretty sure a footnote including 95 thesis extended at least 10 pages), but they always provided an extra laugh. The town of Lake Wobegone is truly one of a kind. The religions of the town consist mostly of Catholic and Lutheran, though there is a small, family-operated religion that the author and narrator is a member of called the Sons of Knute. The Sons of Knute abstain from dancing, supposed to lead to carnal behavior, but don’t mind drinking or smoking. Because of sibling disputes, there are many different sects of the Sons of Knute, each usually consisting of a father and his faithful worshipers, better known as his wife and children.

We accompany the citizens of this small town for a year. Our narrator is Garrison Keeler himself, and though the book and town are both fictional, he does an excellent job of convincing us that these are his very own memories, perhaps recorded in a journal to allow for the immense amount of details. The members of Lake Wobegone try their best to be humble, and they will assist you in your efforts by not making a huge deal out of your accomplishments, even if they include a 2-hour, weekly, nationally broadcast radio show with a large span of listeners. No, they simply treat you as one of the crowd, why should you receive special treatment for making it big? After all, they remember when you were in diapers and unable to speak, they observed you as you learn to speak, everyone speaks, and so you get no special recognition for speaking in front of a microphone.

Though this book took me a long time to finish due to research projects and homework, I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of time reading it. I easily give this book FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARS!!! It is very clean, excluding the occasional cuss word, and I would recommend it to any busy mother who just wants to spend 5 minutes a day with a nice read. There are plenty of stopping points, but it is an excellent choice and will help you unwind from your day as you read the antics of the members of this crazy town.

Reading Next:: Little Women by Louisa Mae Alcott