Book Review: Eat Pray Love – Elizabeth Gilbert

Synopsis: In her early thirties, Elizabeth Gilbert had everything a modern American woman was supposed to want–husband, country home, successful career–but instead of feeling happy and fulfilled, she felt consumed by panic and confusion. This wise and rapturous book is the story of how she left behind all these outward marks of success, and of what she found in their place. Following a divorce and a crushing depression, Gilbert set out to examine three different aspects of her nature, set against the backdrop of three different cultures: pleasure in Italy, devotion in India, and on the Indonesian island of Bali, a balance between worldly enjoyment and divine transcendence.

My thoughts in a nutshell: 2 Stars out of 5 Stars – Ugh. Ugh. Ugh. Ugh. UGH.

My review:  Eat Pray Love should come with a disclaimer: “I am the relentless neurotic rants of an indecisive 34-year-old woman.” Throughout the entirety of this book, I felt like I was reading the earliest rough draft of the memoir because there was so many (oh, so many.) paragraphs dedicated to Liz’s ramblings and rants. If this was the published version, I can’t even imagine what her draft looked like.

I just keep asking myself, how, HOW did this become a New York Times bestseller? How did this get made into a multimillion dollar movie with the fabulous Julia Roberts as the star? Why was this book recommended to me by so many women and men alike, who said it changed their lives? Just WHAT. *mind explodes* I just keep asking myself – how did this thing get published?!

Within the first 80 pages, I knew I hated this book. I only kept going because I am a stubborn reader and I wanted to read the whole damn thing before I could rant about it. At first, I had to take a step back and ask myself if I was being sexist and anti-feminist by hating Liz so much – I had to ask myself if I would have acted the same way that she did, be so needy and whiny, etc. etc. After some deep personal evaluation (probably deeper than anything that Liz experienced in this entire damn book), I realized that nope – I truly did not like Liz and did not like her personality, her brain, or really anything she had to say. This book was a not-simple (in the worst kind of way) walk through a simple mind.

The thing that bothered me the most about the book was the entitlement that Liz felt and how much she felt like she needed to tell us every little thought that ran through her mind. The most interesting thing that the book provided were the insights to yoga, meditation, and Bali (none of which are Liz’s own thoughts, mind you).

I was honestly really disgusted by Liz’s lack of awareness of her own privilege, her trite observations about cultures different than her own, and the truly shallow way in which she represents her journey. It was sickening how much the book was about ME, ME, ME – “MY enlightenment, MY divorce, MY journey, omg let’s talk about ME some more!”

I was really hoping for the book to be empowering, but Liz did not have a feminist bone in her body – the book begins and ends with a man, that is how Liz defines her story. In every place that she is in, she attaches herself to a man for support, whether it be her “devastatingly handsome” Italian tutor in Italy, Richard from Texas in India, or finally Felipe in Bali). God, this book hurt me so much in so many ways I didn’t even know were possible.

Whoever at TIME wrote that review on the cover – “engaging, intelligent, and highly entertaining” – must have been on drugs when reading this book, because those are the three adjectives that I would use to answer the question: “What is Eat Pray Love NOT?”

Book Review: Eleanor & Park – Rainbow Rowell

Synopsis: Two misfits. One extraordinary love. Eleanor… Red hair, wrong clothes. Standing behind him until he turns his head. Lying beside him until he wakes up. Making everyone else seem drabber and flatter and never good enough…Eleanor. Park… He knows she’ll love a song before he plays it for her. He laughs at her jokes before she ever gets to the punch line. There’s a place on his chest, just below his throat, that makes her want to keep promises…Park. Set over the course of one school year, this is the story of two star-crossed sixteen-year-olds—smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try.

My thoughts in a nutshell: 2 Stars out of 5 Stars – I really, really wanted to like Eleanor & Park, I really did. Trust me, I’m as surprised as you are because I opened this book expecting that I was going to love, love, love, love it. I had seen the book all over Instagram, people were talking about it, and my sister basically threw her copy in my face in order to get me to finally read one of Rainbow Rowell’s books (which, always, ALWAYS, make you feel all of the feelings). Not to hate on Rainbow Rowell (she seems like an awesome person and I absolutely love her background in journalism), but I just could not click with this book at all and am a bit disappointed that I couldn’t join the legions of Eleanor & Park fans – I just didn’t GET the book, the characters, and really what all the hubaloo has been about it.

My review: My main issues with the book:

• The Romance – Where did this COME FROM?! Please someone explain this to me, because it really seemed like Park fell head over heels in love with Eleanor from her reading his comic books over his shoulder. Like WHAT. Trust me, I understand the feelings of teen love – Teen Kat was the queen of anything and everything emotion. I remember what it was like to have those exciting and electrifying moments with someone you were just starting to have real feelings for – those can be amazing and beautiful, and I was really looking forward to seeing those moments between Eleanor and Park in the book. However, it just didn’t happen – the entire beginning of the relationship wasn’t believable and wasn’t realistic.
• The Plot – Like another reviewer mentioned, Rowell relies on Eleanor’s grim family life to spark sympathies from the reader, and I completely understand how this works (ah-hem, looking at you John Green). At the end, all I wanted to find out was what happened to Eleanor’s mother and her siblings – but all I freakin’ got was a postcard and three words and then the book ends. Was I only supposed to care about the romance? The entire book builds up to this moment of them running away and her leaving him (which was a bit anti-climatic), and then nothing. I really wanted the plot to come in and rescue the book from a romance that was doing nothing for me, but it just never came.
• The Lack of Park’s Mother – Park’s mother was hands-down my favorite character in the book. Every single character in this book is defined by their relationship to their partner (Eleanor to Park, Park to Eleanor, Eleanor’s mother to Ritchie, Park’s father to Park’s mother, Tina to Steve, Steve to Tina, etc.). Park’s mother is the only one who is a real character and has real character development – She married Park’s father at 18, left her large and (what we can assume to be) very poor family in Korea, comes to the United States and builds a new life for herself, but can’t quite shake her accent no matter how hard she tries. Her favorite word is “beautician,” she wholeheartedly believes in the power of makeup and beauty (which I found to be very interesting), and Park’s father never, ever goes up against her. She struck me as a very strong woman and a powerful guiding force in Park’s life, and I wanted there to be more development in their relationship and just never got it. The most beautiful moment in the book in my opinion is when Park’s mother sees Eleanor and her family in the grocery store, and becomes paralyzed by how much of her younger self she sees in Eleanor. I really wish this had been more elaborated on (sequel Ms. Rowell?)

If you think that John Green is one of the best writers to grace planet Earth, then this book is for you (I obviously, don’t – he is a great marketer and preys on teenager’s feelings, however, and that’s how he and his books have been successful). A minor improvement of Eleanor & Park over John Green’s books was the development and uniqueness of the characters – I often find John Green characters to be bland and unpalatable, boring without many unique facets to their character or personality so that any young reader can project themselves and their emotions on to the character and relate. Rainbow Rowell didn’t do this (to an extent), which is what I really enjoyed – I especially loved hearing about Eleanor’s outfits and LOVED when Park started wearing eyeliner.

This was by no means the most awful book that I have ever read, I just went in expecting an amazing book that was going to make me feel ALL of the feelings, and instead I was left wanting to throw the book into the road screaming “MEH.”

Why I Created The Hungry Bibliophile

Ever since I can remember, I have been a reader and writer. When I was a child, I would fall asleep with books in my bed rather than stuffed animals. I wrote hundreds of stories – ranging from a paragraph to fifty pages. I devoured every book that I could get my hands on and was my elementary school librarian’s favorite student (and by extension, of the biggest dorks in school). I absolutely loved the way reading transported me into another world, into the shoes of someone completely different from myself, and engaged me in ways that other activities could never do.  I wanted to create these worlds and emotions for others, so I began writing and couldn’t stop – my dream was to be a good enough writer to meet J.K. Rowling (my favorite author).

As I grew older and entered college, reading fell by the wayside. I would pick up a few bestsellers every year, reading mostly in the summer and during my winter break. During the hectic and stressful school year, I would unwind by watching Netflix or going out with friends – no longer reading for pleasure. I knew that something was missing, but wasn’t sure what it was. I continued with this lifestyle, and was no longer the girl with the best-kept library and dreams of being a writer but rather your average college student worried about grades, parties, and getting a stable job post-graduation.

After reading Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche’s Americanah in December 2014, right after my first semester of my senior year of college, everything changed. The book stimulated something in me that I hadn’t truly felt in years. I devoured the book in about a day and a half, and all of the feelings, emotions, and inspirations that books had given me for years returned with open arms. I wondered how I possibly could have gotten through my last three years of college without reading how I used to.

As the New Year was approaching, I decided to take on a challenge for 2015 that would set the tone for my last semester of college while building the road for after graduation – 52 books in 52 weeks. People thought I was crazy – “How do you have time?” “I can’t even think of 10 books I would want to read.” “I wish I had the time to read, I just don’t anymore.” Well, I was allocating at least several hours a week to watching Netflix or browsing the Internet uselessly – I figured that I could dedicate that time to reading. And I did. And I absolutely loved it.

After 6 weeks and 7 books, I was incredibly happy. The project had already gone so much farther than I expected, and I wanted to share the literary bookworm love with everyone. After finding a rather surprising amount of literary Instagrams, I expected to find a similar community in the blogosphere. No such thing (if anyone hears of a good literary blog for 20-somethings, call me). So here I am, to share my passion and thoughts on books that I’m reading.

I hope that you enjoy the blog and books as much as I do. 🙂

Book Review: An Abundance of Katherines – John Green

Synopsis: When it comes to relationships, Colin Singleton’s type is girls named Katherine. And when it comes to girls named Katherine, Colin is always getting dumped. Nineteen times, to be exact. On a road trip miles from home, this anagram-happy, washed-up child prodigy has ten thousand dollars in his pocket, a bloodthirsty feral hog on his trail, and an overweight, Judge Judy-loving best friend riding shotgun – but no Katherines. Colin is on a mission to prove The Theorem of Underlying Katherine Predictability, which he hopes will predict the future of any relationship, avenge Dumpees everywhere, and finally win him the girl.

My thoughts in a nutshell: 1 Start out of 5 Stars – I had such high hopes for An Abundance of Katherines, but it was truly one of the worst books that I have ever read – I was quite literally counting down the pages until it was over. I don’t think that John Green is the greatest writer of our generation, but I have enjoyed some of his past books as easy reads (The Fault in Our Stars, Paper Towns) for their relatively interesting stories and characters. An Abundance of Katherines was none of these things.

My review: Colin, Hassan, Lindsey, and all of the other characters were not realistic, and not really likable. The writing was so poor, written in circles and in clichés, that I just didn’t care what was happening to any of the characters and couldn’t care what happened. What is so great about John Green’s other young adult novels is the reliability of the characters and their development over the course of the novel, but he really missed the mark here. Additionally, the basic premise of the book wasn’t very appealing and wasn’t very realistic – I never bought into the premise that Colin had dated 19 girls named Katherine and I struggled to understand why the main character spent the entire novel trying to devise a mathematical formula that would explain why he was dumped so often by his girlfriends. It struck me that the book was trying too hard to be different and unique, and these efforts fell completely flat.

To clarify: not all characters in books have to be likable. In fact, some of the best characters in literature are the least likable. However, this book simply lacked a plot and substance to carry it along. If you actually like good reads, great stories, and literature – don’t read this book. No wonder all the Katherines dumped Colin – I (a Katherine) would’ve done the same. The only thing I truly liked about this book were the use of footnotes and the excessive use of the name Katherine.

Book Review: The Defining Decade – Meg Jay

Synopsis: Our “thirty-is-the-new-twenty” culture tells us the twentysomething years don’t matter. Some say they are a second adolescence. Others call them an emerging adulthood. Dr. Meg Jay, a clinical psychologist, argues that twentysomethings have been caught in a swirl of hype and misinformation, much of which has trivialized what is actually the most defining decade of adulthood. Drawing from a decade of work with hundreds of twentysomething clients and students, The Defining Decade weaves the latest science of the twentysomething years with behind-closed-doors stories from twentysomethings themselves. The result is a provocative read that provides the tools necessary to make the most of your twenties, and shows us how work, relationships, personality, social networks, identity, and even the brain can change more during this decade than at any other time in adulthood-if we use the time wisely.

My thoughts in a nutshell: 3 Stars out of 5 Stars – Although Dr. Meg Jay did bring up some good points, I did find a number of flaws in her argument. In my opinion, this book only applies to a small number of twenty-somethings – those who have access to a number of resources and opportunities, therefore limiting itself to the middle and upper classes. I know young people who can’t take internships because they need to work in the summers in order to pay for their college education, while I know others who have graduated and are currently working as tour guides for American abroad students in Europe in an effort to delay “the real world.” In essence, it’s an interesting read for all young people but her suggestions should be taken with a grain of salt and it should be considered in what situations her recommendations apply.

My review – Not quite the defining decade for everyone – What is great about this book is how Dr. Jay includes tidbits and stories from her own patients that are incredibly relatable to almost every young adult – such as one 23-year-old saying that they’re in the middle of the ocean and can swim any which way, but they don’t know which way land is so they’d just rather tread water until a sign comes. Generally, this is very relatable to navigating life post-graduation for many. The Defining Decade: Why Your Twenties Matter–And How to Make the Most of Them Now makes you not feel alone in navigating the post-grad world, and provides some helpful advice relating to love, life, your career, and health. The writing is clear, concise, and the book is rather an easy read -I got through two-thirds of it in less than a day.

Book Review: What I Was Doing While You Were Breeding – Kristin Newman

Synopsis: Funny L.A. girl Kristin Newman wrote for hit TV shows like That ’70s Show and How I Met Your Mother, but her debut memoir What I Was Doing While You Were Breeding follows her extensive off-season travel and ensuing personal growth. In her twenties and thirties, it seemed like all of her friends were getting married and reproducing (I know that I can relate). Newman, on the other hand, spent the better part of a decade buying plane tickets and adventuring abroad. She recognizes her unique lifestyle caused her to miss other experiences, saying, “life is an endless series of choosing between two things you want almost equally…You have to trade awesome for awesome.” By rejecting the notion of one “right” life path, she crafts a relatable story for any woman, married or single, wanderer or homebody.

My thoughts in a nutshell: 4 Stars out of 5 Stars – Don’t read this book if you’re looking for something like Eat Pray Love – this book was written to entertain and learn some lessons along the way, rather than educate and provide a guide to living. If you’re a 20-something travel lover who is always looking to find the road less traveled, this is for you. It’s laugh-out-old funny (it’s written by the woman who created Argentinian masseuse Gael on HIMYM for goodness sake!). Even if you fall into the breeder category, Kristin’s memoir is witty, poignant, and relatable. You’ll follow her through her many travels (and many men) around the world with a healthy mix of adoration for her bravery and slight concern for her wellbeing, and absolutely love every mile.

My Review – Places to go, people to see, things to learn: One of the reasons that I loved this book so much is that I saw a lot of myself in Kristin and her feelings on the life that one is meant to lead. At one point, she says, “I wanted love, but I also wanted freedom and adventure, and those two desires fought like angry obese sumo wrestlers in the dojo of my soul.” I couldn’t help but think – THIS IS HOW I FEEL ABOUT EVERYTHING. As a young photographer currently working to save up money to move to Bangkok and live her dream of being a photojournalist, this book could not have come at a better time. I always knew this, but the book just enforced that just because you’re not getting married and having babies as everyone on the same schedule as everyone around you doesn’t mean that you’re doing it wrong.

Even when Kristin broaches more serious topics (love, work, her fear of no longer being the most interesting person at the dinner party), you’ll find yourself quickly flipping through the pages. I devoured What I Was Doing While You Were Breeding in three days and have emphatically recommended it to my taken and single girlfriends alike. Give it a try, update your passport, and let me know where this captivating memoir takes you, figuratively or literally.

Book Review: Me Before You – Jojo Moyes

Synopsis: Lou Clark knows lots of things. She knows how many footsteps there are between the bus stop and home. She knows she likes working in The Buttered Bun tea shop and she knows she might not love her boyfriend Patrick. What Lou doesn’t know is she’s about to lose her job or that knowing what’s coming is what keeps her sane. Will Traynor knows his motorcycle accident took away his desire to live. He knows everything feels very small and rather joyless now and he knows exactly how he’s going to put a stop to that. What Will doesn’t know is that Lou is about to burst into his world in a riot of colour. And neither of them knows they’re going to change the other for all time.

My thoughts in a nutshell: 1 Star out of 5 Stars – Incredibly mediocre writing that heavily preys on the reader’s emotions about “living one’s life to the fullest.” It isn’t a love story – it’s a story about an obnoxious, rather boring woman who changes because of a man. The only reason that this book has been so popular is that it addresses a recent “hot topic” and it made people cry, neither of which equate to a good read.

My review: Will’s tragedy and story would be enough to slap anyone in the face enough to realize that they should probably be living the best life that they can. However, Lousia doesn’t change her mind because she realizes that any day could be her last. She doesn’t change her mind because she realizes that she has let her past dictate her present. She doesn’t change her mind because she realizes that she hasn’t really been living at all. She changes her mind because Will forces her to step outside of her comfort zone, and she realizes that she is in love with him and wants to change her life so he will love her and they can all live happily ever after. She does it because his opinion of her means absolutely everything – this is why she tries to change her life.

I hated nearly every single minute of Me Before You – it was one of the worst books that I have read in a long, long time, and I am not the type of person to dislike books (I love nearly everything that I read). Despite that the writing was generally horrendous all around, the characters were completely unrelatable and not realistic in any way whatsoever. The only reason that I finished this book was because I’m stubborn – I hate leaving books unfinished, and I really, really wanted to get to that 100% on my Kindle. I don’t recommend picking this one up.

 

My All-Time Favorite Books

Often when I tell people that I love to read, they ask me what my favorite book is. As any avid reader knows, this is a rather tough question. In no particular order below, are the books that I will always return to time after time hungry for more. These are the books that I will pass down to my children, I recommend to anyone who will listen, and will always hold a special place on my shelf.

My All-Time Favorites (in no particular order)

1. Harry Potter Series – J.K. Rowling

One of my earliest memories is my mom coming home from work with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in hand. This was soon after the book was published, and hadn’t attracted the popularity and acclaim that it soon would. I was 6 years old, and instantly fell in love with the series as my parents read it to me before going to bed. Soon, I was able to read it myself – I even pronounced Hermione’s name “Her-me-own.” Oops. Ever since, the books have held a very special place within me and always will. They were the series that I grew up with (the last book came out when I was 16), and had taught myself to read with. They were the books that truly taught me the magic (no pun intended) of reading.

What’s my favorite book in the series? The first and last, of course.

2. Bel Canto – Ann Patchett

In my senior year of high school, I was part of a very small and very close AP English Literature class. The books that we read ranged from Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre to Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad (see below) to contemporary literature like Bel Canto. Within the first few chapters, I completely fell in love with Bel Canto and read the book in about two days – weeks ahead of our syllabus. The writing is perhaps some of the most beautiful that I have ever encountered – lyrical like the opera music that is a central tenet of the book, and flowed with such a beauty that moved the reading along with the story and its characters. Bel Canto made me a devoted Patchett fan, but unfortunately none of her other books quite stood up to the high expectations that this masterpiece set. This novel is a masterpiece, and I highly recommend it – it’s an incredible story, beautifully told.

3. 1Q84 – Haruki Murakami

1Q84 was the first Murakami book that I ever read – I picked it up at a bookstore in Grand Central on my way to a hostessing job downtown because I thought that the cover seemed interesting (and I have always been a lifelong fan of George Orwell’s 1984). The book is massive – 924 pages to be exact. I was completely unaware of the massive buildup and popularity behind the novel’s release, so large that “it received a level of attention typically reserved for established cross-platform franchises.” Although many read the long-awaited novel as a disappointment, I absolutely loved it. It was my first Murakami, and therefore like nothing I had ever read before. It did take me a long time to get through – nearly two months. I kept picking it up and putting it back down, reading late into the night and then not glancing at it for two weeks. The power of the story is slow – the words and their meaning is far away once you begin, but then slowly envelopes you as you continue and essentially smacks you over the head when the novel is finished. After reading several of Murakami’s other novels, I can see how 1Q84 is so different. Nonetheless, it is still my favorite of his books and one of my all-time favorites.

4. Heart of Darkness – Joseph Conrad

This was another book on the syllabus for my AP English Literature class from my senior year of high school. The most grueling 53 pages that I have ever had to get through in the history of literature, but oh how it was worth it. Few books have left me with such an impression that Heart of Darkness has. Intense and compelling, it takes the reader on a journey through the jungle of the Congo into the darkest recesses of human nature. Written over 100 years ago, it still holds as much, if not more, significance today. One of the few novels that I believe that everyone should read.

5. One Hundred Years of Solitude – Gabriel García Márquez

After my best friend hitting me over the head with this book for several years in an effort to encourage me to read her favorite book, I finally picked up One Hundred Years of Solitude as a suitable beginning to my 52 Books in 52 Weeks project for 2015. Unlike most of the other books on this list, this was not one that I loved every minute of. I absolutely adored some parts, while others made me wonder why I was reading this silly paragraph over nothing. However, the end of the novel, those fateful final few pages, changed everything. One Hundred Years of Solitude is an enduring classic for many reasons – it is a brilliant chronicle and telling of the cycle of life and death, and the beauty of humankind through one family. It makes me very sad that 95% of readers don’t actually stick through the book, because the end makes it all worth it – all of the feelings.

6. The Shadow of the Wind – Carlos Ruiz Zafón

Another book that my best friend (a fellow bookworm) has been recommending to me for years, and I finally read. Oh good lord, I cannot even emphasize all of the feelings and tingles and thoughts that this book made me feel. To clarify, there are few things that I love more than a book about a book. One of those things is a good story. Although this isn’t the finest piece of grand classical literature that left me questioning the universe and my role in it (which many books do), The Shadow of the Wind is a story in the way that stories are supposed to be. Richly developed characters that you befriend along the way, a gloomy and engaging setting in Barcelona, a city of smoke and mirrors, young love, love lost, a tragic hero and a sickeningly great villain – The Shadow of the Wind has it all.

7. Americanah – Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche (the book that changed everything!)

After a friend recommended this to me last May while in Rwanda (an appropriate place for the read), I ordered it on Amazon and had it sitting on my bookshelf for months until I had the time to read it. Once I began, I finished it in less than two days with the feeling that I was holding a newfound Americanahan classic in my hands. Americanah is so much more than a story of love between a man and a woman from Nigeria – it is a remarkable, thoughtful, and truthful book. It hits the issue of race in America on the head. The main character, Ifemelu says, “We all wish race was not an issue. But it’s a lie. I came from a country where race was not an issue, I did not think of myself as black and I only became black when I came to America.” The inclusion of the blog posts from Ifemulu’s blog, Raceteenth or Various Observations About American Blacks (Those Formerly Known as Negroes) by a Non-American Black, was wonderful.

Americanah is not only about race – it touches other issues such as social inequality, immigration, self-acceptance, loss of cultural identity, and change. The book remains with you after you finish reading, forcing you to question issues of all types of inequality in American society and begging you to read it again. Without a doubt, I’ll read this book again at a later time and come back ready for more.