What I've Been Up To

I broke my promise. I promised to read a ton of books and book review them all, but life got in the way. Balancing a job and an internship, simultaneously, proved to be a difficult task. And unfortunately, I could not book review all the books I read because of time constraints.

But here is a life update: I just started my senior year in college (hooray). So close to finishing, but yet so far away.

For the past summer, I did an internship at Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites (HBMS). It is a nonprofit organization that oversees 20 different historic sites, as well as other neat stuff, in the community. I ran an entire exhibit during a massive, non-gated, free-music festival; it was an oral history, photography, and memorabilia exhibition. I am proud of what I have accomplished in my internship, but I am happy and relieved that it is finally over. While I did my internship, I also worked part-time--which also made my summer even more busier.

Although I did not have much to do book reviews, here are the books that I did get a chance to read over the summer months and their ratings:

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood (3.5/5)

The Black Notebook by Patrick Modiano (2/5)

The Last Day's of Ptolemy Grey by Walter Mosley (3.5/5)

The Grownup by Gillian Flynn (3.5/5)

In summary: my summer reads ended up being a (somewhat) huge disappointment. Not only did I not read as much as I hoped to, but the books that I did read were not worthwhile. The Last Day's of Ptolemy Grey by Walter Mosley was a book that I enjoyed, but could not fall in love with. When I decided to read the Handmaid's Tale, I was greatly saddened by how I felt about it after I finished it. I read it with high expectations--especially since everyone was raving about it--and ended up feeling indifferent; I felt that the story itself was incomplete and there were parts in the story that were vague. The Black Notebook was a book I regret even buying--nothing in the story made sense and there was no plot. The Grownup by Gillian Flynn was a good and short read, but again, I felt as if the story was incomplete; although it is supposed to be a short story, something certainly felt missing. 

I learned a lesson: DON'T READ BOOKS THAT EVERYONE ELSE IS READING. Yes, some people may feel compelled to read a book that is trending because EVERYONE is reading it--but in all honesty, reviewers may not always be right about a book. My suggestion is to read a book that aligns with your interests. I read what everyone else was reading, and I ended up hating the books or not falling in love with them as I thought I would. I read each of them with high expectations, but became disappointed which led me to undergo a huge reading-slump, as a result.  

Hopefully, in the coming months, I will get to read books that are more book-review-worthy. And I promise to keep up with the reviews!

x, Kayla 

Memoirs of a Geisha + Madness

Hello everyone!

Now I really really apologize for being M.I.A for the past month. Things have been chaotic lately. Working seven days out of a week can definitely drain you both physically and mentally. But I have had some time off and I feel super rejuvenated, so I decided to take the time and make book reviews that I had promised to my devoted readers way back in May.

I cannot believe that we are already in June, and by next week we will be in July. Unfortunately, my summer break has not allowed me to read as much as I would like to because of my busy schedule. Last month, I finished reading Madness by Roald Dahl, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. What I did not get to finish was Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden. Maybe I’ll pick up in the near the future, but I found it really hard to read through. His writing and prose was dull and too descriptive—he made the narrator kind of annoying due to her naiveté. I am ashamed to even say this but I did not even make it to page 100! I just did not find it interesting—the storyline did not captivate me as I thought it would. Also, the way that Golden portrayed the Geisha culture was inaccurate. I understand it the book is “historic fiction” but that does not mean that the author has the right to skew the Japanese culture and how Geisha is valued and seen in Japan. I do not want to go into too much detail, since I did not get a chance to read the whole book, but all I can say is that I do not know how the book was an international bestseller—it is astounding.

Madness is a collection of short of grim tales. I found Dahl’s storyline concepts to bear great similarity to Shirley Jackson’s Dark Tales, but Dahl’s main focus is exploring insanity. Because I read it last month, I do not remember the specific stories that gave me the chills, that captivated me, that shocked me—but there is no question about it, Dahl is a phenomenal writer who appeals to any generation and person.  I did only find his short stories to be grim and forbidding, but I found it to be also amusing and entertaining. What I love about this one collection of his short tales is that readers get to appreciate his imagination, his talent, creativity, and his writing style for adults. Dahl is best known as an acclaimed author of children stories, but we never get to see the “dark” side of him that is displayed through Madness. Fortunately, this is one collection out three other editions that all focus on a specific theme. I do plan on reading more adult stories by him, so I will definitely keep you—my readers—posted on it.

All in all, Memoirs of a Geisha was a not a book that kept me interested—it was both the mundane prose and knowledge of knowing that the story was and is historically inaccurate; therefore, I give this book two stars. Madness is a book that I recommend any person who is interested in weird, insane and bizarre tales, and because of that, I give it a four star rating.

x, Kayla

Book Review: The Girls (3 1/2 Star Rating)

❝Spellbinding . . . A seductive and arresting coming-of-age story hinged on Charles Manson, told in sentences at times so finely wrought they could almost be worn as jewelry . . . [Emma] Cline gorgeously maps the topography of one loneliness-ravaged adolescent heart. She gives us the fictional truth of a girl chasing danger beyond her comprehension, in a Summer of Longing and Loss.❞—The New York Times Book Review

❝[The Girls reimagines] the American novel . . . Like Mary Gaitskill’s Veronica or Lorrie Moore’s Who Will Run the Frog Hospital?, The Girls captures a defining friendship in its full humanity with a touch of rock-memoir, tell-it-like-it-really-was attitude.❞ - Vogue

❝I don’t know which is more amazing, Emma Cline’s understanding of human beings or her mastery of language.❞ - Mark Haddon, New York Times bestselling author of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

The Girls, written by young author Emma Cline, is about a girl named Evie Boyd, who was once a cult member during the late 1960s in California's Bay Area. The story switches between present time to past time, where readers are living through her memories and recollections of that "endless, formless summer" before she heads off to boarding school, and her life afterwards many years later. 

Young version of Evie, is a bored and anxious teenage girl that is waiting for something to amuse her and spice up her life. At a picnic park, she is intrigued by a group of girls who, in which she described as, "royalty in exile." She is automatically attracted to their hippie ways and carelessness, especially towards long and black-haired Suzanne. Unbeknownst to her, her intrigue would soon lead her to an unforgettable journey as she becomes apart of and is involved with the ranch that the girls belong to, and to the sexually-energetic, sweet-talker leader, and professional con-artist, Russell.

Russell is a so-called or wannabe rock-star, whose deeply magnetic philosophies attracted many followers and admirers--especially an assortment of women, who all worship him like he's an angel sent from heaven. Suzanne and the other girls, all take turns sleeping with Russell and flirt with other men in the ranch. Evie, is fascinated with the cult's relationships with each other and how they love each other indiscriminately "with the purity and optimism of children." But in due time, Russell is consumed with paranoia and the dangers of the ranch become more evident, in which the girls have been easily led to partake in an act of violence that will forever change Evie. 

The author's prose is written with great skill and eloquence, in which she does an amazing job in captivating the reader with her words. As the Los Angeles Times put it, "Her prose conveys a kind of atmospheric dread, punctuated by slyly distilled observation." But also, the topic and story is intriguing in itself as well.

When I read this book, I couldn't bring myself to stop, I was very much engaged with the story and plot. Although I admire Cline's vivid descriptions, the story bears extreme similarity to the Manson murders, thus making the storyline unoriginal. Even though, in my opinion, it lacks a certain uniqueness--I can understand why she would be inspired to write a fiction story based on the infamous Manson family murders, because she's a native from California--and these murders certainly left an imprint on the state itself.

I could definitely relate to the character, but to a certain degree. It is safe to say that we were all once 14 year-olds, bored beyond belief, curious-minded, rebellious to some extent, and we truly believed that we had all the answers to everything; basically, the story emphasizes naiveté.  

The only reason why I rated it 3 1/2 stars, is because of its lack of originality. I am fully aware that authors and writers have to be inspired by something, someone, or an event to create a story--but the storyline is exactly the same to the Manson murders. What I do give the author credit for, is that she is writing from a fresh perspective--she is writing it from the mind of a young and lost teenage girl, searching for something to make her life worthwhile; its a journey and feeling that anyone could or can relate to.

I would recommend this read to anyone! 

x, Kayla

Book Review: Modern Lovers (2 Star Rating)

❝Ms. Straub writes with such verve and sympathetic understanding of her characters. . .[An] entertaining novel. . . deftly and thoughtfully written.❞– Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times

❝It’s ‘Friends’ meets ‘Almost Famous’ meets the beach read you’ll be recommending all summer.❞–TheSkimm

❝Straub serves up a perfect slice of the zeitgeist with this entertaining novel about former college bandmates raising their precocious children while grappling with marital tensions and midlife crises.❞–People, Named one of "Summer's Best Books"

Modern Lovers, written by Emma Straub, is a book about a tight-knit friendship among three Oberlin alumni, who were all former Kitty's Mustache rock bandmates. The setting takes place in the borough of Brooklyn in New York. These three friends are in what you might call, coming to grips with adulthood even well after it has set in.

Elizabeth, Andrew and Zoe have all journeyed together--witnessing each other marry, start a business and grow a family, while simultaneously clinging onto their youthful identities. When the trio were in college, Elizabeth was a creative Midwestern gal, Andrew was a hipsterish rich boy,  and Zoe was the beautiful lesbian whose aura attracted both straight and lesbian women.

In later years, Elizabeth and Andrew fell in love, got married and had a son named Harry, who is a geeky and reserved, but confused young teenager. Zoe fell in love as well, got married to a chef named Jane, owns a stylish restaurant with her wife while also facing a "divorce," and adopted a daughter Ruby; Ruby, is best described as rude, bitchy, manipulative, and bratty. The trio, living blocks away from each other, are all facing a somewhat "midlife crises" during the summer that their offspring reached "maturity" age--or to be more precisely, it's when their children started sleeping with each other. Throughout this issue, the adults in the book begin to unravel their lives, and secrets and revelations begin to surface about themselves and their prominent and deceased bandmate, Lydia.

To be frank, I thought the book was beyond terrible. In all honesty, I couldn't bear to read another page and chapter any longer--the plot was too pathetic. Maybe I seem to be exaggerating a bit, but I found the whole entire premise of the book to be pointless. This was my first Emma Straub book that I have ever read, and I had high expectations since I have read so many good reviews on her other New York Times Bestseller, The Vacationers (a book I have not read yet, but now I don't plan on ever reading because of this book).  This book became a hot summer read, and since most bookworms appeared to have been reading it at the time, I thought I might give it a go as well. My high expectations were quickly diminished after reading the first chapter, and I soon began to detect the idiocy of the whole main concept of the book.

Dull, boring, pointless, and ridiculous are the best adjectives I could think of to describe Modern Lovers. Straub is a very good, stylish and eloquent writer, but her story just sucks! Although, she's a good writer, I must also admit that I felt that she was writing more like a teenager than an experienced author.  The book and I just didn't connect and I found the characters problems to be...stupid. Thinking more about it, there really isn't a specific plot either. The character's in the book are typical New York liberals, living in luxurious brownstone homes, thinking that their pathetic problems are equivalent to a midlife crises issue; it is basically about privilege, hipster Brooklynites and teen-love, and it was awfully annoying. I read somewhere that it was Straub's intent in making the characters annoying, and she did a pretty good job in doing so. Each of the adults in the book kept on reminiscing on their younger years and how cool they were back then, but it just made them more insufferable.

I apologize if my review maybe "forward," but I am an honest person that doesn't hold back. At the end, I was left mad and upset that I wasted my money on this junk. Also, I am a bit shocked that I read good reviews on this, it certainly bamboozled me. But I am quite mindful that everyone has different tastes in reading material, so what I might find to be terrible, others might find to be good. Personally, I give it a two star rating, because it just didn't intrigue me and I didn't connect with any of the characters of the book--I couldn't emphasize with them and their so-called problems.

Would I recommend this book? No. If you choose to give it ago, well you were warned.

x, Kayla