Author Signing: Garth Stein

In October, I had the opportunity to attend a Garth Stein reading/signing event at the Tattered Cover.

Stein was going to read from Racing in the Rain: My Life as a Dog, the middle grade adaptation of The Art of Racing in the Rain, which I love, love, LOVE! However, being at the end of his tour, he wanted to do something different. So instead, he read one of his short stories about 2 kids surviving a catastrophic earthquake in Seattle where they escape with the help of hundreds of birds. I wish I could remember the title! The story was packed with action, adventure, and family. I was sad when it came to an end, but he did mention that he was considering developing it into a MG/YA novel.

Garth Stein reading us his short story.

I was really excited to attend this event since I had finished listening to The Art of Racing in the Rain audiobook a few weeks beforehand. It's seriously one of my favorite reads of 2011 and I've been telling ALL my friends and family to read it :). I loved hearing him talk about what inspired the story/Enzo. Also, it was great hearing about how he fired his agent that didn't believe in his story because it was told from a dog's perspective. He knew that he had written something special, and believed whole-heartedly in his novel. I'm so thankful that he was so persistant with getting it published!  

A blurry picture of me with Garth.

If you're a dog lover, I highly recommend The Art of Racing in the Rain. This book is for everyone (men and women), and with the middle grade adaptation, it's for all ages too! I've had friends tell me that they weren't sure they could read it because it's a sad book about a dog... that it would upset them. Yes, it's a little sad in parts, but for reference, it's not nearly as sad as Marley and Me! I promise it's not too sad. It's an inspiring and humorous story about family, loyalty, and navigating life. Please read it, you can thank me later!

Below is the synopsis from goodreads. The cover pictures for both the adult and middle grade adaptation are Amazon links.

Enzo knows he is different from other dogs: a philosopher with a nearly human soul (and an obsession with opposable thumbs), he has educated himself by watching television extensively, and by listening very closely to the words of his master, Denny Swift, an up-and-coming race car driver. Through Denny, Enzo has gained tremendous insight into the human condition, and he sees that life, like racing, isn't simply about going fast. Using the techniques needed on the race track, one can successfully navigate all of life's ordeals.

On the eve of his death, Enzo takes stock of his life, recalling all that he and his family have been through. In the end, despite what he sees as his own limitations, Enzo comes through heroically to preserve the Swift family, holding in his heart the dream that Denny will become a racing champion with Zoë at his side.

A heart-wrenching but deeply funny and ultimately uplifting story of family, love, loyalty, and hope, The Art of Racing in the Rain is a beautifully crafted and captivating look at the wonders and absurdities of human life...as only a dog could tell it. (Goodreads)

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

Note: This was originally posted on New Shade of Green (my other blog).

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

Publisher: Algonquin Books
Release Date: April 9, 2007
Format: Kindle
Source: Bought
Age group: Adult
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Blurb from Book Browse:

An atmospheric, gritty, and compelling novel of star-crossed lovers, set in the circus world circa 1932, by the bestselling author of Riding Lessons. 
When Jacob Jankowski, recently orphaned and suddenly adrift, jumps onto a passing train, he enters a world of freaks, drifters, and misfits, a second-rate circus struggling to survive during the Great Depression, making one-night stands in town after endless town. A veterinary student who almost earned his degree, Jacob is put in charge of caring for the circus menagerie. It is there that he meets Marlena, the beautiful young star of the equestrian act, who is married to August, the charismatic but twisted animal trainer. He also meets Rosie, an elephant who seems untrainable until he discovers a way to reach her. 
Beautifully written, Water for Elephants is illuminated by a wonderful sense of time and place. It tells a story of a love between two people that overcomes incredible odds in a world in which even love is a luxury that few can afford.

I have to admit that I wasn't initially excited to read this book. I kept hearing great things about it, but I just had no interest in reading about a circus. Then I saw the movie preview... and knew I wanted to read the book before seeing the movie (I'm rarely able to finish a book if I see the movie first). So I started reading, and had a hard time getting into it at first... I think this was mainly because I felt like I HAD to read the book... as if I was back in school! I eventually got past this and was able to get immersed into Water for Elephants.

Usually, I rate books by how I feel while reading them, so my ratings are normally always subjective. In this case, I felt I had to give this book 5 stars based on the fantastic writing and the amazingly rich and unique backdrop of the train circus! It is obvious that the author did her research on circus culture and depression-era American history. She really dug into the down and dirty details of circus life. In the discussion after the last chapter you learn that many things in the story are based on true stories or anecdotes of the circus. The Bezini Brothers train circus is easily like another character in the book, flawed and deeply layered, like the characters themselves. I really liked how the story is told from Jacob's perspective as a spunky 93 year old man, having flashbacks of his life 70 year earlier. The altering perspectives (from young to old) effectively grounded the story and added another layer to his character.

At times, this wasn't easy to read... It was sad to read about the indignities of being old, and I felt like Gruen's depiction was honest and very real. Though most of all, I had a really hard time reading some of the scenes with the animals. At one point I caught myself reading between my fingers, as if I was trying to block the scene from view as if it was a movie. I tried skipping over one but I had to go back and read it because I felt like it was important to the development of the characters and the story. It was, and they were. I just wish those scenes hadn't been seemingly timed to when I was getting ready to go to sleep.

Seriously, I'm so glad I finally picked up this book. I highly recommend it!

The Host by Stephenie Meyer

Note: This was originally posted on New Shade of Green (my other blog). I know this isn't a YA novel, but I wanted to share this with you all.

The Host by Stephenie Meyer

Format: Audiobook, narrated by Kate Reading

Age Group: Adult

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Here is the Goodreads blurb:

"Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away. The earth has been invaded by a species that take over the minds of their human hosts while leaving their bodies intact, and most of humanity has succumbed.

Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given Melanie's body, knew about the challenges of living inside a human: the overwhelming emotions, the too vivid memories. But there was one difficulty Wanderer didn't expect: the former tenant of her body refusing to relinquish possession of her mind.

Melanie fills Wanderer's thoughts with visions of the man Melanie loves-Jared, a human who still lives in hiding. Unable to separate herself from her body's desires, Wanderer yearns for a man she's never met. As outside forces make Wanderer and Melanie unwilling allies, they set off to search for the man they both love.

Featuring what may be the first love triangle involving only two bodies, THE HOST is a riveting and unforgettable novel that will bring a vast new readership to one of the most compelling writers of our time."

I have to agree with other reviewers when they say this is Stephenie Meyer's real masterpiece. The Host is nothing like the Twilight Series (which I loved) and is better written, so people that didn't like Twilight may really like The Host. I'll be honest and say that the first 1/4 of the book bored me silly, but I do think most of it was necessary to set up the rest of the book. It was nothing like I expected, and I was surprised (like I was with Twilight) that I really enjoyed a book about aliens! There's not too much sci-fi, so you don't need to be a sci-fi fan to enjoy this book.