Leaving Time (Jodi Picoult)

It's like a national holiday for me when the new Jodi Picoult book comes out.  Ever since I was first introduced to her writing with The Pact, I've loved everything she's ever put out (except for Sing You Home and Salem Falls).  This year, she is publishing in October instead of March, so I had to wait a few extra months for an advanced read.  Was Leaving Time worth the wait?  Read on.

As Picoult's fans know well, she does impeccable research with each novel.  Whether it's a medical condition or the Holocaust, she leaves no stone unturned and effortlessly weaves her fictional narrative in with a nonfiction topic.  Her older books usually end with some sort of courtroom drama, but lately, she's left those behind for a big twist.  I'm sad to say that I wasn't really into Leaving Time until the twist; usually I can't wait until the day ends so I can curl up again with her books.  However, when this twist comes, it completely changes the direction of the book; I couldn't stop reading and raced to the finish.

Leaving Time is told in trademark Picoult style with different narrators.  Jenna is a teenage girl who longs to find out what happened to her mother, Alice.  A long time ago, Alice, a renowned scientist who studied elephants, and Jenna were living on an elephant sanctuary, along with Thomas, Jenna's father.  One night, the police were called to the sanctuary when one of the employees was trampled by an elephant.  Alice was found unconscious, and soon after she was taken to the hospital, she disappeared.  As Jenna grows up, she desperately wants to get some closure regarding Alice's disappearance.  To do that, she turns to Virgil, the detective called to the scene of the trampling, and Serenity, a psychic.

When Picoult eventually reveals the big twist, the book changed completely for me...for the better.  I felt the first three quarters was very slow, and I was going to rate it a 3.  However, the end was a 5, so let's average them.

MY RATING - 4

A Sudden Light (Garth Stein)

Garth Stein's A Sudden Light is a richly layered novel that truly deserves all the buzz its been getting.  Stein seamlessly interweaves multiple generations into this part ghost story, part mystery, part coming-of-age novel.

Teenager Trevor Riddell goes with his father to Riddell House, which has been in the family for a very long time.  The estate is falling apart (along with Trevor's parents' marriage), and the existing Riddells have differing ideas of what to do with it.  Stein takes his time building each of the characters and fully fleshing them out, from Grandpa Samuel, to his daughter Serena, to Trevor's father Jones, and to their long-dead ancestors.  Often, A Sudden Light is unbearably suspenseful -- the type of novel that you have to read just one more chapter before turning out the lights and going to bed.

Author Garth Stein already has written a bestselling novel (The Art of Racing in the Rain).  With the September 2014 publication of A Sudden Light, he's sure to have written another one.

MY RATING - 4

The Supernatural Enhancements (Edgar Cantero)

Rarely have I gone back and forth with a rating as much as I did with Edgar Cantero's The Supernatural Enhancements. On the one hand, I liked the Blair Witch Project style storytelling, told not through a straight narrative but through diary entries, voice recorder transcripts, and even invoices. I feel that this made it more suspenseful and jarring. Having said that, the plot itself is borderline ridiculous; I adore a great ghost story but the plot was so far-fetched that I often found my mind wandering. Unfortunately, this was a book that I just "got through" instead of truly enjoying.

A., a European, inherits a long-lost American relative's mansion and its contents, the relative having just committed suicide. He brings along his teenage companion, Niamh, to Axton House, which they soon learn is haunted. I never understood A. and Niamh's relationship and to me, it seriously detracted from the novel. It seemed inappropriate and was written quite seedily. They soon come across a "big" secret that happens at Axton House every year, which is really not that exciting.

I think The Supernatural Enhancements is a book that you either love or not (just check out Goodreads). The plot wasn't for me, but I still thought it was written in a creative way.

MY RATING - 2

Drop Dead Healthy (A.J. Jacobs)

When author A.J. Jacobs says he is going to do something, he does it WHOLEHEARTEDLY.  Exhibit A: His book The Know-It-All: One Man’s Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World documents his reading of the encyclopedia from A-Z.  In the popular The Year of Living Biblically, Jacobs lives one year following each rule of the Bible in as literal a way as possible.  And so it is with Drop Dead Healthy: One Man’s Humble Quest for Bodily Perfection, in which Jacobs is determined to make every part of himself from head to toe (and those parts you can’t see) the healthiest they can be.

This is the best type of read – it’s not only enjoyable and funny, but you’ll come away with lots of knowledge you can either take or leave.  Jacobs keeps each chapter short, focusing on how he’s trying to improve that part of his body. For food, he tries eating raw and vegan but also goes to the other extreme and eats Paleo style. What advice is worth taking?  Exercising 20 minutes a WEEK hardcore or working out like our caveman ancestors?  What environmental “dangers” are really worth worrying about?  You might be surprised by the research.

Jacobs fully realizes that he can’t keep up with all this advice for the rest of his life.  There just aren’t enough hours in the day, and some things have to give.  In the end, he’s definitely a lot healthier than he was at the beginning and inspires us all to make little tweaks for big results.

MY RATING - 4

Life Drawing (Robin Black)

You won’t find much going on or even very many characters in Robin Black’s stunning debut novel, but in the hands of this talented writer, you don’t need them.  Summed up in one sentence, Life Drawing is about a childless couple who lives in an isolated area until they suddenly get a neighbor.  There, doesn’t sound very exciting, right?  That’s where you’re wrong.

Owen and his wife, Gus, are a writer and artist respectively who are surprised one day to find that someone has moved close to them in their rural area.  Allison is warm and friendly; before long, Owen and Gus come out of their shells and become neighborly, inviting her to come over for dinner.  When Allison’s daughter, Nora, comes to stay for awhile, they all become ingrained in each other’s lives, and Life Drawing quickly becomes a wonderful character study before its shocking, sudden conclusion.

Kudos to Black for this gorgeously written book, where every word is necessary and each paragraph reads like a stirring melody.   

MY RATING - 4

Black Chalk (Christopher J. Yates)

I had high hopes for Black Chalk; you would think that a book with "One game. Six students. Five survivors." on the cover would at least be a little heart-pounding.  But alas, I found myself trying to "get through" this novel rather than enjoying it.

The premise is really exciting, which is why I was anxious to pick this up.  While in college, six classmates begin a seemingly innocent game, where the loser of each round must perform a consequence.  Each consequence gets harder and harder as the game progresses, with reputations, family loyalty, and eventually danger and death on the line.  The game ultimately comes to a head between the final two players left standing, with an ending that really makes no sense.

Even through constant going back and forth between time periods, Yates does a nice job of keeping the story together and plot holes are few, if any. However, none of the characters are particularly likable, and I really didn't care much about the game's outcome.  Black Chalk has an interesting premise, but the execution is a little weak.

MY RATING - 2

10% Happier (Dan Harris)

After perusing Dan Harris's 10% Happier (with the subtitle How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Actually Works--A True Story) in the bookstore, I knew immediately that I wanted to read more.  Harris, co-anchor of Nightline and the weekend edition of Good Morning America, is best known for having a panic attack on live television in front of millions.  You think YOU have it rough in your cubicle?

After becoming the unlikely religion reporter for Peter Jennings, Harris embarked on interviews with major players in the spiritual realm: Eckhart Tolle, Deepak Chopra, et al.  He found himself being drawn into the world of meditation, and so this is his story of how it made him 10% happier.  From lunches with meditation mentors to going to bare-bones retreats, Harris struggles with quieting his own mind at the beginning, but then realizes that's not the point of meditation by a long shot.

I enjoyed reading 10% Happier and found many insights for my own life; however, I felt it went on a little long and could have cut out a few chapters to be more effective.  However, I admire Harris for putting it all out there for the benefit of many.

MY RATING - 3