Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult

I finished reading Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult the other day but like you, I've been a tad busy the past few days. So, tonight I decided to post about this wonderful book. 

Leaving Time: A Novel

I have read almost all of Picoult's novels and have loved them all. While I'm reading one of her books, I get sucked into the story and wonder how in the world she can write so eloquently and thoroughly on such diverse topics, but she always does.

Leaving Time's main themes are elephants and psychics. I won't spoil the storyline by divulging much more here other than to say that she handles these topics so well that I was really surprised at the way this novel ends but not in a bad way. It was believable and so well done.

Book Read:  Leaving Time
Author:  Jodi Picoult

The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult

Can Jodi Picoult write a bad book? No, I don't think she can. I finished reading The Storyteller and once again was amazed at her storytelling prowess.

This novel is a departure from her "normal" books. It's set partly in present day where Sage Singer is a baker who works nights and is carrying on an affair with a married man (a funeral director) and in the 1930s and 1940s before and during World War II. Minka, Sage's grandmother, is a young Jewish teenager living with her family in Poland when the Nazis take over. 

Minka writes stories, and a few pages of the main story she is writing are interspersed after each chapter of the book--present day or during the war. Then during the part of the book where Minka is living through World War II, the story becomes part of the bigger story. 

This book is amazing. It was really hard to read in places, and a few nights I had strange dreams after going to sleep right after reading it. So, I read the rest of the hard-to-read parts (the concentration camp narrative) during the day. I'd recommend you do the same, but maybe it won't bother you like it did me.

In any case, don't let that stop you from reading The Storyteller. It is one of the best stories of World War II I've read.

Book Read:  The Storyteller
Author:  Jodi Picoult

Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult

I love Jodi Picoult's novels and this one was just as good as the rest. I was pleasantly surprised that it ended on a positive note, a rarity in her writing.

The themes of this book include infertility, music and music therapy, lesbians, divorce, and the ethics of in vitro/frozen embryos.

I always find it amazing that Picoult can get into the minds of the characters to bring them to life in such a believable way. Read it? Did you love it? If you haven't read it, it's a winner!

Book Read: Sing You Home

Author:  Jodi Picoult

ISBN:   978-1-4391-0272-5

Perfect Match by Jodi Picoult

Perfect Match is one of Jodi Picoult's older books, her third novel published in 2002, and in some ways it shows. The writing is still good but not as good as her later stuff. And that's understandable. 

In Malcolm Gladwell's book Outliers:  The Story of Success, he says that to get really good at something you have spend 10,000 hours practicing it. I'm sure this applies to novel writing just like playing the piano or playing a sport.

I was trying to figure out the title, Perfect Match, of this from the get-go and finally found it about three-quarters of the way through the book. This novel deals with a 5-year-old boy who was sexually abused and becomes mute. His mother is an assistant district attorney so knows what the court system does to young abuse victims. Some very interesting twists and turns are revealed making this a compelling (though highly improbable) story.

Book Read: Perfect Match

Author:  Jodi Picoult

ISBN:   0-7434-1872-7

Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult

I finished reading Jodi Picoult's latest adult book (evidently she wrote a young adult book, Between the Lines, with her daughter!) the other night. I've been busy and haven't had a chance to update this blog, so here goes.

I love Jodi Picoult's books! 

There. That's all I really need to say about her writing. It's always good. Every time. Her stories are compelling and interesting and timely. Lone Wolf deals with sustaining life when, to put it bluntly, the lights are on but no one's home. 

One of the best things about Jodi Picoult's books is that she doesn't sugar coat the material. That's big in my book.

Have you read Lone Wolf? Think you will? I'd give it a 10 out of 10.  

Book Read: Lone Wolf

Author:  Jodi Picoult

ISBN:  978-1-4391-0274-9

Second Glance by Jodi Picoult

I finally finished reading Second Glance by Jodi Picoult last night. I generally really like her books, but this one took me forever to get into. For one thing she had too many characters, which she mentioned in an interview at the back of the book.

I had trouble keeping all of the characters straight, which is a real buzz kill for me. Another tricky element was the ghost story, where there's now (with real people and ghosts) and then (with real people who show up now as ghosts). I totally had to pay attention, and I guess I wasn't up for it.

As the book moved along and the plot started to unravel, I got it, but at the end, when all the loose ends were tied into pretty little bundles, it was just way too convenient. Not at all plausible for me. So, all in all, this was my least favorite Jodi Picoult book I've read to date. It was good, mind you, just not up to her usual snuff. I like House Rules, which I read last year, much better.

Have you read Second Glance? If so, I'd love to hear what you thought of it.

Book Read: Second Glance

Author: Jodi Picoult

ISBN: 978-1-4165-8386-8

Rescue by Anita Shreve

The night before last, I couldn't sleep. I was up till almost 3 a.m. I started reading Rescue and made it halfway through. Last night, I finished it. I don't know when I've read a book that fast. And it was good!

Like I said, this book was good, but it certainly wasn't Anita Shreve's best book. The storyline was good but it seemed sort of simple, at one point near the end, way too convenient.

Something I really did enjoy was the setting. Anita Shreve lives in Massachusetts and  most of her books are set in New England, this one in Vermont for the most part. I think that's one reason I also really like reading Chris Bohjalian and Jodi Picoult's novels.

Do you have a favorite setting for stories that  you enjoy reading?

Book read:  Rescue
Author:  Anita Shreve
ISBN:  978-0-316-02072-5

House Rules by Jodi Picoult

Oh man. I just finished House Rules by Jodi Picoult and it's 11 a.m. I read mostly at night before bed, but for really good books, I like to be wide awake. And this is a really good book. The best I've read in a long, long time. I always enjoy Picoult's books but sometimes the particular topic is one I can't really relate to or don't understand or just don't care about that much.

But House Rules covers two hots topics:  Asperger's syndrome and forensic science. I don't even know what to say except READ IT!



Book Read:  House Rules
Author:  Jodi Picoult
ISBN: 978-0-7432-9643-4