Memoirs of a Geisha

Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
Rating:8/10

Readers experience the entire life of a geisha, from her origins as an orphaned fishing-village girl in 1929 to her triumphant auction of her mizuage (virginity) for a record price as a teenager to her reminiscent old age as the distinguished mistress of the powerful patron of her dreams. Golden puts us right in the tearoom with the geisha; we are there as she gracefully fights for her life in a social situation where careers are made or destroyed by a witticism, a too-revealing (or not revealing enough) glimpse of flesh under the kimono, or a vicious rumor spread by a rival "as cruel as a spider."


summary by Goodreads.com


Having a personal interest in Japanese culture I found this book a fascinating insight into the world of the geisha, the author is clearly very familiar with the subject, providing as close to an accurate novel as fiction gets, this only serves to better bring Sayuri and Gion to life. The exotic characters are inspirational and the plot succeeds in keeping the interests of the reader completely. I would recommend to those who are interested in japanese culture and/or geisha.


Good Points:

• Intriguing exotic characters and environment 
• Insight into a "now vanished world" 

Bad Points:

• The romantic love story woven into the novel is unfulfilling 
• Not universally appealing

Buy/Borrow/Avoid:

Borrow - Its a good book in my opinion but not for everyone

The Painted Man

The Painted Man - Peter V. Brett

Rating:9/10

As darkness falls each night, the corelings rise–demons who well up from the ground like hellish steam, taking on fearsome form and substance. Sand demons. Wood demons. Wind demons. Flame demons. And gigantic rock demons, the deadliest of all. They possess supernatural strength and powers and burn with a consuming hatred of humanity. For hundreds of years the demons have terrorized the night, slowly culling the human herd that shelters behind magical wards–symbols of power whose origins are lost in myth and mystery, and whose protection is terrifyingly fragile.


summary from goodreads.com


At first I couldn't get into this book, it was a whole new genre and I certainly had my reservations, it started slowly with increasing amounts of gore. However, after pressing through a few chapters and growing accustomed to a more adult style of literature I found myself pretty much hooked, devouring the story in a mere two days. I admired the morals and strength of the characters through personal trials but above all the skill in which the tale was told. I would recommend to those who enjoy dark fantasy type novels and are not adversed to certain amounts of blood and gore.


Good Points:

• Engaging and page turning after initial chapters.
• Gritty, no sugar coated reassurances 
• Has a sequel! :P 

Bad Points:

• Slow to start.
• For older teens and adults, not suited for younger readers.
• Not universally appealing.

Buy/Borrow/avoid:

Buy/borrow

The 'to-review' list

Just a track list of books I intend to review in no particular order :P

1. Memoirs of a Geisha
2. The Painted Man
3. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo 
4. The Desert Spear
5. Guards Guards
6. Empress Orchid
7. Vampire Academy
8. The Book of Loss
9. Just In Case
10. Mockingjay 
11. The Chamber of Secrets
12. The Great Gatsby 
13. Stray
14. Slawter
15. Switch Bitch

Holes

Holes - Louis Sachar

Rating: 7/10

Stanley Yelnat's family has a history of bad luck, so he isn't too surprised when a miscarriage of justice sends him to a boys' juvenile detention center, Camp Green Lake. There is no lake - it has been dry for over a hundred years - and it's hardly a camp. As punishment, the boys must each dig a hole a day, five feet deep, five feet across, in the hard earth of the dried-up lake bed. The warden claims that this pointless labor builds character, but she is really using the boys to dig for loot buried by the Wild West outlaw Kissin' Kate Barlow. The story of Kissin' Kate, and of a curse put on Stanley's great-great-grandfather by a one-legged gypsy, weaves a narrative puzzle that tangles and untangles, until it becomes clear that the hand of fate has been at work in the lives of the characters - and their forebears - for generations.

Summary by Goodreads.com


Personally I liked this book a lot, it contains, for me one of the most touching and heart breaking love stories of all time. The plot however un-based around said story is also just as unique and interesting, it's a perfect story for tweens as I found that as a young adult it could have been a little more challenging. I decided to read it based from having seen the Disney movie it inspired. Loosely knowing the plot I wasn't expecting any sudden surprises or plot twists, although one can secretly hope, I found that the movie had stuck to the book entirely, nothing was omitted and hardly anything extra was added, the script was rigid. I found this slightly disappointing as it left me feeling as though I were simply reading the movie. I would recommend this still however to young teens, as it was originally targeted to.

Good points:

• Amazing love story.
• Perfect story for young teens.
• Interesting and unique content.

Bad points:

• Isn't particularly relatable or challenging for older readers.
• Follows the movie strictly, nothing new to be discovered if you have seen the movie first.

Buy/Borrow/Avoid:

Borrow (if you're young adult or older and still interested) :) 

Wicked

Wicked - Gregory Maguire


Rating: 6.5/10

Wicked is about a land where animals talk and strive to be treated like first–class citizens, Munchkinlanders seek the comfort of middle–class stability and the Tin Man becomes a victim of domestic violence. And then there is the little green–skinned girl named Elphaba, who will grow up to be the infamous Wicked Witch of the West, a smart, prickly and misunderstood creature who challenges all our preconceived notions about the nature of good and evil.


Summary by Goodreads.com


Originally I found the concept of a re-worked Oz intriguing, the idea of a backstory to the 'wicked witch of the west' was appealing and I enjoyed the story in that regard, however I found that the political and religious arguments raised detracted from the overall fantasy plot line that I had expected. The book itself was a little difficult to understand perhaps due to this leading to a loss of interest two thirds through. The impression the story gives from being the inspiration for the musical Wicked is misleading, expectations on the content of the novel were certainly not directly met,  however the appeal of the novel as a whole is understandable, having not had pre-expectations I might certainly have enjoyed the novel more despite the somewhat confusing political notions raised within. I would recommend to those who enjoy unwonted conspiracy theories and take interest in modern parliament. 

Jane Eyre

Jane Eyre - Charlotte Brontë


Rating: 8.5/10


As an orphan, Jane’s childhood is not an easy one, but her independence and strength of character sustain her through the miseries inflicted by cruel relatives and a brutal education system. However, her biggest challenge is yet to come. Taking a job as a governess in a house containing dangerous secrets and a passionate man she finds increasingly attractive, Jane is ultimate forced to call on all her resources in order to hold fast to her beliefs.


Summary by Goodreads.com


I have found Jane Eyre to be amongst my favourite classics, it  (unlike many others written in the era), was not at all difficult to read. The story, although long, held my interests without and is as the blurb tells it to be "one of the most perfectly structured novels of all time." A very fulfilling classical romance, I found the characters absorbing and competent, more so than perhaps current day protagonists (despite the restrictions on women in that era.) I would recommend this novel to those who are fond of either romance novels or a good classic.

My Sisters Keeper

My Sisters Keeper- Jodi Picoult 

Rating: 4.5/10

Anna is not sick, but she might as well be. By age thirteen, she has undergone countless surgeries, transfusions, and shots so that her older sister, Kate, can somehow fight the leukemia that has plagued her since childhood. The product of preimplantation genetic diagnosis, Anna was conceived as a bone marrow match for Kate -- a life and a role that she has never challenged...until now. Like most teenagers, Anna is beginning to question who she truly is. But unlike most teenagers, she has always been defined in terms of her sister -- and so Anna makes a decision that for most would be unthinkable, a decision that will tear her family apart and have perhaps fatal consequences for the sister she loves.

Summary by Goodreads.com

This book was not my favourite by any means for a variety of reasons, I gave it a rating of 4.5 merely because it deserves some literary credit, the concept of the novel is interesting and the style of writing is distinctive, however, I believe it was this that led to its downfall. The novel is written as a series of days, giving practically everyone in the Fitzgerald family (and more) their take on the day. This became frustrating and deviated away from the main plot line in so many places that the subplots devalued the original story. The most frustrating chapters of the entire story were that of Sara Fitzgerald, the emphatic mother of Anna, Kate, and Jesse. Completely blind sighted by Kate's condition, she barely notices the existence of her other children and drives me crazy with her self centered ideas and opinions that I almost loathed to see her name written on the page. I found myself dumbfounded at the many unproductive, and certainly unnecessary plot twists, reading the book to its finish merely because I had a peaked curiosity for perhaps one of the most minor details in the book, (the reason behind the presence of Alexander's dog.) 

Despite having quite a large fanbase, a film based on its plot and a few rare 'sweet moments'  I could not see myself recommending the book at all with a free conscience.