Ape House by Sara Gruen

I lied, I read other books in the last couple months.

Ape House by Sara Gruen was pretty good. It was the book that lead me on to Water for Elephants.

This book is set in contemporary time. It's about these apes who can communicate effectively with sign language who are kidnapped by a Reality-TV producer and put on TV. The guy thought the animals would be television gold because the apes are very open about their sexuality and often have bisexual intercourse with each other.

The story goes between the apes, the scientists that want to save the animals, the animal activists, the people exploiting the animals, and a journalist publishing the story. The summary on the book jacket hints at this romance between the scientist and the journalist, but it totally doesn't pan out as hinted. They barely have a romantic relationship... that part was a little disappointing because I kept expecting something crazy complicated but didn't see anything remotely like it.

The story is mostly about how far people will go to exploit something, and what needs to be done to protect the vulnerable.

Like Water for Elephants, this book is interesting and thought provoking but not so deep that you're turned off by the philosophical discussion. Despite that, I can't decide if I like Sara Gruen... she's trying to be thought provoking but she always steps back just before she hits the edge of depth and it annoys me. I suppose I just prefer either one or the other, action or thought. Gruen's books have action but not too much... and there's thinking but not enough to alienate the casual reader... But the endings are almost too neat, and that seems to alienate me more. I'm not sure what I'm saying, when I like happy endings... but it just feels a little off to me. Nothing ends that perfectly.

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson

Well, since I read book two, I couldn't leave without reading book 3. Book 3, is more my style. It's alot slower than the first two but I liked this one. I think it helped that I read it a long time after I read the first ones, so there was some distance for me.

I thought the third book was really funny actually. It's about the Swedish secret service going out of their way to stop Salander's case from winning in court. And they were completely overcome by the smarter and more dashing Blomkvist and his crew. Lots of little twists, and smart ideas... and it was just hilarious how the Swedish secret service was completely duped. And it was nice to see Salander figure out her relationship with Blomkvist. A nice neat ending. It's too bad there won't be anymore.

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On another note, I read this last book two months ago but forgot to type this up. Since then I've been re-reading some of my favorite books and failed at starting a couple new stories. I'll try to remember to type up something whenever I finish something new.

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

Water for Elephants is so good. I was initially reminded of Stone Angel by Margaret Laurence because the narrator is an aging person who remembers important events in their youth, but this book is less angry and regretful and more a homage to the circus rather than the narrator's decline.

The narrator is Jacob, a 91 year old man living in a nursing home. The circus arrives and sets up beside his nursing home, and he relives his youth in the circus. He remembers the circumstances that got him there, how he met his wife, and how he came to be the man he is. The details are vivid, and paint an amazing picture of what life was like in a circus during the 1930s Great Depression.

It also painted a genuine picture of what it is like to age... and that always makes me sad when I can see it myself in person.

Sara Gruen is a great writer, and I can't wait to read her other book.

Angel Time by Anne Rice

I used to love Anne Rice books, Queen of the Damned seriously influenced my perception of the world and religion in particular. But as she became more devote in her catholicism, the less I related to her books. This time, I thought I would give her another chance. Mostly just cause it was short, and not about vampires.

Angel Time is about a contract killer who gets tired of his life and is saved by an Angel who gives him a new calling. Plotwise... its weak. It's mostly about the killer's conversion from a believer-non-believer-sceptic-believer. His mission from god to save a Jewish family in the middle aged was random. And of course, it worked. She doesn't go into much detail about events in the story, just a brief overview of the events and reflects on the magnificence of god.

I was not a fan, I liked Toby (the killer's) humanity and want to see more of that rather than his spiritaul struggle. How does he become a better person? without an angel or a divine calling...

The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson

I know I said I wouldn't read the second book in the Millennium series... but I couldn't help myself. The second book isn't as graphic as the The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo but it's definitely as compelling.

This book is about Salander's past, and better characterization of her personality and motivations. It starts with two sets of seemingly unrelated murders that are randomly tied together by a loose connection to Salander. But the connection is actually deeper than that. The murder of the couple research journalists and Salander's "guardian" is tied by their connection to Zalachenko (thug, spy, Salander's father). She hates Zala, and uses the murder to find her father and kill him. However, the book ends in a cliffhanger, where Blomkvist finds her slowly dying and Zala hacked to pieces but alive... and the third book in the series is about Salander's trial, and we'll find out if she is set free or if she's subject to a legal system that's failed her again and again.

That Perfect Someone by Johanna Lindsey

I've been rather neglectful in the posting... probably just because the last two books I've read were candy - easy in and easy out. Quick and sweet.

That Perfect Someone by Johanna Lindsey is exactly that, quick and sweet. It's the story of a fake French Pirate (who's actually an English Lord) who accidentally falls in love with the woman he's bethroved to. It's a Malory story, and its nice that though they've run out of Malory siblings to write about, they've found someone interesting and compelling and funny to read about. This one is actually really sweet, and has a hint of some of Lindsey's old books. Her last book was rather unplausible and her main character wasn't as likeable. But this one was much better. Still implausible but cute. The antagonist in this novel is the pirate's father who is forcing him to marry for the girl's money... money he wanted so he could buy specialty art vases... Implausible, but the characterization was properly severe.

Last Dragon Standing by GA Aiken

Fun book, despite the unfortunate cover of a topless man holding a sword across his back.

It's the most recent book in a series of "romance novels" (more like fantasy story with graphic sex scenes) about a royal family of dragons and their escapades when they encounter the love of their lives. The family dynamic is soo hilarious because the sibling dragons fight a lot, and the women have a mind of their own and the men are macho and silly... its sooo cute and funny. I love this series. I need to read the rest, since I've only read the first one and this one.

This book in particular is about Keita, the youngest sister who is the self-proclaimed man eater and spy to protect the throne. She gradually falls in love with the king of the northern dragons, otherwise known as the barbarian horde, as the two go on a mission to save the world from invasion by the evil monsters of the ice and snow... dun Dun DUUUNNN...