39 Stebs by John Buchan

39 Steps by John Buchan

This small yet tremendously entertaining book gives you a glimpse into the life of Richard Hannay, right when it gets interesting. Seriously, the book starts off with him narrating about how boring his life is and he'll give London one more day and that evening his worlds gets turned upside down! After learning about a plot to assassinate a well known political leader and disrupt the peace in Europe, a murder happens in his very own apartment and he flees for his life so that he can save the nation. Every chapter is it's own adventure as he meets and alludes many fascinating characters until alas the story comes full circle back to London where he engages the aid of the very police that were trying to pin him for murder. 

An excellent tale!

Appearance: 2.5/5 

The cover just doesn't grip me. And then seeing many other covers while trying to get an image.. There are more intriguing cover options out there.

Readability: 5/5

This is the easiest book to read. It has everything you need and you're not wanting for anything. The chapters moved things right along while making the whole book feel a lot bigger than just a hundred or so pages

My Points: 10/10

Again, with the readability and delightful portrayal of the story from the first person point of view; this book is perfect. Read it. You wont regret the small amount it will take.

Total Points: 17.5/20

All I asking for is my body

All I asking for is my body

Milton Murayama

I purchased this book while visiting Honolulu, HI. I was inclined to purchase the book after reading reviews like: "It turns up on ... reading list in the picaresque company of Huckleberry Finn, Catcher in the Rye, .... I suggest that you read [it] if you want to experience how Hawaii has come to be the place it is, town between the traditions of the past and the enterprises of the future."--Rob Wilson, Bamboo Ridge

What I found within the pages of this book was an interesting glimpse into a culture that is not familiar to me. For this same reason, I think it made the read a bit difficult at times. The vernacular, which made the story feel more authentic, was at times hard to follow. This is a story that few will be able to relate to in the sense of their family was a part of the plantation work in Hawaii, but some themes of family dynamics, work, love, and a changing world can connect to many audiences. Unfortunately, even with many themes that are divulged in this coming of age story, the reader is left feeling very much outside of the story and there is no pay off in the end. I oddly felt like I understood characters like the older brother, Toshio, and the mother better than I did the main character. It seemed that most stories never fully developed or were completed before moving on to another instance. Even the title "All I asking for is my body" were Toshio's words and what he identified with--not the main character we were following. There was some closure of some major themes like family debt, but overall there was little pay off the reader received for reaching the end of the book.

Appearance: 3/5: I was intrigued by the cover but it was a little misleading of the content of the story. 

Readability: 3/5: The book was choppy, which made reading not take too long, but also didn't allow for the reader to really invest in the book.

My points: 6/10: There were some portions of the book I felt were a very valuable glimpse into that very real part of American history. But the book was not developed enough to make it feel like it was a complete work with developed characters and plot. It didn't leave the reader wanting more or even having much vested in turning the next page.

Total Points: 12/20

All I asking for is my body by Milton Murayama

This is the story of the coming of age of Kiyoshi Oyama, a Japanese American boy who lives in Hawaii on a sugar cane plantation in the 1930's. Throughout the book, Kiyoshi (Kiyo) relates his experiences as he explores various parts of Japanese culture, particularly the idea of the filial responsibilities of sons to their parents. Themes such as the importance of education, poverty (especially generational poverty), gambling, the paying of debts, love/sex/marriage, boxing, superstition and religion are also explored by Kiyo throughout. We see how his attitudes towards these themes develop with his various experiences, including the onset of World War Two and its affects on the Japanese American population.

While this is a short book and a relatively quick read, I would not consider it an easy read. The book is actually divided into three parts; the first two parts consist of only a single chapter. It is really difficult at this point to see where the story is going, or if there is actually a story. The reader seems to just jump into the middle of everyday events at the sugar cane camp with no explanation of why we are there. Things started to flow a little better for me in part three, which consists of 23 short chapters. There is more flow and, as a reader, you get to know the characters and the story a little better which helps generate some interest in what is going on. It is also important to note that the author infuses a lot of local language into the text, which seems to add a sense of authenticity to the reading.

Overall, I like this book better at then end than at the beginning. To be honest, though, I'm glad that it was only about 100 pages long, as I didn't find it to be especially interesting.

Appearance, 2.5/5: The cover of this book wasn't appealing to me, although after reading the text I can understand some of the symbolism (red sun = Japanese flag, palm trees = Hawaii??)
Readability,  3.5/5: I liked the short chapters as you felt like you could accomplish the story one chunk at a time. On the other hand, it didn't always flow easily because some of the language was unfamiliar and it was certainly not a "can't put it down" read.
My Points, 7/10: Like I said, by the time I was finished with the story it had grown on me, but I don't think it was something that I would readily recommend.

Total Points: 13/20

The Alchemist

I don’t want to sell this book short. It is a very well written and potentially quick read. The thick metaphor throughout is also extremely compelling. For me, however, I was never getting enough. The book is a constant journey full of short stories and I would have liked to have been able to savor the resolution at the end of every minor climax and that was not the writing style. I am confident the author had a purpose behind this and I can appreciate their art but its effect on me was to kind of give up on the book. Not that the journey wasn’t interesting, but if I’m going to read through it I want my pay off.

I enjoyed the religious themes and the call to a personal legend. The concept of the book, I believe, is universal and the lessons offered can apply to anyone. I was especially intrigued by the many different statements about love, falling in love, and love’s effect on your personal journey.

I think one of the biggest moments in the book for me was on page 120 (The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho) “You must understand that love never keeps a man from pursuing his Personal Legend. If he abandons that pursuit, it’s because it wasn’t true love…”

Appearance, 4/5: The cover has some mystique to it! If I was passing through a store I would pick it up to investigate. Perhaps it's a little misleading since the book is about a shepherd but and a lot of desert action. But compelling nonetheless!

Readability, 3/5: Even though the book is short and there is a constant struggle and journey, it took effort to stay invested since stories were not always deeply developed or resolved.

My Points, 8/10: Because of the message throughout the book I don’t want to knock it too much simply because I didn’t love the writing style. I wouldn’t want someone to not experience this read because I wasn’t as rapt as I could have been.

Total: 15/20

The Alchemist

   The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho, relates the story of a young Spanish shepherd named Santiago who has a dream that reveals to him a treasure that he feels inclined to seek. Along his journey Santiago is often delayed by unexpected circumstances and people, but remembers to follow his heart and pay attention to the omens. He ends up finding friends, love, and the secrets to listening to one's own heart on his way to finding his treasure and learning that one's "treasure is where your heart is".
   I found this to be a quick and interesting read. At times, I wished that the story would delve deeper into some of the characters and situations as this would have created a more complete story. I think, though, that the author was singular in purpose and wanted to focus and centralize the plot around the personal journey of one young man.
   The story is mostly told from Santiago's point of view, but sometimes oddly shifts to the point of view of other characters, but only for short periods of time. I didn't really understand the purpose of these shifts, but I also didn't think they detracted from the story.
   There are also undeniable religious themes underlying this story. There are a variety of Christ characters that help guide Santiago along his way and scriptural references, though sometimes subtle, are common throughout.
   Overall I enjoyed this read. I could see myself rereading it as well as recommending it to others.

Appearance, 4/5: I was drawn to the book, but don't really think it really indicated much or had much to do with the storyline.
Readability, 4.5/5: It held my interest and was a quick read. The only negative would be the shifting narration mentioned earlier.
My Points, 10/10: I enjoyed the book, simply put.

Total: 18.5/20

Witness

Usually when we get books for this, we get them from local shops but I'll admit, I got this one online. And when it came in the mail and I leafed through it I was shocked.  'What???' was the only thing I could utter in my mind. I didn't realize I ordered a poem!  But this was a fun read off the usual track!

I like that it was a quick read but you don't get quite as drawn in to the story since there's not much of an exposition or really much building throughout. I was expecting a little more high emotion drama but came to really appreciate the simple take of each character during the moment the reader is exposed to their mind.
I think I came to enjoy reading little Esther Hirsh's take on things the most. Her and Viola Pettibone.  The book also provides a glossary of characters which is kind of fun!

I have to say it was a welcomed experience overall compared to the last one!  It was nothing fantastic; I wouldn't probably remember to suggest it but I definitely put it down fondly.

Appearance: 4.5/5: The cover made me think it would be more thrilling; like a court case. It was still interesting and I enjoyed seeing people. It made it seem more authentic.

Readability: 4/5: This was an easy read. You could understand it and each part was short enough to endure any style of character.

My Points: 8.5/10: It was easy to read. Each character was unique in how they expressed their account. It lacked real depth and pace but you didn't lose interest. I wouldn't say it is critically acclaimed but it was a good read.

Total: 16.5/20

Witness

Witness: A Novel by Karen Hesse

This book is not a traditional narrative. Rather, it is a collection of stories and reflections upon events that are related to the reader from the characters' differing perspectives. The setting is a small, 1924 Vermont town that has recently begun to see an influx of KKK members. The storyline follows a number of community members as they take various roles in dealing with the Klan. While some resist involvement completely, some join its ranks and still others are found somewhere in the middle.

The reading of this book was a breeze. As each character shares only a short stanza of their story at a time, it goes rather quickly. I managed to read this story in its entirety in a sitting of just over an hour. The only thing that slows it down is that the reader must constantly refer back to the character description page at the beginning of the book to keep the characters straight.

Overall, I would consider this book to resemble more a short story than anything else. Although I didn't necessarily find the storyline to be ultra-engaging (a lack of character and/or storyline development keeps the reader from becoming too attached), it is a quick and enjoyable read.

Appearance: 4/5 The cover makes you wonder who these people are and what their role is. I like that.

Readability: 4/5 As I said, this book can easily be read in an hour or two. The only hold up is having to flip to the character page.

My Points: 8/10 Overall I liked it, but I wouldn't necessarily put it on my must-read list.

Total Points: 16/20