Review: The Fault in Our Stars

Title: The Fault in Our Stars
Author: John Green
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Date Published: January 10, 2012
Pages: 336

How I Heard About It: Every book blog and every avid reader I have ever known ever. People lucky enough to get ARCS sung Green's praises to such an extent that I had to get my hands on a copy of "The Fault in Our Stars" the day it came out.  I've let some time elapse before reviewing because s I wanted to "let things settle."  Now, though, I am ready to start a second wave of fanaticism.

Two Sentence Summary: Despite being the recipient of a new wonder drug used to treat terminal lung cancer, Hazel Grace's life has become coping with her disease.  When Hazel meets cancer survivor Augustus Waters at "Cancer Kid Support Group," the two become enmeshed in a loving, hilarious, heart-rending series of adventures which opens doors of  a more cosmic comprehension at every turn.

Things I Think: This book definitely falls into the category of, "Everyone and their sister has told me this is the best thing they've ever read and I'll love it, so now I'm scared to read it because my expectations are so high and everyone will think I'm a jerk if I don't love it as much as they do."

And you know what? This was one of the few times a book has lived up to the uproarious hype with which it was preceded.  I haven't read any of John Green's other work, so I really went into "Fault" not knowing what to expect.  This exceptionally talented man has written from the first person perspective of a terminally ill teenage girl; not only is the prose hilarious and heart-breaking, but it is entirely believable.  From Hazel's admitted addiction to "America's Next Top Model" marathons to first-love butterflies and worries, Green has constructed a character that is so real one cannot help but become involved in her intricate, challenging world. What is at stake for Hazel becomes what is at stake for the reader: time, companionship, understanding.

 ***

“I believe the universe wants to be noticed. I think the universe is improbably biased toward consciousness, that it rewards intelligence in part because the universe enjoys its elegance being observed. And who am I, living in the middle of history, to tell the universe that it—or my observation of it—is temporary?” 

*** 

Again, Green's character Augustus Waters is constructed with a mindblowing clarity.  Brilliant and witty, handsome and fun, Augustus is the perfect "partner-in-crime" for the cerebral pseudo-loner Hazel.  The two begin to bond, in particular, over their shared love of a novel that centers around a terminally ill teen.  Meta? Yes. Got me bleary of eye immediately? Duh.

***

“You are so busy being you that you have no idea how utterly unprecedented you are.”

***

What's really important to note about "The Fault in Our Stars" is that Green has stumbled upon the magical balance of heavy, cancer-teen reality with a challenging, humorous positivity.  Cliches of sentimentality (which I had so feared from plot descriptions) are nowhere in sight, and in fact, the glimpses into this difficult world are so new and surprising that I found myself continually wondering how Green has garnered such awareness.
Truly, I think this is going to be remembered as one of the best books of 2012.  Coming out just after the start of the New Year, Green's new book has set the bar exquisitely high for fiction writers this year.  If they can live up to the challenge, we will be very lucky indeed.

Variations on a Theme: The Bettie Bag

Here are the latest creations from the sewing studio!  These two new versions of my latest project (now known fondly as the Bettie Bag) are rocking a similar vibe but doing it their own way. 

Version 1 (Buttons) - This bag was inspired by (and is about to be mailed to) my lovely friend Katie who is far away in Kentucky.  Not much for bows is Ms. Katie, so I made this one a little less girlie and a little more everyday chic ;)

Retro fabric + lined pocket = hooray.

And now, Version Two, which just might be put up for a giveaway over at Dragonflight Dreams later this month. (Hint!)  I won a lucky sponsorship spot at Amanda's sweet blog, so keep your eyes peeled for updates if you want to add my newest bag to your collection.

I hope you all had a gorgeous weekend. It was in the seventies here in San Francisco so there was no shortage of fun around here.  (I actually put down NetGalley and turned off the sewing machine... I, too, am shocked.)

Best Keep Secrets for Book Lovers: NetGalley

Book lovers/reviewers/bloggers like me are eternally questing to get their hands on ARCs (advanced reader copies) of up-and-coming literature.  Nothing beats the thrill of holding a pre-release novel and getting a chance to whip up one of its first ever reviews.  Memes like "Mailbox Monday" (started by Marcia of A Girl and Her Books) have sprung up to celebrate the arrival of new ARCs via snail mail, posts which I follow with equal amounts excitement and envy. 

As a new book blogger, it can be difficult to get recognized by publishing companies as "worth the investment." Without a good number of references and online clout, it's easy to get ignored by the bigger houses as they seek new reviewers.  However, a new website has started changing all of these things and oh my stars I am in love...

Welcome, readers, to NetGalley, an online hub of pre-released books from every genre.  (Yes!  Even poetry! Hooray!)  As described by the website:  "NetGalley delivers secure, digital galleys to professional readers. If you are a reviewer, blogger, journalist, librarian, bookseller, educator, or in the media, you can use NetGalley for FREE to read and request titles before they are published." 

NetGalley makes thousands of electronic ARCs available to book bloggers and book reviewers for free.  A quick account creation instantly hooked me up with hundreds of publishers, allowed me to search galleys by publication date and genre, and then send a request directly to the publisher to receive access to the eARC.  As many thrilled authors and publishers have pointed out, less good books slip through the cracks when more interested reviewers get access right off the bat.  New authors can instantly reach out to book bloggers interested in their subject matter, and resultantly these books are exponentially more likely to find their audience.  And everything is easily downloadable to computers and e-readers.  (Getting galleys onto my iPad is a total snap.)

Shakespeare and Co. Bookstore. [[via]]

In truth, I have become something of a NetGalley addict.  Almost all of my "requests to view" have been approved, and so my iPad is constantly filled with a glorious stash of juicy new reads.  After reviewing a galley on the blog, I notify the publisher that sent me the ARC and they can use my blog as a media reference to bolster the book's release.  Really, everyone wins here.  The only problem is that I can't... stop... reading.  Ever. Social life, I bid you farewell.

I Got the Literary Blues (And They're Awesome)

Taking a look at my 2012 "read" shelf on GoodReads, I noticed something for the first time... I've got a serious case of the blues.

Four of the books on this list got a "5/5" rating from me... which is almost unheard of. 

Is reading only books of a certain color some type of epic reading challenge? If so, I think I'm winning...

What are you reading right now? What's next on your list?

Creations from the Stude: Red and Black Tote

In the true spirit of hibernation, I have been reading like crazy and sewing and generally enjoying staying holed up in my apartment, aka The Stude. I've got a bunch of new reviews to post this week, but in the mean time...

Here is my latest creation, the gigantic red and black book tote. This was meant to be a test run / mock-up for when I bust out the fancy-pants fabric, but it turned out so well that I'm going to put it in my bag rotation.

My first attempt at pleating.  Still kind of shocked it worked.

Red-lined inside with pocket.

 

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Review: Lightning Rods

Title: Lightning Rods
Author: Helen DeWitt
Publisher: New Directions
Date Published: October 5, 2011
Pages: 275


How I Heard About It: Blake Butler's live reading, courtesy of HTML Giant.

Two Sentence Summary:

Ne'er-do-well salesman Joe decides to try his luck with a product of his own invention, the "lightning rod system."  Born of his frustrated sexual fantasies, the ups and downs of Lightning Rods, Inc. are an exploration in just how much people are willing to accept, how morally flexible people are willing to be, and what we're willing to do to be a great success.


Things I Think: 


 "One of the things that's perennially fascinating about the world is the way people sell things to themselves." (29)

This book definitely falls into the category of fiction in which the narrator's thought process is paramount to the plot itself.  Truly, the reader experiences this book from within the deepest machinations of Joe's brain, privy to each synaptic connection as instantly as it occurs.  DeWitt reveals herself as a great rhetorician in this, her latest, novel.  Her exploration of the brain's capacity to rationalize (failure, moral compromise, personal shortcomings) is not only believable but poignant due to the intimate perspective the reader is allowed.


"One day, you're going to wake up and find you sold away the only life you were ever going to get for the sake of the bottom line.  Well, there's only so much money you can spend in this life, and the thing you've got to remember is, the one thing you can't buy back, no matter how much money you have, is time.  A billion dollars won't buy back one single minute." (238)

"Lightning Rods" reminds me of Nicholson Baker's "Vox" or "Fermata," with all of its sexual quirkiness, but overall it is more notably an intellectual look at how physical drive plays a part (or not) in the American vision of success.  Through the lens of one man's fantasies, DeWitt has created a complex commentary on American culture that touches on topics of gender, race and economic status, to name a few.  Moreover, the characters are frequently laugh-out-loud hilarious, a difficult feat in a book so rife with intricate thought processes.  So glad I started the New Year with this fantastic read!

Updates from a Rainy Weekend: Blankets for All!