The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

Synopsis: This is the story of crumbling families, autism, murdered dogs, and, well, math. It's narrated by Christopher, a 15-year-old boy with autism. During one of his nightly strolls through the neighborhood, he discovers that a neighbor's dog has been savagely murdered. He decides to do detective work and uncover the murderer. Along the way, he must deal with his shaky familial relationships, while trying to understand the world he lives in but into which he doesn't quite fit.

The Good: This was a great book overall. I really liked the narrator, his tone, and his choice of subject matter. It flows really well and is written so convincingly I had to verify that the author was not, in fact, autistic. The book is funny without trying to be, but also sad and almost full of despair at times. It's not a happy subject, it doesn't follow a formulaic, fairy-tale plot, and it remains realistic to the end. However, it manages to be inspirational.

The Bad: I couldn't really think of anything bad, per se. Just more of an overall grayness to the book. It left me feeling kind of "blah". It was a great book but not fantastic...although I'm not really sure what could have been done differently. Making the characters more likeable wouldn't have worked, because they aren't meant to be likeable. To make the ending better wouldn't have been as realistic.

Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

Synopsis: Classic story of a young boy living in a small country town, simply put. Tom is rambunctious but sweet, as quick to start fights as he is to sweep a girl off her feet. His friend, Huck Finn, is a vagabond kid who is possibly even more lighthearted and wilder than Sawyer. Together, they go on mini-adventures in search of fortune and fame. They dream of becoming pirates or robbers, but get a taste of danger when they witness a murder.

The Good: This is one of the few "classics" I've read that I feel actually deserves its title as a classic. The writing--in spite of or because of Twain's penchant for writing as the characters would speak--is superb, so realistic the reader is able to "hear" the characters. There are so many scenes throughout the book that are so fully-detailed and poignant that it's hard to forget about them once the book has been finished. One scene in particular was my favorite. Tom and Huck find themselves in a cave and are discussing how they will use this particular area as their future hiding place as robbers. At one point, Tom mentions that they will have orgies there. Huck asks what an orgy is. Tom replies that he doesn't know, but robbers always have orgies so it must be great.

The Bad: I really can't think of a bad thing about this book. Definitely a great story overall. I don't know if it was specific to my edition or if Twain intended it to be a part of the story, but my copy had a "dictionary" of sorts to explain all the quaint phrases or boyhood slang used. It was pretty charming and helpful.

How to Kill a Rock Star by Tiffanie DeBartolo

Synopsis: Eliza moves to New York to start a job as a music journalist and to be near her big brother. Her new roommate, Paul, is the lead singer in her brother's band and they almost immediately fall in love. And almost as quickly, Paul's band hits it big and gets signed with a label. The story that follows is how success and fear (and sexy celebrities) can tear a relationship apart. It is told from both Eliza's and Paul's perspective.

The Good: I picked this book up without thinking twice because I loved the author's last (and only) book, God-Shaped Hole. While this book didn't quite live up to the previous one, it was still pretty good. The characters were realistic and likeable. At one point, when it's clear that two men are in love with Eliza, I didn't get the sense that I always seem to get from other books: one men is the clear choice, the other is just the distraction. In this book, both characters had their strengths and weaknesses, both were good for Eliza, and I would have been happy if she ended up with either. I love how well DeBartolo portrays the creation and evolution of love. She shows both the major and minor points in the relationship, shows how the characters have inside jokes, have their little quirks, and so on.

The Bad: I thought the plot (and ending) was a tad unrealistic in how everything unfolds. Also, much of what the main characters think or say seems kind of dippy or as if they were placing way too much emphasis on the smallest things. They talk about music saving lives, destroying civilization, and so on. But maybe I'm just one of those people they bash: the people who claim, "It's only music."

Nora Nora by Anne River Siddons

Synopsis: Peyton McKenzie is a pre-teen girl in small-town Georgia during the 1960s. She has grown up motherless, living with a father who is distant and withdrawn. She's a loner and a tomboy and has no intentions of changing. Her aunt is an uptight Southern belle, intent on making Peyton into a "lady." This all starts to change when her long-lost cousin Nora comes to stay with her. Nora is free-spirited, liberal-minded, and mysterious. Over time, she breaks down Peyton's (and her father's) guards and helps her realize her potential.

The Good: I had read this book years ago and just re-read it. It's possible I love it even more with the second reading. The characters are very believable. They can be stereotypical, but they also have the flaws and nuances that make them seem real. They remain consistent, while subtly changing over time. I loved how the story unfolds and, ultimately, how it ends.

The Bad: One of the only things that bothered me was Nora's character. While I really liked her, she seemed at times to be extremely manipulative or flaky. In a way, I think it was fitting for her character and, therefore, intentional. However, it doesn't make her any more likeable. For example, she tells Peyton on occasion, "If you do/don't do _____, I will leave for good." It's hard to like a character who would do or say such a thing to a kid. Pushing that aside, however, I did like Nora overall.

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

Synopsis: Told through letters and journals, as well as narrative, this is the story of several people and their search for more information on Vlad Tepes--the historical figure who is said to be the inspiration for Dracula. There are multiple timelines overlapping throughout the story beginning with Professor Rossi, continuing with Paul (the narrator's father), and ending with the narrator herself, a teenage girl. Through their respective narratives, we learn of how Vlad not only gained the gruesome reputation as the Impaler and possibly a vampire, but also how he might possibly still be alive. The setting of the book travels the world with the narrators: America, England, France, Romania, and more.

The Good: If you wanted a simplified summary of the book, you could just say, "It's The DaVinci Code if you swap Jesus with Dracula." It is very similar, in the way the story unfolds, in the ending, in the writing styles. I would be very surprised if Kostova didn't list Dan Brown as a major influence. That being said, I greatly enjoyed The DaVinci Code so it's no surprise that I enjoyed this book as well. I liked how the characters' stories unfolded in such a suspenseful way, while keeping many secrets until the end of the book. I also liked the combination of horror and history, although I can't quite be sure which is actually true. It certainly doesn't hurt that I was already interested in the subject of Vlad the Impaler and Dracula.

The Bad: There were many times when I was just lost. The characters ran all around the world, but many times, I wasn't sure why. The author seemed to have reason for it, but didn't always convey it to the reader. First they were searching for Vlad's head, but then for a monastery, but then for something else, then something else. It got a little confusing and I faded in and out during those times. Also, the characters themselves weren't particularly well-developed nor did they have any sort of resolution. It was definitely more a plot-based book, rather than character-based. After reading for so long, the climax was another thing that just didn't quite work for me. For such an exciting book, you would expect an equally-exciting climax, but it definitely fell short, as did the ultimate resolution. However, I'm willing to overlook that, due to the rest of the book being so good. Finally, I felt that many aspects of the story weren't fully explained (or maybe I just didn't catch them). Without giving away the ending, I will say, for example, the leather-bound books: what was the point of them? How was it decided who would get one?

Wicked by Gregory Maguire

Synopsis: This story tells of the real Oz, the one that wasn't shown in the movie. It centers around Elphaba, better known as the Wicked Witch of the West. Elphaba is born with green skin, a keen intellect, and vicious teeth. She lives in a somewhat magical, albeit turbulent, world filled with Munchkins, animals who talk, sorcery, and a tyrannical wizard in charge. Elphaba grows into a young woman and travels to Shiz to attend school. There she meets Galinda, an upper-class girl who is more concerned with her face than her brain. Over the years, however, they become close friends. As an adult, Elphaba begins to take on more identies: hesitant matchmaker, Animal rights activist, terrorist, mother, and more.

The Good: The author has created a very real world for his characters. There were different cultures, each with their own language, appearance, and set of rites. The book as a whole had a language of its own. While I didn't particularly care for Elphaba (or most of the characters, actually), I can appreciate that she was whole. She had believable motives and inconsistencies. And well, I gather that she wasn't supposed to be likeable. So in that respect, the author succeeded. I liked to hear the author's spin on a character that is so well-known but still so mysterious.

The Bad: I'm not quite sure why, but this book left a bad taste in my mouth. I didn't sympathize with any of the characters. I didn't care for the plight of Oz or worry about their government. I just couldn't get into the story of Elphaba's travels. Even when it is revealed that some major characters were killed or died, I just thought, "Huh." Nothing else, which is a bad sign. Finally, the ending was just so bland. The climax was bland. I guess I didn't like the book because the whole thing was just bland to me. I will say, however, that having never seen The Wizard of Oz might be affecting my opinion. Maybe if I had seen the movie, my feelings would change. I don't think so, though.

Anna Karenina (part one) by Leo Tolstoy

Synopsis: This is a story with several individual story lines that occasional blend into one complicated. Stepan (I'll only use first names in this description, as the full names are quite long and complicated to keep repeating) is a vibrant man and unfaithful husband to Darya (Dolly). As his infidelities are revealed, his sister comes into town to help patch up the relationship between the husband and wife. The sister, Anna, is married to a boring politician, Karenin. Meanwhile, Dolly's sister, Ekaterina (Kitty), is hopelessly in love with Vronsky--an up-and-comer in politics. Because she is expecting a marriage proposal from Vronsky, Kitty turns down a proposal from Levin--a farmer she has known since they were children. The plot thickens when Anna and Vronsky become enchanted with each other and everything is thrown into chaos.

The Good: I can easily see why this book has become a classic in literature. The scenery, characters, and plot are all very absorbing to read. Even the secondary characters are well-rounded. Maybe it's because I'm fascinated with Russian culture, but I loved learning about their traditions, issues, and relationships.

The Bad: I'll be the first to admit that I don't particularly understand or care for politics and agriculture. This has turned against me as a good portion of this book is about these subjects. Characters discussing or debating it, politicians creating policies about it, etc. If anything could put me to sleep after drinking Starbucks, it would be this. I think if Tolstoy had taken these portions out, the book would have been at least half its current length.