The Windup Girl

Dear Readers,

The Windup Girl

By Paolo Bacigalupi

Rating: 9 out of 10
When I first started this book I was very skeptical. The back of the book sounded very interesting, but the first 50 pages were very confusing and I almost gave up. Mr. Bacigalupi starts out his wonderful novel by telling you multiple stories of seemingly unrelated characters. As the rest of the book unwinds you figure out how all of the characters interact with each other. All of his characters playing very important roles in the future of Thailand.
The book is set in the not so distant future. In a world that was ravaged by plagues and sickness few countries remain independent. Thailand is one of those countries. After various plagues nearly killed off the worlds supply of food scientist have created new sterile, resilient seeds that provide food for the world. Thailand however seems to be making their own new species of plants. They have their own seedbank from which that are reintroducing different types of food. As Thailand struggles to remain isolated from the outside world, many problems unfold in the City of Divine Beings.
Besides the plagues and food shortages, the futuristic world looks largely different from ours. Scientist have the technology to create life. New species of cats, humans, and many other animals exists. On particular new type of human is the reason for the title of the book. The Japanese were in need of a new work force so the made fabricated humans called Windups. The reason for the name Windup is because the new race has a very clock-like way of moving that gives them away. In the book on of the characters you follow is Emiko, a windup girl. At first she seems irrelevant, but as the book goes on and the plot thickens the characters start to interact and Emiko becomes much more important.
There are many many many reasons that I like this book. One I have mentioned before. I love the way Mr. Bacigalupi intertwines characters and there stories. Even the most seemingly unimportant person has a role to play. They mention that many times in the book; everyone has a niche. Every action has a reaction. As the book is set in Thailand many of the characters are Buddhist. There are many mentions of karma in the book. All of the traditions of the country play into how the plot develops and how the characters react to different events.
I found this book to be wonderful and at time scary. The book over all was a magnificent mess of twist and turns that kept me very into the story line. But the content of the book was very chilling. The events could happen. A plague could strike and knock out most of the food supply. Also the actions of the characters where not always the most noble or just, but they are the actions that many of us would do if in those circumstances. Everything about the book resonated with how humanity is today. The setting and time period of the book may have been way off from where we are today, but it was shockingly relatable.
This book was over all fantastic. I got lost into a futuristic world of genes, windup girls, Thais, yellow cards, farangs, and cheshires. While reading I forgot I was reading and was transported to a different world. I was no longer in the middle of a cold Iowa winter; I was smack dab in the middle of hot dry season in Bangkok. I loved this book, and even though it did start out a little slow I would recommend it to anyone.
Happy Reading!!
Lindsey

Beneath the Night Tree

Dear Readers,



Beneath the Night Tree

by Nicole Baart

Rating: 7 out 10



This book was not really on my list of books to be reading over Christmas break, but when I picked it up at the library to read the back cover there was no way I was setting it down till I finished it. This book is the third book to After the Leaves Fall. I was not aware that Nicole Baart was writing another book in this series so I pleasantly surprised to find this book. The book picks up five years after the second book ended. Julia DeSmit now has a five year old son, is taking care of her younger brother, and is living a very busy life. She now has a better job at the grocery store she is working at, and is taking night classes at a near by tech school. Julia is also almost engaged to the man she loves, Micheal. Beneath the Night Tree follows Julia as she tries to figure out her purpose in life, and God's plan for her. The book is beautifully written. Nicole Baart using phases and words that provoke emotion. The book itself is very beautiful. It is a very quick, easy, and fun read, but it is not one of those time changing novels. I enjoyed this book, and hope that you, dear readers, would read the these books and enjoy them too!

Lindsey

Stitches by David Small

Dear Readers,
I will get to talking about books, but first let me tell you a little bit about myself. First off I really really love reading! Between my Reading and baking obsessions I have no idea how I have time for anything else. Currently I am in an activity at school called the Battle of the Books. This absolutely one of my favorite activities at school. We get a list of about 30 books, break off into teams, read the books over the year, and then at the end of the year take a test. Sounds awesome, right?!?! So for the next while I will discussing books that are on the list. My first book I want to talk about Stitches by David Small. So without further discussion of me I will talk about books.

Stitches by David Small

Rating: 8 out 10
Stitches is a graphic memoir which is a different sort of genre than most people normally read. I also do not normally read graphic novels, but every year on the Battle of the Books list there one or two. I do commend David Small though for coming up with such a creative way of telling his life story. At the beginning of the book I did not realize that it was a true story. (That's probably because I didn't read the A Memoir on the cover.) The book tells the story of David growing up. He goes through many things that could be considered a little weird or out there. A growth starts to grow on his neck, his parents marriage is falling apart, and because of a surgery he loses his voice. David's life is a little less than normal; a graphic novel was the perfect way to show this. Of course David eventually grows up to become an artist, hence why it is a graphic novel. There were some weird things about the book that I could not understand: the little man in the jar, the bunny therapist, and how he got his voice back. If you read it and figure those out please tell me! Over all I enjoyed the book. It took very little time to read and kept me very interested. It is always fun to switch up what genre you are reading, so if you haven't ever tired a graphic novel I would recommend starting with Stitches.
Nancy