Book Review: THE BOOKSTORE by Deborah Meyler

   

August 20, 2013
Gallery Books

THE BOOKSTORE tells the story of Esme Garland, a British scholar at Columbia University, working her way to get a Ph.D. in Art History. Shortly after her arrival in New York City, she met and fell in love with Mitchell van Leuven, who came from old money. Then a wrinkle turned up, Esme found herself pregnant; and even before she could tell Mitchell about it, he broke up with her.

Esme decided to keep the baby regardless of the foreseen difficulties she will encounter and found rescue through a part-time job at The Owl.  The Owl is a little secondhand bookstore on the Upper Westside that she visits frequently. In spite of the solace provided by the book shop and by its people, Esme has a lot to consider as the story progressed.

The upside, I like the various themes presented by Deborah Meyler - the value of life, womanhood, and independence.  The value of life was emphasized when Esme chose to keep the baby instead of terminating it even in its earliest stage. She was not religious, but she believes that keeping the baby is a humane act.  It was also made apparent when Dennis, one of the regular bums frequenting the Owl, died and might turn up unmarked on a public cemetery.  Esme and her friends were disheartened by this.

Esme expressed her womanhood in different vulnerabilities every woman can relate to –through her anxieties, idealism, naivety, tenderheartedness, and fickleness. While she desperately struggles with independence versus her desperate need for Mitchell to love her completely in return.  These characteristics were accentuated when she constantly failed to see through Mitchell’s blatant arrogance and manipulation.

My first look at the title and premise of the story hooked me instantly to read this book. Books about books and bookstores always perk my interest. The Bookstore’s downside, the characters circling the bookshop were active throughout the plot, but not given much development other than some quirkiness that is adherent to them.

A few pages into the book, the reader could not miss that the book was scholarly written.  Not because of the renowned authors and books mentioned within, but with how the prose was constructed.  Some readers will assume that it’s pretentious, but I, on the contrary, like it.  The kink on the otherwise straight clean prose happens when it tries to be juvenile.  Some sexual scenes/dialogues were cited without finesse making the scene unnatural, leaving a bad taste on the whole.  And because it is scholarly, it suffers from the usual dilemma, digression.  Certain topics were touched that neither supports the plot nor move its pace.

In spite of my tepid feelings, The Bookstore is an inspiration for real-life challenges, making the right decisions, and appreciating the diversity of people around us.

Book details:

Title: The Bookstore

Author: Deborah Meyler

Genre(s): Literature/Fiction (Adult), Women’s Fiction

Publisher: Gallery Books, Simon & Schuster

Publication Date: August 20, 2013

Format: ARC

Source: Publisher via Netgalley

Rating: ★★★

*To Gallery Books and Netgalley, thank you for giving me a chance to read this in exchange for an honest review. This review is also available on Goodreads and Tumblr.

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Book Review | THE TESTING by Joelle Charbonneau

June 4, 2013
Houghton Mifflin

Who will be chosen to lead? The best...the brightest...the deadliest? There will be a testing. In the wake of the Seven Stages War, the government of the Unified Commonwealth devised The Testing to assess the instinct, intellect and sheer nerve among a select group of the population's young people. Candidates who pass, attend the University to become leaders of the Commonwealth; civilization's hope to transform a post-war wasteland into a peaceful and technologically advanced society. But progress comes at a price. Mechanically-inclined Cia Vale is honored to be chosen as a candidate but on the eve of her departure, her father confides partial memories of his grisly experience as a candidate, still haunted by nightmares and living in fear of what he can't remember. It's not enough to pass the test, Cia will have to survive it "and "her deadly fellow candidates. To stay alive Cia will have to learn who she can trust and, if necessary, who she must kill.

I really enjoyed THE TESTING. Ms. Charbonneau‘s writing drew me in from the moment I read the prequel THE TESTING GUIDE. I seriously wanted to know what happens next. It was a well-executed plot, and with every bit of information, I gather I wanted to go on and find out everything until it’s done.

I loved Cia Vale right away. Youngest and the only girl among a brood of brothers. She’s crazy smart, level headed and disciplined. She is one of the best heroines I've ever read, which just proves that Ms. Charbonneau knows how to build her characters, and give each one a certain quality that is hard to forget.

Even the world-building is fascinating. I get that this is a dystopian book, but some of the things mentioned in this recuperating world are simply amazing -they are inspiring and timely in this age of ours. As each scene was narrated, insights of how things came to be became something closer to home, and the way everything was smoothly mapped into place I can’t help but relate our present world into how we may become in the future. Among the dystopian books I've read, I believe this one has the most relevance.

Many readers may worry and compare this with the rest of those dystopian series they have had. There is no arguing that this is also about a girl from a dystopian Earth, about challenges and adventures, about friendship and romance, about betrayal and survival. We’ve read it all before. All I am saying is that you give this one a chance because of THE TESTING maybe the BEST among the rest.

Rating: ★★★★★

Houghton Mifflin will release the book on June 4, 2013. 
You can still pre-order a copy via Amazon.

To Houghton Mifflin and Netgalley, thank you for not letting me miss this great opportunity.

This review is also available on Tumblr, Goodreads, and Shelfari.

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2013 Reading Goals, Plans and Resolutions

Welcome! I thought it was very significant to open this new blog with this theme. 2013 is barely starting and the air hums with expectations. New Year, new life, new possibilities, and I guess in my case -a new blog.

Let’s start with the reading goals for 2013. Last year wasn't so bad, although I didn't get to read as much as I want. I think 72 books, 20,062 pages were decent enough. So this year, I am considering finishing 75 books. Every month will be halo-halo (mix) of F2F Book of the Month, one or two from a series I am following, a literary winner, a Filipino-authored book, and/or from out of random (in which, I am very fond of). For this, I am going to provide a required reading list for every month *crossing fingers*.

Moving on to Plans. Well, this new blog is one of them. I realized that I’d be depending on this for the coming months, and maybe years. I’ll need something to really focus on other than being a mom, a teacher and a reader from now on. My husband is going abroad, for God-only-knows how long. So, I’ll be clinging to this blog like a-leech-on-a-foot to vent all my “would be” feelings, rants, and raves, since my hubby will not be here to accommodate all of that. I hope you’ll bear with me, please. I’ll be setting up the “My Bottle” page for this.

Lastly, My Resolutions. During the conception of this blog, Neil Gaiman posted his New Year’s Wish on Goodreads and on his journal. Bravery and Joy was his solemn wish for everyone. For someone afraid of scattering herself across the web, this all-out blogging will be my first step into bravery. So, pray for my sake and those who will follow me that I will find joy in blogging regularly instead of mopping around and missing my husband. My second step into bravery is to face our church ministry on my own. Well, not really alone. I’m just used to doing these things with my husband as partners. So, it seems, we will serve together still –me, here on this side of the planet; and him, on the other side –with a fervent prayer that it will work out.

Wish me luck and Godspeed!

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