Lily and the Octopus
by Steven Rowley
Rating - ***(3 stars)
Book Length - 320 pages
Genres - Fiction, Contemporary, Animals

I have seen this book around everywhere. It was one of those most read novels just so that you know what everyone is talking about.

Everyone was talking about a heart warming book about a man coming to terms with the death of his dog. The book is that - but only in part.

The book is divided into eight parts - get it an octopus has eight legs. Except the book is really just divided into three parts.

The first part is when a young lonely male notices that his best friend, Lily, has an octopus attached to her head. He goes about his life while struggling to deal with this development. This part of the story is heartwarming. I found it interesting to see how the author walked the line between reality and denying the situation through selective fantasy.

Then came the second part of the book. While reading the second part I knew there was going to be a catch, there is no way that there would not be a catch. The story wasn't written as true insanity. It is fairly evident that the narrator is not having a psychotic breakdown. Except that he is. There is no sense of reality in the second part of the story. This second of the story seemed to be more written because the publisher decided that the book needed to have more pages added. So this crazy part was developed. It was horrible and I felt destroyed the book.

I was honestly done after reading the second section. Only two things kept me going. The first was the excellent writing skills. Steven Rowley can put words together like the best of them. The second was the absolute certainty that the mess of the third second would end. It did end. The narrator gave up his fantasy world completely and went straight into reality. Given the middle second I do not think this was handled all that well. It didn't seem to fit. Had there been a different transition I think it would have done well. The third part of the book was emotionally powerful. I cried - even though I was so frustrated with the book I did not want to cry.

This is a hard book for me to know if I should recommend it or not. On one hand it is a well written emotional narration about the bond between a man and his dog. On the other hand it is a poorly played out fantasy world that just didn't mess with anything. If they had cut out the middle and just made the book shorter this book would have gone down as a great. However, they didn't.

As published on The Book Recluse Review

1984
By George Orwell

Rating: ***** (5 stars)
Book Length: 328 pages
Genre: Science Fiction, Dystopia, Classic


I first read 1984 when I was in middle school. I was on a quest to read all of Orwell's works after finishing Animal Farm a few years earlier. Yet, it had been so long since I have last read the novel that I had forgotten quite a bit.

The scary thing about Orwell is that he picks up on the small details, such as the importance of language in forming ideas, and he explains them in such a way that even individuals who have complete faith in our society is left thinking.... well maybe that could happen. That is a scary prospect.

The world that is created is similar to socialist or communist societies, yet it is manipulated with the artistic flair of science fiction and ingenuity. The characters are real, meaning they are likable and appalling. You feel sympathy for them, cheer for them, and are disappointed in them. No matter the emotion, you connect with them.

Orwell is a masterful and popular storyteller. His novel, 1984, is worth the hype that it has received. It is expertly written, and to date the best dystopian novel ever written.

As published on The Book Recluse Review

Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are?

by. Frans de Waal


Rating: **** (4 stars)
Book Length: 340 pages
Genre: Non-Fiction, Science, Animal, Animal Behavioralism, Psychology

I love novelized psychology books. I say novelized because the text flows so much more smoothly then an academic research paper, which I admit I love to read also. Yet, there is something exciting about getting to read the words of a well written science journalist. It is even better to read the words of the scientist themselves. You get their thought process and insight which goes beyond just an academic paper.

Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are is a bit outside of what I would normally read. I am not an animal lover. I am so fascinated by trying to understand humans I rarely stop to think about animals. In the research I read about animals all the time. Yet, it is always in relation to what it is telling us about human nature. It isn't specific to what it is telling us about the animals themselves. It is ironic that I have never really thought about this considering I live with a teenage son who is fascinated by animal behavioralism and a pre-teen daughter who lives for anything related to cats.

This is a psychology book for animals. Humans are an afterthought, they are actively talked down upon. The field of psychology itself is constantly ridiculed. Since this is my background and fascination I was not thrilled by De Waal's perspective on psychology. I did find the different perspective fascinating. I have rethought about research, specifically research involving animals, in a new way since reading this novel. I will never read a study without thinking what it means for the species in the study, not just what it means for humans.

That being said I have one main grip with this book. De Waal continually equates the amount of neurons with intelligence. He questions if elephant are more intelligent then other species because of the massive quantities of neurons. He also mentions that amount of neurons of octopi and their location throughout their eight limbs. I question his assumption that neurons equate to intelligence. Using human studies to understand animals I would reference studies that look at individuals with autism spectrum disorders. It was found that individuals with autism tend to have larger brain sizes (at first studies using head circumference and later using actual MRI scans). It was also shown that the more neurons in the brain the less verbal and social ability of the individual on the autism spectrum. It is not just the amount of neurons in a brain - it is how well they synch together that helps determine functioning. I am not certain how this would impact De Waal's statements, yet it was a topic that continuously unnerved me as I read.

Overall, I found it to be an interesting read with a perspective that I personally had not encountered before. The writing style flowed well and the entire book kept my interest. I would be interested in reading De Waal's earlier novels.

As published on The Book Recluse Review

The Wind in the Willow

by Kenneth Grahame

Rating: ***1/2 (3 1/2 stars)
Book Length: 256 pages
Genre: Classic, Children, Fiction

I will admit it; I have not previously read The Wind in the Willows. I had heard about the book and the characters Toad, Mole, and Rat. However, I had no prior reason to actually pick the book up and read it.

Before reading the book I had the impression that The Wind in the Willows is a children's book. The simplicity of the characters and the natural flow of the text would continue to lend that idea. I mean the main characters are animals, right? Perhaps, it was in fact at one time a children's book. Then I imagine (well some days I do not have to imagine too hard) my children using words like wench and ass, to name a few, and I am more inclined to not have them read this story.

When I read the first chapter of the book I had a horrible fear of being stuck reading this book. It starts off with Mole leaving his house after spring cleaning, finding Rat, and never coming home. The actions made no sense, it is almost like the first chapter was added as an afterthought to give the book some context. Which may not be too far off. Most of the book reads like a collection of short stories that were then combined into chapters. The only part of the book that has any sense of a continuing plot is the misadventures of Mr. Toad.

Is the book all that bad? No, after I finished the first chapter I found myself being swept away into the worlds of Mole and Rat. I admit I was a bit surprised about how I found myself engulfed in their world. It was a fun read, one I am glad to have added to my list. However, I do not see myself burning to return to their world.

As published on The Book Recluse Review

Only Time Will Tell

by. Jeffrey Archer


Rating: **** (4 stars)
Book Size: 400 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction

When I picked up this book I had no idea what to expect. I originally obtained the book up from free from Amazon and it sat on my to be read shelf for a while. I decided to read it for a challenge to read something with green lettering on the cover. Historical fiction is not really my thing, so it was a pleasant surprise that I enjoyed the greater majority of the book.

The novel takes place in Bristol London in-between the end of the first world war and the start of the second. It chronicles the life of Harry Clifton from his birth to his late teenage years.

The unique aspect of the book is how Jeffry Archer stitches the plot together. He tells it in sections from several different characters. Each section reviews the previous section from a different point of view and then continues the story. The sections always end on a sort of a cliff hanger. The end of the book is perhaps the biggest cliff hanger of them all - since it is, of course, a series.

In a way I enjoyed the unique style of writing. It was written so it was easy to follow, but was intriguing all the same. Only certain people had pieces of the story line, and those pieces were not introduced until it was the character's turn to narrate. The downside was that each section was more showing what was already known, it was literally a condensed summary, rather than an intricate weaving of the plot that may have happened if the chapters alternated points of views. The end of the novel also seemed to loose the in depth writing that captivated throughout most of the novel and left with more of a rushed summary.

While I am interested in Harry's tale it is not enough of an interest to make an effort to actually continue.

Originally published on The Book Recluse Review

In order for genre writing to be great it does not have to have all of the qualities which make a book literature rather than a novel. For example, Twilight can still be enjoyed by English majors dispute the fact that it is so poorly written.

For a novel to be both a great piece of literature and genre fiction is rare. According to my Junior High English teacher even Isaac Asimov did not make that jump, although Ray Bradbury did.

My point being, this book is an amazing piece of literature. It has great prose, an engaging storyline, and characters worth reading about. It is also an amazing genre fiction. The plot and world are unlike anything else out on the market. This could easily become one of my top ten favorite novels and should make it to the must-read list of every list made after it's date of release.

Yes, it is that good!

Originally published on The Book Recluse Review

Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.
by. Judy Blume


Rating: *** (3 stars)
Book Length: 162 pages
Genre: Children's Chapter Book

It has been a long time since I was eleven like the main character in this book, Margaret. Yet it has been more recent that my children have been eleven. My youngest girl still is. I couldn't help thinking of her while I read this book. This is why I could not give the book more than three stars.

In many ways Margaret is an extremely stable and lucky preteen girl. She has two parents who love her and support her. They have a great marriage. She has a grandmother who goes out of her way to be with her, and as Margaret gets older even distances herself without it being awkward.

Yet, there is a lot of turmoil in Margaret's life as well. The book opens with Margaret moving from New York City to the suburbs of New Jersey. That is an extremely dramatic change to have happen the last year of elementary school. In addition she moves from a private school to a public school, which is another dramatic change. Thankfully for Margaret she meets her new best friend within pages of starting the book and has a whole peer group before she starts school. I mean really?

This is a book for young children. That does not mean that it cannot have emotional depth and meaningful characters. There are plenty of young adult authors that provide both while still writing to their target audience. This book seems to limit the emotional depth that an eleven year old can and does experience. Living with an eleven year old daughter I do not find that anywhere near the case.

This brings me to my last point. This book is a coming of age story. One big aspect of the story is about Margaret finding a religion to identify with. This motivation is largely driven by her sixth grade teacher. He asks Margaret why she does not like religious celebrations and then never addresses it again, even though they were the chorus in the school play. For her school project she writes him a letter and runs off. He just left it at that? There was no follow though at all? Even the self discovery seemed vacant and lacking real depth. Her grand epiphany was that her parents should have just picked for her and she started to talk to God again when she got her period. I found it a bit hollow.

I know that Are You There God? It's Me Margaret. is suppose to be a classic in children's literature. I may not have a popular opinion, but I was not all that thrilled with the novel. My daughter will not pick the book up, she would not be able to relate to the main character at all. She is busy dealing with middle school and bullying. She dreads hitting puberty even though she knows it is on the way. When I told her about it she politely declined to read it.

Originally Posted on The Book Recluse Review