"The Time Traveler's Wife" by Audrey Niffenegger

I found this book to be fascinating, though at times a bit confusing.  Clare has known Henry sine she was six.  Henry has known Clare since he was 28.  See, confusing!  Henry has a genetic disorder that causes him to travel through time against his will.  He never knows when he'll vanish from the present or when and where he will reappear.  Audrey Niffenegger's  The Time Traveler's Wife is one of those books that has been on my to-read list for what seems like forever but I had never gotten around the reading it.  I am a bit disappointed in myself for this.  This book captured my attention and the time I spent not reading it was spent thinking about it.


It isn't often that I find a book in the Adult Fiction section that grabs and holds my attention like this book did (though lately I have been focusing a little less on YA books which has surprised me).  I liked the format in which this book was written.  Each section tells the reader the date and ages of Henry and Clare.  Since Henry's time and place fluctuates, so does the time and place of the novel.  The book follows Henry from time and location and occasionally I found myself a little lost as I would get Henry's past and present confused.  This caused me to do a little bit of re-reading which was fine with me.   


Really there was only one thing that bothered me about this book.  There is a rather short scene in the book that acknowledges the September 11 terrorist attacks.  This is to be expected from a post 9/11 book, especially considering that this books takes place over the course of many years.  It almost would make less sense for this part of history to be ignored.  However, I felt that this scene was completely irrelevant to the novel's development and story line.    However, if this is my biggest complaint about the novel, then obviously Niggenegger knew what she was doing as she wrote. 


I may one of the last people who hadn't read this book, but if you are included in the list of people who also have not read it, then I highly recommend it.  I am certain that this book will make in to my "to be read again and again" pile for many years to come.





Next on my list, watch the movie!


Happy Reading!
-Melly

"The Vow: The True Events that Inspired the Movie" by: Kim & Krickitt Carpenter

The release of The Vow was a bit of a big thing in my hometown, stands to reason as the couple that inspired the movie live here.  Now, I haven't seen the movie yet so this review is based solely on the book (I plan on watching it at some point and have a feeling I will need to do a movie/book comparison post, but we'll see).

I read the book because of the hype surrounding the movie and because I was interested in the story.  Let's say that this book is...interesting.  The story itself is absolutely fascinating.  Kim & Krickitt Carpenter had only been marred a few months when the couple were involved in a horrific traffic accident that wiped Krickitt of her memories of the past year and half- therefore leaving her with no idea who her husband was.  Learning that a couple could go through something like that but still manage to stay together and have a happy family is wonderful and inspiring.  Likely you have either seen a news piece on television or an article in a magazine about this couple.  In a  way I wish that the documentation was left at that.

I found the book itself a little boring.  Not everyone is a writer, and there is nothing wrong with that, but if you aren't a writer, don't write a book...  Even though the story is fascinating, the way it is told is a bit dry and dull.  It almost comes across as though Kim has told their account so many times that there isn't much emotional attached as he wrote about the events (and the book is pretty much solely from Kim's point of view with journal entries from Krickitt ).  I also struggled with Krickitt 's commitment to Kim. While I have to applaud her for not abandoning him since she had no memory of him, I can honestly say that I would have a hard time if I were put into a similar situation.  The book goes into the detail of the struggle to rebuild their relationship (it's not like Krickitt went back to what everyone told her was "normal" without questioning anything) but I couldn't help but imagine myself in that situation and know that I wouldn't have mad the same choices.

I don't feel that I wasted my time by reading this book, but after reading other reviews from those that picked up the book because they enjoyed the movie, I feel that this book is going to be a letdown for many readers.  I would suggest checking it out at the library before rushing out to buy a copy.

Happy Reading!
-Melly