"Pirate Latitudes" - Michael Crichton

"Pirate Latitudes" - Michael Crichton

 

To give an introduction into my personal interests, I LOVE pirates. I love reading about them, watching movies about them, costumes, pictures, everything! I've even got a tattoo design for a half sleeve involving a ghost pirate ship in a crazy ocean. So, when I saw this book, I had to read it. If it says "pirate" in the title, it's a guarantee I'll pick it up and give it a try.

 

I am currently on chapter 6, and, unfortunately, I am not impressed with this book. I have no idea what is going on. There is a ton of monologue, none of which has remotely touched on anything pirate based. The first 6 chapters has pretty much been Governor Almont complaining about his new secretary not being at port yet. He discusses how he does not like to go to hangings, despite it being in his job description. There is also mention of the plaque in London, and how he needs female servants to serve in his house. That's it.... that is the first 6 chapters.

 

This book is extremely slow going. There has been no action yet, no conflict, no romance, and no pirates. I'm pretty disappointed, especially because a lot of my male friends talk highly about Michael Crichton books. I was expecting action, adventure, and pirates. Instead I've got a whiny Governor, and a secretary with a anxious wife.

 

So far, I'm not sure I would recommend this book to a lot of people I know. If you like monologue books, or if you're looking for something that will take forever to read, and you can stomach slow going dialogue, then sure, pick up this book. Otherwise, I would say try a different Michael Crichton book and hope it's better. 

"The Bell Jar" - Sylvia Plath

"The Bell Jar" - Sylvia Plath

 

"The Bell Jar" is about Esther, a simple girl in the 1970's who won a fashion magazine contest and was sent to a whole other world, New York. She stays in a women's only hotel with 12 other girls that won contests, including her roommate Doreen. The prize of the contest is that they all get jobs in New York for a month, expenses paid and free stuff galore. This was a chance of a lifetime, a chance to meet people in the field that they wanted to write about. Esther would soon find out that life in New York is nothing like she'd ever experienced before.

 

I am currently on chapter 4, out of 20, and I am pleasantly surprised by the tone of this book. When I first picked it up, I thought that the writing style would be a little less captive, a little slower paced. Instead, "The Bell Jar" is written from a first-person point of view. You are not given the name of the main character until the 3rd chapter. It is written to resemble a young woman, of around age 20, and does a fantastic job. Myself, being 25, can see myself saying and thinking some of the very same things that the girls in this book are saying and thinking.

 

So far the book is highly based around fashion, formality, and finishing school types of events. Those things are not particularly entertaining things for me to read about, but I am still enjoying the book for what it's worth. There are some unexpected moments, usually revolving around Esther's interactions with Doreen, that keep the book entertaining. It's an interesting diary-like book, and a fairly easy read. The chapters are short, and the language is plain. I'm reading it as a wind-down book before bed. 

"Shadow Divers" - Part 2

I am finishing up reading "Shadow Divers" by Robert Kurson and I am still as enticed and amazed by it in the same way I was when I started. The duo is deep in their investigation to find more information about the shipwreck they found. The search even takes one person to Washington D.C. and then to Germany to talk to an old Nazi soldier for his personal account.
With as much excitement I can express towards a book, I highly recommend this book to anyone. It's got a combination of emotions tied to it, as well as some unexpected friendships, to keep the reader captivated.

"Shadow Divers" - Robert Kurson

"Shadow Divers" - Robert Kurson

This book was brought to my attention by a coworker. He was so excited when he was telling me about this book that I had to check it out from the local library. I am currently on the 5th chapter (mind you the chapters are pretty long) and I am LOVING IT!

 

This book is based around deep sea divers that dive not for the sport of it, but to test themselves. They wanted to push themselves farther than they'd ever gone, and deeper into the ocean waters than any other divers have gone. They wanted to experience a world unlike anything they had seen before. In doing so, the divers have seen their fair share of shipwreck sights. Instead of gathering as much loot as they can, like other divers, the two divers in this book instead try to imagine what the ship was like when it was running, and what the crew members daily lives would have been like. They look at these wrecks and see them as adventures, not pay days. In one particular ship wreck they find more than an adventure, they discover unknown history.

 

This book is written with an alluring amount of detail. The way that the author describes the diving process makes me feel like I am the diver myself. This book makes me want to dive to the very bottoms of the oceans and experience the shipwrecks for myself... and that in itself is a pretty amazing thing to do. (Yes, I am one of those people that cannot dive into a pool without pinching my nose shut.) I am in awe of the emotions that the author was able to put not only in the characters, but the surrounding environments that the characters are in.

 

If you are looking for a captivating adventure, one you cannot set down, then this is the book for you. There is heart racing excitement, treasure, death, and passion in these pages, so make sure you have a cuddly blanket, and a bottle of water. As soon as you start reading, you are not going anywhere until you finish! Enjoy!

 



"The Secret History" - Part 2

I am half way through "The Secret History" and have decided not to finish this book. I have had a hard time keeping up with the plot line. The story has too many "filler" words. Everything is described in detail, making it hard for me to concentrate on what is happening in the story and the importance of certain events. I have not been able to relate to any of the characters on a personal level, and have not been able to imagine a visual to what is going on in the book.
Overall, I would give it a five out of ten. It has the makings for a good plot, but I just couldn't stay focused with the over use of detail in every little event. My personal opinion is that it's a great book if you are one for constant use of detail. For me, I think mass use of details are good every once and awhile, but an entire book with major use of detail is a little too much for me.

"The Secret History" - Donna Tartt

"The Secret History" - Donna Tartt

 

"The Secret History" is about a group of college-aged kids studying Greek at Hampden College. There is murder written in the story, but I have not arrived at that chapter yet. The main character, Richard Papen, wants to join this special Greek class, but is denied when he speaks to the professor about the class. He soon find outs from ramblings on campus that the Greek teacher does not have very respectable ways for choosing his five students. He also finds out that the five students in the Greek class do not interact with the rest of the campus like the other students do. They are, in a sense, in their own world. By the chance interaction in the library with a few of the Greek students, Richard is accepted to attend the Greek class. He is excited, but is curious to learn more about this "Greek Society" on campus.

I have only finished the first chapter of this book, and am not greatly enjoying it yet. There are some slow, explanatory parts in the first chapter. I found it hard to maintain my focus while reading, and caught myself skipping ahead to other paragraphs. With that said, I have only read the first chapter and will maintain my open mind through out the rest of this book. I have read my fair share of books that started out so slow but ended up being great ("Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" started out so boring that I had to put it down and didn't pick it up for almost a year! Once I did pick it back up I was addicted to it.). So, on to more reading and I will let you know if the book picks up or not.

"Flabbergasted" - Ray Blackston

 

"Flabbergasted" - Ray Blackston

 

My current read is "Flabbergasted" by Ray Blackston. I read this book years ago, but I figured it'd be a good time to reread some of my old books for this blog. I picked up this book simply because of the title. Flabbergasted... wouldn't that just make you wonder what the heck it means?

 

This book is written as if you were reading a diary, in first person. The main character, Jarvis, has just relocated to South Carolina by his firm. His girlfriend dumped him over e-mail, and he bought a fixer-upper house. That's a lot of major life events thrown together, and could make a guy quite lonely. So, while signing the papers of his house, he asks the real estate agent where he could meet women. To his surprise, she said in the different churches. In her words, the Bible belt of the USA has more churches then bars, so that's were she meets most of her clients. Depending on what type of woman you want depends on if you go to a Pentecostal, Baptist, Catholic, etc. church. Jarvis, who hasn't been to a church in over five years, decided to take a stab at going to church, and even joins a singles class.

 

I love how this book is written because it hits close to home. I've moved across the country and had to find a new church, and essentially a new life. If you have ever had to experience multiple major life events at the same time, and enjoy some sarcastic humor, this is the book for you!