by Kay | Jul 2, 2009 | Reviews |
A Heart So White by Javier Marias
Published by Vintage
Pages: 279
Genres: Literary Fiction
Add to Goodreads
Rating: Javier Marías's A Heart So White chronicles with unnerving insistence the relentless power of the past. Juan knows little of the interior life of his father Ranz; but when Juan marries, he begins to consider the past anew, and begins to ponder what he doesn't really want to know. Secrecy—its possible convenience, its price, and even its civility—hovers throughout the novel. A Heart So White becomes a sort of anti-detective story of human nature. Intrigue; the sins of the father; the fraudulent and the genuine; marriage and strange repetitions of violence: Marías elegantly sends shafts of inquisitory light into shadows and on to the costs of ambivalence.
I did not want to know but I have since come to know that one of the girls, when she wasn’t a girl anymore and hadn’t long been back from her honeymoon, went into the bathroom, stood in front of the mirror, unbuttoned her blouse, took off her bra and aimed her own father’s gun at her heart, her father at the time was in the dining room with other members of the family and three guests.
Rec for people who love: Spain, art, languages, the new age whodunnit
Thoughts: This was my first book read because of LibraryThing. I think I was looking for books written by Spanish authors – everyone I know trips over themselves when talking about Arturo Perez-Reverte, but it seems that he is the only Spaniard with any real recognition. Using Wikipedia and Livejournal as my guide, I discovered that Javier Marias writes for El Pais, had an uncle who produced pornography, and a philosopher father imprisoned under Franco. Well, if that didn’t make me love him on the spot – I don’t know what could have.
So, onto my TBR list he went and that was that last I time I thought about him or the book. That is, until I happened to be in an Oxfam bookshop that I rarely visit four months later. And there it was. An unused, unloved and untouched “A Heart so White” begging for a good home. I remembered my five minute online affair with the novel, and snatched it from the shelf. Almost as if I had been afraid someone else had seen it.
And so began a two month long journey with Javier Marias’s narrator – Juan.
Okay, so maybe when I started reading I had my expectations a bit too high. No that’s not right – I just wasn’t ready for the style of the novel, and had had no idea what the book was about when I started to read. In fact, it took me about a month and a half to get past the first thirty pages. Throughout the first thirty pages, I knew the words themselves were beautiful – they were just really difficult. The prose is intense, and lyrical – but it is long. It’s kinda the typical problem a lot of genre fans have with lit fic – the, er, pretentiousness? But JM does not write the way he does merely for gloating rights – it’s just what he is bloody brilliant at. Some authors are can write intense multi-character dialogue, others bloody, brutal fight scenes – and JM is the master at writing a character’s stream of conciousness.
Juan writes – for it is hard for me not to think of him as a real person – the way he thinks. And while his thoughts are stunningly beautiful, until you learn to ride his mind with him, you might be tripping over the plot a bit.
Oh yes, the plot.
Well, I couldn’t quite come up with a decent summary of this book without sounding like a lunatic – that is, until I saw this raving review of Javier Marias’s work in the NYTimes:
A simultaneous translator, recently married to another simultaneous translator, uses the growing friendship between his wife and his father to unravel the mystery behind a suicide that took place before he was born. [ …] If you judged by the summary alone, you might guess that Marías’s fiction is ludicrously melodramatic or cruelly comic or tediously postmodern. It is none of these. On the contrary, all four novels possess an odd combination of true sadness and deeply satisfying wit that I have yet to find in any of Marías’s English or American contemporaries.
At the most basic level, the book is about a man discovering the truth about his father’s life. That’s how the book starts off and ends – but that won’t be why you’ll love this book. Marias’s Juan made me examine my own way of looking at the situations and people around me; inspired the philosopher I had never known was in me.
On another note, this book is excellent for all you armchair travelers out there. We head from Madrid to Havana to New York to the UN to Geneva and back again. Also, I would like to congratulate Margaret Jull Costa on her fabulous translation of this breathtaking novel. ♥
You can read the first chapter of this excellent novel, here.
by Kay | Jul 1, 2009 | Uncategorized |
Favourites are in Bold!
2015
- Audiobook – Legends of the Ferengi (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) by Ira Steven Behr – 4.5 stars
- All Fall Down (Embassy Row, #1) by Ally Carter – 4 stars
- Audiobook – Emissary (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, #1) by J.M. Dillard – 3.5 stars
- This Shattered World (Starbound, #2) by Amie Kaufman – 5 stars
- Forever (The Wolves of Mercy Falls, #3) by Maggie Stiefvater – 2.5 stars
- Poison Study (Study, #1) by Maria V. Snyder (reread) – 4.5 stars
- Audiobook – Warped (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) by K.W. Jeter – 2 stars
- Avengers, Volume 5: Adapt or Die by Jonathan Hickman – 3 stars
- Audiobook – The Devil’s Heart by Carmen Carter – 2 stars
- Shadow Study (Soulfinders #1) by Maria V. Snyder – 3.5 stars
- Daredevil, Vol. 7: Hardcore by Brian Michael Bendis – 4 stars
- New Avengers, Volume 3: Other Worlds by Jonathan Hickman – 4 stars
- One Good Earl Deserves a Lover (The Rules of Scoundrels, #2) by Sarah MacLean – 3 stars
- The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling – 4 stars
- Audiobook – Star Trek The Next Generation: Ship of the Line by Diane Carey – 4 stars
- Thor: God of Thunder, Volume 3: The Accursed by Jason Aaron – 2 stars
- The 34th Rule by Armin Shimerman – 3 stars
- Bodies by Si Spencer – 4 stars
- Saga, Volume 2 by Brian K. Vaughan – 4 stars
- Daredevil, Vol. 8: Echo by David W. Mack – 2 stars
- Ms. Marvel, Vol. 2: Generation Why by G. Willow Wilson – 5 stars
- Audiobook – Prime Directive (Star Trek: Worlds in Collision, #2) by Judith Reeves-Stevens – 3 stars
- Avengers Undercover, Volume 2: Going Native by Dennis Hopeless – 1 star
- Ms. Marvel, Vol. 3: Crushed by G. Willow Wilson – 5 stars
- Uprooted by Naomi Novik – 4 stars
- Original Sin: Thor & Loki: The Tenth Realm by Al Ewing – 3.5 stars
- Original Sin: Hulk vs. Iron Man by Mark Waid – 3 stars
- Captain Marvel, Volume 1: Higher, Further, Faster, More by Kelly Sue DeConnick – 4.5 stars
- Captain Marvel, Volume 2: Stay Fly by Kelly Sue DeConnick – 5 stars
- New Avengers, Volume 4: Perfect World by Jonathan Hickman – 4 stars
- Avengers, Volume 6: Infinite Avengers by Jonathan Hickman – 3 stars
- Aurelia (Aurelia, #1) by Anne Osterlund – 4 stars
- Audiobook – Star Trek Next Generation: Imzadi by Peter David – 1.5 stars
- Night Broken (Mercy Thompson, #8) by Patricia Briggs – 4 stars
- Magic Burns (Kate Daniels, #2) by Ilona Andrews – 3.5 stars
- Shift (Shifters, #5) by Rachel Vincent – 2 stars
- Audiobook – Star Trek Cacophony: A Captain Sulu Adventure by John Malloy – 3.5 stars
- Audiobook – Windows on a Lost World by V.E. Mitchell – 3.5 stars
- Blue Diablo (Corine Solomon, #1) by Ann Aguirre – 3 stars
- Winter (The Lunar Chronicles, #4) by Marissa Meyer – 5 stars
- Captain Marvel, Volume 3: Alis Volat Propriis by Kelly Sue DeConnick – 4 stars
- Rocket Raccoon, Volume 2: Storytailer by Skottie Young – 3.5 stars
- Avengers World, Volume 4: Before Times Runs Out by Frank Barbiere – 3 stars
- Avengers: Time Runs Out, Volume 1 by Jonathan Hickman – 3 stars
- Avengers: Time Runs Out, Volume 2 by Jonathan Hickman – 4 stars
- Avengers: Time Runs Out, Volume 3 by Jonathan Hickman – 4 stars
- Avengers: Time Runs Out, Volume 4 by Jonathan Hickman – 3 stars
- Gotham Academy, Vol. 1: Welcome to Gotham Academy by Becky Cloonan – 4 stars
- Superior Iron Man, Volume 1: Infamous by Tom Taylor – 4 stars
- Superior Iron Man, Volume 2: Stark Contrast by Tom Taylor – 3 stars
- Thor: God of Thunder, Volume 4: The Last Days of Midgard by Jason Aaron – 4.5 stars
- Spider-Gwen, Vol. 0: Most Wanted? by Jason Latour – 4 stars
- Black Widow, Volume 2: The Tightly Tangled Web by Nathan Edmondson – 3 stars
Read in 2014
- Goblin Secrets (Zombay, #1) by William Alexander – 2 stars
- Horde (Razorland, #3) by Ann Aguirre – 5 stars
- Shadows (The Rephaim, #1) by Paula Weston – 3 stars
- Heartbeat by Elizabeth Scott – 4 stars
- Cress (The Lunar Chronicles, #3) by Marissa Meyer – 4 stars
- Novella – Poison Dance (Midnight Thief, #0.5) by Livia Blackburne – 4.5 star
- White Hot Kiss (The Dark Elements, #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout – 4.5 stars
- Fair Game (Alpha & Omega, #3) by Patricia Briggs – 5 stars
- Midnight Crossroad (Midnight, Texas, #1) by Charlaine Harris – 3 stars
- Succubus Heat (Georgina Kincaid, #4) by Richelle Mead – 3 stars
- Thor: God of Thunder, Volume 1: The God Butcher by Jason Aaron – 5 stars
- Succubus Shadows (Georgina Kincaid, #5) by Richelle Mead – 2.5 stars
- Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1: No Normal by G. Willow Wilson – 5 stars
- Avengers Arena, Volume 1: Kill or Die by Dennis Hopeless – 4 stars
- Avengers Arena, Volume 2: Game On by Dennis Hopeless – 4 stars
- Avengers Arena, Volume 3: Boss Level by Dennis Hopeless – 3 stars
- Avengers, Volume 1: Avengers World by Jonathan Hickman – 3 stars
- Avengers, Volume 2: The Last White Event by Jonathan Hickman – 3 stars
- Avengers, Volume 3: Prelude to Infinity by Jonathan Hickman – 2 stars
- New Avengers, Volume 1: Everything Dies by Jonathan Hickman – 4 stars
- Succubus Revealed (Georgina Kincaid, #6) by Richelle Mead – 2 stars
- Infinity: Volume 1 by Jonathan Hickman – 4.5 stars
- Infinity: Volume 2 by Jonathan Hickman – 4.5 stars
- Thunderbolts, Volume 3: Infinity by Charles Soule – 3 stars
- Avengers, Volume 4: Infinity by Jonathan Hickman – 4 stars
- New Avengers, Volume 2: Infinity Jonathan Hickman – 4 stars
- Runaways, Vol. 1: Pride and Joy (Runaways, #1) by Brian K. Vaughan – 5 stars
- Runaways, Vol. 2: Teenage Wasteland (Runaways, #2) by Brian K. Vaughan – 4 stars
- Runaways, Vol. 3: The Good Die Young (Runaways, #3) by Brian K. Vaughan – 5 stars
- Hawkeye, Volume 1: My Life as a Weapon by Matt Fraction – 4 stars
- Runaways, Vol. 4: True Believers (Runaways, #4) by Brian K. Vaughan – 4 stars
- Runaways, Vol. 5: Escape to New York (Runaways, #5) by Brian K. Vaughan – 5 stars
- Runaways, Vol. 6: Parental Guidance (Runaways, #6) by Brian K. Vaughan – 4 stars
- Thor: God of Thunder, Volume 2: Godbomb by Jason Aaron – 4 stars
- Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury – 3 stars
- Drax the Destroyer: Earthfall by Keith Giffen – 2 stars
- Captain Marvel, Volume 1: In Pursuit of Flight by Kelly Sue DeConnick – 3.5 stars
- Deadly Class, Vol. 1: Reagan Youth by Rick Remender – 3.5 stars
- Doctor Strange: The Oath by Brian K. Vaughan – 2 stars
- Runaways, Vol. 7: Live Fast (Runaways, #7) by Brian K. Vaughan – 4 stars
- Runaways, Vol. 8: Dead End Kids (Runaways, #8) by Joss Whedon – 2 stars
- The Hood (New Avengers) by Brian K. Vaughan – 3 stars
- Batman: The Long Halloween by Jeph Loeb – 4 stars
- Batman: Year One by Frank Miller – 4 stars
- Avengers Undercover, Volume 1: Descent by Dennis Hopeless – 2 stars
- Daredevil, Vol. 3: Wake Up by Brian Michael Bendis – 4 stars
- Pretty Deadly, Vol. 1: The Shrike by Kelly Sue DeConnick – 3.5 stars
- Daredevil, Vol. 3.5: Playing to the Camera by Bob Gale – 3.5 stars
- Frost Burned (Mercy Thompson, #7) by Patricia Briggs – 5 stars
- Magic Bites (Kate Daniels, #1) by Ilona Andrews – 4 stars
- The Maze Runner (Maze Runner, #1) by James Dashner – 2 stars
- Daredevil, Vol. 4: Underboss by Brian Michael Bendis – 4 stars
- Secret Invasion by Brian Michael Bendis – 1 star
- Hawkeye, Volume 2: Little Hits by Matt Fraction – 4.5 stars
- Only the Good Spy Young (Gallagher Girls, #4) by Ally Carter – 4 stars
- Hex Hall (Hex Hall, #1) by Rachel Hawkins – 3 stars
- A Clash of Kings (A Song of Ice and Fire, #2) by George R.R. Martin – 4 stars
- Daredevil, Vol. 5: Out by Brian Michael Bendis – 4 stars
- Black Widow, Volume 1: The Finely Woven Thread by Nathan Edmondson – 3.5 stars
- Daredevil, Vol. 6: Lowlife by Brian Michael Bendis – 4 stars
- Out of Sight, Out of Time (Gallagher Girls, #5) by Ally Carter – 5 stars
- Die for Me (Revenants, #1) by Amy Plum – 3 stars
- United We Spy (Gallagher Girls, #6) by Ally Carter – 5 stars
- Eve & Adam (Eve & Adam, #1) by Michael Grant – 4 stars
- Audiobook – Mosaic (Star Trek: Voyager) by Jeri Taylor – 4 stars
- Dreams of Gods & Monsters (Daughter of Smoke & Bone, #3) by Laini Taylor – 3.5 stars
- Audiobook – Q-In-Law (Star Trek: The Next Generation, #18) by Peter David – 4 stars
- Audiobook – Fallen Heroes by Dafydd ab Hugh – 4 stars
- Audiobook – Dark Mirror by Diane Duane – 3.5 stars
- Audiobook – The Valiant by Michael Jan Friedman – 3 stars
- Audiobook – Relics by Michael Jan Friedman – 3.5 stars
2013
- Last Chance by Sarah Dessen – 3.5 stars
- Heist Society by Ally Carter – 4.5 stars
- The Holders by Julianna Scott – 3 stars
- Quantum Drop by Saci Lloyd – 4 stars
- Sweetly by Jackson Pearce – 4.5 stars
- Uncommon Criminals by Ally Carter – 3.5 stars
- Perfect Scoundrels by Ally Carter – 4 stars
- The Fault in our Stars by John Green – 5 stars
- Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead – 3 stars
- Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman – 3.5 stars
- Scarlet by Marissa Meyer – 4.5 stars
- Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys – 2.5 stars
- The Edge of Nowhere by Elizabeth George – 2 stars
- Days of Blood & Starlight by Laini Taylor – 4 stars
- Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead – 3.5 stars
- With All My Soul by Rachel Vincent – 3.5 stars
- The Rising by Kelley Armstrong – 3.5 stars
- Ink by Amanda Sun – 3.5 stars
- Dare You To by Katie McGarry – 4.5 stars
- Angelfall by Susan Ee – 4.5 stars
- The Adventures of Superhero Girl by Faith Erin Hicks – 4.5 stars
- Hunting Ground by Patricia Briggs – 5 stars
- Blue-Blooded Vamp by Jaye Wells – 3 stars
- Rush by Eve Silver – 3 stars
- Crash into You by Katie McGarry – 5 stars
- Outpost by Ann Aguirre – 5 stars
- Fade by Lisa McMann – 4 stars
- Gone by Lisa McMann – 2.5 stars
- The Realm of Possibility by David Levithan – 2 stars
- World After by Susan Ee – 4.5 stars
- Survival Lessons by Alice Hoffman – 4 stars
- The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey – 3.5 stars
- These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman – 5 stars
- Bite Club by Rachel Caine – 3 stars
- The Sign of Four by Arthur Conan Doyle – 2 stars
- Endgame by Ann Aguirre – 4.5 stars
- I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have to Kill You by Ally Carter – 3.5 stars
- Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor by Lisa Kleypas – 3 stars
- Cross my Heart and Hope to Spy by Ally Carter – 4 stars
- A Sip of Aesop by Jane Yolen – 2 stars
- Don’t Judge a Girl by Her Cover by Ally Carter – 4 stars
2012 (25)
- Doubleblind by Ann Aguirre – 4.5 stars
- Cinder by Marissa Meyer – 3.5 stars
- My Soul to Steal by Rachel Vincent – 3.5 stars
- If I Die by Rachel Vincent – 4.5 stars
- A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle – 4 stars
- Killbox by Ann Aguirre – 3.5 stars
- Aftermath by Ann Aguirre – 4 stars
- Muse by Rebecca Lim – 4 stars
- Prey by Rachel Vincent – 3.5 stars
- Call Me Irresistible by Susan Elizabeth Phillips – 3 stars
- Secrets of a Summer Night by Lisa Kleypas – 4.5 stars
- A Kiss at Midnight by Eloisa James – 3 stars
- It Happened One Autumn by Lisa Kleypas – 4 stars
- Mercy Thompson: Homecoming by Patricia Briggs – 3 stars
- Magic in the Blood by Devon Monk – 3 stars
- The Shadow Reader by Sandy Williams – 2.5 stars
- Before I Wake by Rachel Vincent – 4 stars
- Pure Blood by Caitlin Kittredge – 3 stars
- River Marked by Patricia Briggs – 4.5 stars
- Darkness Falls by Cate Tiernan – 4 stars
- Breathe by Sarah Crossan – 2.5 stars
- The Calling by Kelley Armstrong – 4 stars
- Defiance by Lili St. Crow – 3.5 stars
- Vampire Academy: The Graphic Novel by Richelle Mead – 4 stars
- Chain Reaction by Simone Elkeles – 2 stars
2011 (63)
- Stealing Heaven by Elizabeth Scott – 4 stars
- My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent – 4 stars
- Mercy by Rebecca Lim – 4 stars
- Immortal Beloved by Cate Tiernan – 3 stars
- Friday Night Bites by Chloe Neill – 3 stars
- Delirium by Lauren Oliver – 4 stars
- Ghost Town by Rachel Caine – 2.5 stars
- Firmin: Adventures of a Metropolitan Lowlife by Sam Savage – 2 stars
- Green-Eyed Demon by Jaye Wells – 4 stars
- Raised by Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes – 3.5 stars
- Night Shift by Lilith Saintcrow – 3 stars
- Sea Change by Aimee Friedman – 4 stars
- Wake by Lisa McMann – 4.5 stars
- Enclave by Ann Aguirre – 4.5 stars
- Hexbound by Chloe Neill – 3 stars
- Soulless by Gail Carriger – 4.5 stars
- The Iron Witch by Karen Mahoney – 2 stars
- Blood Promise by Richelle Mead – 4 stars
- Lover Revealed by J.R. Ward – 1 star
- Beauty by Robin McKinley – 3.5 stars
- The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong – 5 stars
- Moloka’i by Alan Brennert – 5 stars
- The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins – 5 stars
- The Iron Hunt by Marjorie M. Liu – 2 stars
- Temeraire by Naomi Novik – 5 stars
- Throne of Jade by Naomi Novik – 3.5 stars
- Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch – 3 stars
- Brother/Sister by Sean Olin – 4 stars
- Night Life by Caitlin Kittredge – 4 stars
- Exile by Rebecca Lim – 4 stars
- Once a Witch by Carolyn MacCullough – 2.5 stars
- Pride by Rachel Vincent – 4 stars
- The Touch of Twilight by Vicki Pettersson – 3 stars
- Bitten by Kelley Armstrong – 3.5 stars
- A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin – 5 stars
- The Glass Demon by Helen Grant – 4 stars
- Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor – 4.5 stars
- Siren by Tricia Rayburn – 3 stars
- Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins – 4 stars
- Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins – 3.5 stars
- Cry Wolf by Patricia Briggs – 5 stars
- The Society of S by Susan Hubbard – 2 stars
- Heat Stroke by Rachel Caine – 4 stars
- Our Lady of Darkness by Fritz Leiber – 2.5 stars
- Hourglass by Claudia Gray – 1 star
- Academy 7 by Anne Osterlund – 4.5 stars
- Beastly by Alex Flinn – 2 stars
- 13 to Life by Shannon Delany – 2.5 stars
- State of Wonder by Ann Patchett – 3.5 stars
- The Eternal Ones by Kirsten Miller – 2.5 stars
- Pure by Julianna Baggott – 4.5 stars
- My Soul to Save by Rachel Vincent – 3 stars
- Dark Goddess by Sarwat Chadda – 4 stars
- Dead as a Doornail by Charlaine Harris – 3 stars
- Matched by Ally Condie – 4 stars
- Succubus Dreams by Richelle Mead – 3 stars
- The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff – 3 stars
- My Soul to Keep by Rachel Vincent – 4 stars
- Blood Magic by Tessa Gratton – 3 stars
- Dream a Little Dream by Susan Elizabeth Phillips – 4 stars
- Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton – 3.5 stars
- Silver-Tounged Devil by Jaye Wells – 4 stars
- Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs – 3 stars
2010 (71)
- The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson – 4 stars
- The Espressologist by Kristina Springer – 4 stars
- Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr – 4 stars
- Firespell by Chloe Neill – 4.5 stars
- The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler – 4.5 stars
- Fallen by Lauren Kate – 3.5 stars
- Hearts at Stake by Alyxandra Harvey – 3 stars
- Red-Headed Stepchild by Jaye Wells – 5 stars
- The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien – 5 stars
- Mark of the Demon by Diana Rowland – 2 stars
- Untamed Heart by Ally Blue – 3 stars
- Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead – 4.5 stars
- Tempted by P.C. and Kristin Cast – 2 stars
- Blood Bound by Patricia Briggs – 5 stars
- Magic Study by Maria V. Snyder – 4.5 stars
- A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary by Alain De Botton – 4 stars
- Lover Awakened by J.R. Ward – 4 stars
- Frostbite by Richelle Mead – 4.5 stars
- Need by Carrie Jones – 4 stars
- Claimed By Shadow by Karen Chance – 2.5 stars
- Succubus Blues by Richelle Mead – 4 stars
- Fade Out by Rachel Caine – 4 stars
- Shiver by Maggie Steifvater – 5 stars
- The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien – 5 stars
- Iron Kissed by Patricia Briggs – 4.5 stars
- The Reckoning by Kelley Armstrong – 5 stars
- (novella) Bring the Heat by M.L. Rhodes – 4 stars
- Magic Under Glass by Jaclyn Dolamore – 2 stars
- The Mage in Black by Jaye Wells – 5 stars
- Strange Angels by Lili St. Crow – 4 stars
- Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles – 4 stars
- The Lunatic Cafe by Laurell K. Hamilton – 4 stars
- Magic to the Bone by Devon Monk – 3.5 stars
- Beating Heart by A. M. Jenkins – 3 stars
- The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan – 3.5 stars
- Fire Study by Maria V. Snyder – 3.5 stars
- Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase – 4 stars
- Ondine by Ebony McKenna – 4 stars
- Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead – 4.5 stars
- The Line by Teri Hall – 2.5 stars
- Shadow Marked by Anna J. Evans – 3 stars
- Betrayals by Lili St. Crow – 3.5 stars
- Graceling by Kristin Cashore – 4.5 stars
- Some Girls Bite by Chloe Neill – 4 stars
- Seven Sorcerers by Caro King – 4.5 stars
- Rogue by Rachel Vincent – 3 stars
- (novella) Blood Soup by Kelly A. Harmon – 3.5 stars
- Old Magic by Marianne Curley – 3 stars
- Ill Wind by Rachel Caine – 4 stars
- The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner – 2 stars
- Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles – 5 stars
- Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr – 3 stars
- Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick – 1 star
- Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan – 4 stars
- Kiss of Death by Rachel Caine – 3.5 stars
- Grimspace by Ann Aguirre – 5 stars
- TimeRiders by Alex Scarrow – 3.5 stars
- Jealousy by Lili St. Crow – 3.5 stars
- Succubus Nights by Richelle Mead – 4 stars
- The Devil’s Kiss by Sarwat Chadda – 3.5 stars
- Linger by Maggie Steifvater – 5 stars
- Captivate by Carrie Jones – 3 stars
- Forgive My Fins by Tera Lynn Childs – 3 stars
- Claire de Lune by Christine Johnson – 3 stars
- Stargazer by Claudia Gray – 3.5 stars
- Dark Life by Kat Falls – 4.5 stars
- Wanderlust by Ann Aguirre – 4.5 stars
- Bone Crossed by Patricia Briggs – 4 stars
- Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs – 4 stars
- A Madness of Angels by Kate Griffin – 3.5 stars
- The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting – 2.5 stars
2009 (44)
- The Host by Stephenie Meyer / 3.5 stars
- The People’s Act of Love by James Meek / 4 stars
- The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides / 2 stars
- The Scandal of the Season by Sophie Gee / 2.5 stars
- Banishing Verona by Margot Livesy / 4 stars
- Tea by Stacy D’Erasmo / 4 stars
- The Laughing Corpse (Anita Blake, Book 2) by Laurell K. Hamilton / 4 stars
- The Summoning (Darkest Powers, Book 1) by Kelley Armstrong / 4.5 stars
- The Awakening (Darkest Powers, Book 2) by Kelley Armstrong / 5 stars
- Marked (House of Night, Book 1) by P.C. and Kristin Cast / 2.5 stars
- Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella / 3.5 stars
- Circus of the Damned (Anita Blake, Book 3) by Laurell K. Hamilton / 3.5 stars
- Stray (Shifters, Book 1) by Rachel Vincent / 3 stars
- The Scent of Shadows (Sign of the Zodiac, Book 1) by Vicki Pettersson / 4 stars
- Run by Ann Patchett / 5 stars
- The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella / 3.5 stars
- Glass Houses (Morganville Vampires, Book 1) by Rachel Caine / 3 stars
- Anyone but You by Jennifer Cruise / 3.5 stars
- The Dead Girls Dance (Morganville Vampires, Book 2) by Rachel Caine / 4 stars
- Betrayed (House of Night, Book 2) by P.C. and Kristin Cast / 3.5 stars
- Shopaholic Abroad by Sophie Kinsella / 3.5 stars
- The Taste of Night (Sign of the Zodiac, Book 2) by Vicki Pettersson / 3 stars
- Midnight Alley (Morganville Vampires, Book 3) by Rachel Caine / 4.5 stars
- The Demon King and I by Cadace Havens / 3 stars
- A Kiss of Shadows (Merry Gentry, Book 1) by Laurell K. Hamilton / 2.5 stars
- Chosen (House of Night, Book 3) by P.C. and Kristin Cast / 2 stars
- Feast of Fools (Morganville Vampires, Book 4) by Rachel Caine / 3.5 stars
- Touch the Dark (Cassandra Palmer, Book 1) by Karen Chance / 4 stars
- Full Moon Rising (Riley Jenson, Book 1) by Keri Arthur / 1 star
- Lord of Misrule (Morganville Vampires, Book 5) by Rachel Caine / 4 stars
- Evernight (Evernight Series, Book 1) by Claudia Gray / 3 stars
- Moon Called (Mercy Thompson Series, Book 1) by Patricia Briggs / 4.5 stars
- Dead to the World (Sookie Stackhouse, Book 4) by Charlaine Harris / 3.5 stars
- Carpe Corpus (Morganville Vampires, Book 6) by Rachel Caine / 4 stars
- The Darkest Night (Lords of the Underworld, Book 1) by Gena Showalter / 2 stars
- Dark Lover (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 1) by J.R. Ward / 4 stars
- Untamed (House of Night, Book 4) by P.C. and Kristin Cast / 3 stars
- Hunted (House of Night, Book 5) by P.C. and Kristin Cast / 3 stars
- Moonlight (Dark Guardians, Book 1) by Rachel Hawthorne / 2 stars
- Dead Witch Walking (Rachel Morgan, Book 1) by Kim Harrison / 3.5 stars
- Lover Eternal (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 2) by J. R. Ward / 4.5 stars
- Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder / 4.5 stars
- Evermore by Alyson Noel / 3 stars
- The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams / 5 stars
2008 (18)
- Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides / 5 stars
- The Magician’s Assistant by Ann Patchett / 5 stars
- Property by Valerie Martin / 2 stars
- Twilight by Stephenie Meyer / 3.5 stars
- Tomorrow in the Battle Think on Me by Javier Marías / 4 stars
- What Now? by Ann Patchett / 3 stars
- The Patron Saint of Liars by Ann Patchett / 4 stars
- New Moon by Stephenie Meyer / 3 stars
- The Secret History by Donna Tartt / 4.5 stars
- Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris / 4 stars
- A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray / 1.5 stars
- Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer / 3 stars
- Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris / 4 stars
- Becoming Justice Blackmun by Linda Greenhouse / 5 stars
- Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer / 4 stars
- The Lollipop Shoes by Joanne Harris / 3 stars
- Club Dead by Charlaine Harris / 3.5 stars
- Guilty Pleasures by Laurell K. Hamilton / 4 stars
2007 (15)
- Strange Pilgrims by Gabriel García Márquez / 4.5 stars
- Blackberry Wine by Joanne Harris / 1 star
- To Have and Have Not by Ernest Hemingway / 1 star
- The Right to Privacy by Ellen Alderman and Caroline Kennedy / 5 stars
- Cowboys are my Weakness by Pam Houston / 4 stars
- The Dogs Who Found Me by Ken Foster / 4.5 stars
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling / 5 stars
- A Heart So White by Javier Marias / 4 stars
- Bel Canto by Ann Patchett / 4 stars
- The Map of Love by Ahdaf Soueif / 4 stars
- Senor Vivo and the Coca Lord by Louis De Bernieres / 3.5 Stars
- Jigs and Reels by Joanne Harris / 3 stars
- Havana Bay by Martin Cruz Smith / 3 stars
- The Mighty and the Almighty: Reflections on Faith, God and World Affairs by Madeleine K. Albright / 4 stars
- From Baghdad, With Love: A Marine, the War, and a Dog Named Lava by Jay Kopelman and Melinda Roth / 216 pages / 4.5 stars
by Kay | Jul 1, 2009 | Reviews |
From Baghdad, With Love: A Marine, the War, and a Dog Named Lava by Jay Kopelman, Melinda Roth
Published by Lyons Press
Pages: 196
Genres: Non-Fiction
Source: Purchased myself
Add to Goodreads
Rating: In From Baghdad, With Love: A Marine, the War, and a Dog Named Lava, Jay Kopelman tells a story that is both tender and thought-provoking - candidly portraying the ugly conditions in wartime Iraq, while also describing his (and his fellow Marines') growing attachment to a scruffy stray puppy.
Thoughts: I first heard of this book a good year ago, when I heard the author give a beautiful interview on NPR. Being the huge dog lover that I am, not to mention overly romantic, this book was practically made for me. The writing is simple, and the story itself isn’t too long – but its a beautiful one. The Lieutenant Colonel truly cared about this dog, despite himself. And the amount of people who found room in their hearts to help him and this amazing pup is just…. well, astounding considering the circumstances. It made me feel better about this world, just the thought of their being people selfless enough to do the right thing in a world where there is just so much wrong.
I was slightly nervous about any war propaganda that could rear its head, but I found the book completely neutral. Very matter of fact, “we are, and it’s crap, but this is what we signed up for” – while I am completely against the war, there is absolutely nothing in it to insult anyone who swings the other way.
As you can tell, I’m including a few pics of Lava – and I am sure that any dog lover will head straight to amazon after just a glance!