SPUTNIK SWEETHEART- by haruki murakami

Sputnik sweetheart is narrated by a young elementary teacher- k. He is in love with his friend sumire, though she doesn't return these feelings. She quit school in an attempt to focus on her writing, but never is able to complete a piece. She shares her writing only with k., who relishes this opportunity to feel close to her. Soon though, sumire meets an older woman, miu, at a wedding, and falls deeply in love with her. As with sumire and k., miu is unable to return this love, but does form a strong bond with sumire that is shown throughout the course of this story.
Staying true to his general style, this book incorporated a surreal/alternate world that existed alongside the normal one. Sumire disappears into this world, and forces both miu and k. to make hard decisions in their search for her.
Murakami doesn't tie up all the loose ends, but does so enough to satisfy the reader. I certainly enjoyed it, and checked this quick read off in just under a week.
Netflix rating? 4.5/5 stars.

THE WIND-UP BIRD CHRONICLE- by haruki murakami

I finished this right under the gun- about 10 mins before needing to leave for bookclub. While i liked it (as i do most of murakami's books), at 600+ pages, it was just a little longer than my normal read. While reading it, several people asked me how i was enjoying it.
"It's good. I like it a lot," was my typical response.
The next question- what's it about?- wasn't so easy to answer.
"Um, well, this guy loses his cat, then his wife disappears and this virtual prostitute and her sister help him out. He doesn't get along with his brother-in-law who's running for political office, but has a dark side. He meets an older man who spent time in a well, and then he also sits at the bottom of a well for a few days. He's friends with the 16 year old neighborhood girl (though he's 30 or so), he surveys and categorizes levels of baldness in men around japan, meets an older ocd woman he calls nutmeg, and joins her healing business with her mute son cinnamon."
This description leaves much to be desired, and wouldn't convince anyone to read this book that i liked so much. Yet, there's not a good way to sum up the events of this story without sounding insane. If you've read any of his other books (including one of my favorites- kafka on the shore) and enjoyed them, you'll also love this. If you can't buy into surrealism, don't even bother!
Netflix rating? 4.5/5 stars.

THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE- by c.s. lewis

Again- catching up on some childhood reading. This went much faster than I remembered it as a kid, but was just as enjoyable. Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy are sent to live with Professor Digory Kirke (yes, the same Digory from The Magician's Nephew), when Lucy stumbles upon an old wardrobe which, when hidden in, brings her to Narnia. Eventually, the other children accompany her, and the adventures with Aslan, the Witch, and the faun Tumnus begin.
Great read- second, third, or twentieth time around.
Netflix rating? 4.5/5 stars.

THE MAGICIAN'S NEPHEW- by c.s. lewis

At some point, I decided I needed to start at the beginning, and read all of the Chronicles of Narnia. I think I read The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe as a kid, but never the other books, and since m. has the whole set, I could easily borrow them from her.
This book was actually written after the rest, but was meant as an explanation for how Narnia came to be. Digory and his friend Polly stumble across a secret tunnel, and accidentally end up in his crazy uncle's attic room. The uncle is a magician, and has found a way of making things disappear into another time, but is too afraid to go himself. He tricks Polly into touching a magic ring, and after she disappears, Digory goes to help her. Their adventures while in this other world show the creation of Narnia, along with Aslan and the witch.
How could I not like this? It's one of the great childhood books!
Netflix rating? 4.5/5 stars.

THE TIME TRAVELER'S WIFE- by audrey niffinegger

This is a pretty long book, which is why it's been on my shelf for so long. I'm glad that I finally got about to reading it, because it was definitely a good one.
Henry De Tamble suffers from "chrono displacement disorder" which basically means he disappears unexpectedly and travels to another point in his life- past or future. He meets his wife Clare when they're both in their 20's, but due to his time traveling, she first met him when she was 6. She grew up knowing him at different ages, but it isn't until he's older that he meets her as a child. The book follows Henry and his trips through past, present and future, and shows how ultimately, his relationship with Clare is what defines him.
I wish that there had been more exploration of the characters towards the end of the book, but I understand why Niffinegger ended it the way she did. All in all, I loved it.
Netflix rating? 4.5/5 stars.

THE READER- by bernhard schlink

This is a book that's been sitting around for a while. I think I tried to read it once a few years ago, but it didn't take. After putting a ton of effort into the most recent bookclub book, I really wanted a short (and therefore quick) read. I started it one night when I couldn't sleep, and read more then half of it in two hours. I finished it in one more sitting.
At the beginning, Michael Berg (who's name we don't learn until the end) is a fifteen year old who meets Hanna, a 30+ woman, in a small town in Germany. They develop an intimate relationship which they hide from friends and family. At one point, Hanna asks Michael to read aloud to her. This continues for the length of their relationship, which ends abruptly when Hanna disappears. Several years later, Michael is in law school and attends a trial in which several woman are being tried for crimes committed while they were guards at Nazi concentration camps. Hanna is included in this group, and soon becomes the scape goat for the rest of the guards. Despite attending every day in court, Hanna never acknowledges Michael, and he soon discovers a secret Hanna has been hiding for years. Sentenced to life in prison, she remains there for eighteen years before being released. Michael stays in touch, and learns how his actions have given Hanna a way to change.
This is a good book to read in a few sittings as it's divided into sections that make this easy. I liked the incorporation of both optimistic aspects as well as dark pasts. It made the story more real, as well as interesting to read.
Netflix rating? 4.5/5 stars.

MARCH- by geraldine brooks

In all honesty, I finished this book several weeks ago. In fact, I'm almost done with my next book (which both Andrea and Nora already posted about). For some reason, it's taken me a little longer then usual to get around to reviewing this one. I suppose I could blame it on my recent move- that's convenient.

To the point. March is a book I picked up close to a year ago. I'd heard a little about it, and while at the New England Mobile Book Fair, I grabbed it in order to spend enough to get a stamp. What I knew going in, was that it was based on "Little Women," and described the story of their father, Mr. March. While "Little Women" focused mainly on Marmee and the four girls with brief visits from Mr. March, March was the opposite, focusing on Mr. March with brief visits from his family. Brooks looked to Alcott's own father and based the character of Mr. March largely on him. This storyline gave a comforting familiarity to the book, and at the same time introduced a new element.

March's character is an idealistic chaplain who, at forty something, leaves his home and family in Concord, MA to join the young soldiers in the battlefields of the Civil War. After some challenging time in the fields, he ends up on a plantation that's being rented by a northerner who pays previous slaves for their labor. March is in charge of educating these "ex" slaves, and is horrified at the perceived lack of change in their treatment. While at times March's idealism borders on obnoxious, the strong beliefs that are the foundation for this idealism are good character traits. The book goes on to describe his early years as a traveling merchant, meeting and courting Marmee, his relationship with a slave woman, and his illness with malaria.

Told mostly in the first person, the book switches to Marmee's point of view for a few chapters towards the end. This gives her the opportunity to share her experiences while March is away at war, and also allows Brooks to tie back into "Little Women."

Netflix rating? 4.5/5 stars