Orange is the New Black : My Year in a Women's Prison by Piper Kerman

Once I heard that Netflix was turning this book into a series, I jumped right on the bandwagon and decided I just HAD to read it.  Orange is the New Black by Piper Kerman is an account of how her need to escape her white bread life sent her to the federal pen.  There were both good and bad things about this book.  The first half of it flew by reading more like fiction that non-fiction.  It had that un-put-downable quality that I love in good books.  The middle portion was a little more difficult to swallow, becoming a bit preachy about the ills within our prison systems.  We get it - prison is BAD.  The ending was dynamite and left me wanting to know more about Piper Kerman and her life since her ordeal ended.  I recommend this book based on the relationships Piper made while in prison and because of the interesting dynamic that was captured on the page that explained the difficulties in maintaining the relationships she left on the outside.  Her observations of the different types of people she encountered while inside are also amusing (a particular type of woman became known as "Eminemlettes").  At times funny, and at other points heartbreaking, this book is worth picking up.

Island Beneath the Sea by Isabel Allende

This beautiful, sweeping historical saga begins mid 1700's on the Caribbean island of Saint-Domingue (modern day Haiti).  Upon his father's death, Toulouse Valmorain reluctantly leaves his bon vivant bachelor life in Paris to manage the family sugar plantation in Haiti. Planning to get his affairs in order quickly & return to Paris, he faces a brutal overseer and rebellious slaves, & quickly realizes that as an only son, he must stay to provide the income for his family to continue living their opulent Parisian lifestyle.  Procuring a suitable wife, he then buys a 9 year-old slave girl to care for her. The rest of the story involves the relationship between these 2 figures & many colorful ancillary characters.  From Toussaint Louverture leading the infamous slave rebellion, to Napoleon's army dessimated by yellow fever, to Voodoo, to pirates & political intrigue & the mercantile trade of slaves, rum & sugar - the narrative moves from Haiti to Cuba & finally the wild & wonderful Creole town of New Orleans pre Louisiana Purchase, where beautiful light-skinned mulattos are auctioned off at debutante balls to wealthy single patrons.  Engrossing, enlightening, thoroughly enjoyable.

The Wrap-Up List by Steven Arntson

 Gabriela opens her mailbox to find her Death Letter.  She has exactly seven days before she's due to depart.  Seven days to figure out her death's secret weakness, because if she can do that, she can earn herself a pardon.
  Steven Arntson opens up a weird world in which a percentage of the population is chosen for departure.  There's still the unexplained, unexpected and natural deaths of this realm, but with a little extra.  Deaths walk freely and visibly within this world, often hanging out at local coffee shops.
  In addition to the fantasy element there is impending war and a draft, familial problems and struggles with love and friendship.  The premise of the book made it intriguing and the background stories kept it moving.  All in all, a pretty solid read for fans of fantasy and the paranormal.   

Life After Life by Kate Atkinson

Don't read this book on a Nook, Kindle or iPad.  I did, and I also tend to speedread.  However, 1/3 of the way through, I wanted to flip back to re-read parts more carefully.  (And being able to flip back and forth is decidedly NOT one of the virtues of an e-reader.)  I will buy the book, and read it again - carefully and slowly.

One person's experience of living the same life over again every time she dies. Sometimes with fleeting images and memories, sometimes changing history.  It spans the 20th century, from her birth in 1910, through the Blitz in London in WW2,  up to the 60's.  You'll need to invest some time reading this beautifully written book -  it's worth it.

Tampa by Alissa Nutting

Wow.   Ok.  So.   Uh.   Ick.   - -  Remember  50 Shades of Grey?  If you were at all offended by that one, don't get NEAR this book.  26 year old female sexual predator of 14 year old boys.

If you are able to get past your revulsion of the main character, the author does an excellent job getting us into the mind of a sociopath, who cares nothing - and I mean nothing - about anyone but herself.  Every single move of her life is calculated to provide the best possible result.  Cunning, in a constant state of sexual desire, & armed with anti-aging creams and lacy underwear, she repeatedly takes you beyond unimaginable boundaries.  You think she can't possibly do anything worse, then she proves you wrong.

I can't help thinking that if the genders were reversed, this book would  NEVER have had a chance of being published (a stinging indictment of our culture). Controversial & shockingly graphic. I felt a sticky creepy need to shower when I was finished.

"The Last Girlfriend on Earth: and Other Love Stories" by Simon Rich

This is one of the funniest books I've ever read. If you like satire and offbeat, sarcastic humor, you might enjoy it too. The stories in this collection revolve around the theme of love - finding love, keeping it, and ending it. It grabbed me with the first story, told from the perspective of a condom and his time spent in a teenage boy's wallet. Some of my other favorites included the story of God and his demanding girlfriend and the story of Oog who is in love with Girl. Oog's not really smart, and he might not be able to count as high as some other guys, but he seems like a good guy, if you don't factor in the way he gets rid of his competition. Even some of the more ridiculous stories, such as the one where the main character's ex-girlfriend starts dating Hitler, still made me laugh.

If Simon Rich's other books are as funny as this one, I plan to read them all.