November Books That Did Not 'Make the Grade'

This is going to be a new installment in Shelly-Beans Book Reviews because I do not want you, my readers, to think that it takes me a whole month to read one or two books (although that may be the case every once in a while.)  In reality, there are many times when I will read a few chapters of 3 or 4 books but not be able to finish them before I find one that captivates me enough to read it in it's entirety, which will then reviewed here.

So to let you all know what books I couldn't get into or, 'didn't make the grade' and why, I will be writing a sentence or two as to why they didn't get a full review on them at the end of each month.  I hope you enjoy them as well as my regular reviews and thank you for your support in reading my reviews.  Enjoy!

NOTE: Although I cannot get into a certain book now does not mean I will not try to read it again in the future, so when you see a book end up in a 'didn't make the grade' post, do not be surprised if I eventually do read and review it.  Every book deserves a second chance, after all, and some books are meant to be read during different points in our lives.


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Here are is the book I tried to read during the month of November but either didn't engage me or interest me enough to read fully:

The Gun Seller by Hugh Laurie- Although Laurie has a unique writing style, the story did not flow well which led me to being confused more often than not.  His plot was all over the place, his character introductions were not the best and personally, I had a hard time appreciating his British humor.

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I look forward to your comments and thanks for reading!

~Shelly-Beans

Turn of Mind by Alice LaPlante

Genre: Fiction/Psychological Thriller

Date of Publication: March 27^th, 2012

Memorable Quotation: “From the moment I opened the cadaver and saw the tendons, the nerves, the ligaments and the carpal bones of the wrist, I was in love. Not for me the heart, the lungs, or the esophagus--let others play in those sandboxes.  I want the hands, the fingers, the parts that connect us to the things of this world.” (Pg. 215)

Lasting Impression:  This is what it feels like to lose your mind...

Storyline: A

Pace of Story: A

Characters: B+

Ending: A-

Overall Grade: A-

As we get older, memory loss becomes an unfortunate part of aging we all must accept. Sometimes it is worse for others, but no amount of small forgetful moments can compare to the pain family members must go through when one of their parents or family members suffers from Alzheimer’s or Dementia. This is the fate of Dr. Jennifer White, retired Orthopedic surgeon, who at sixty-five is suffering from Dementia and is quickly slipping farther from reality, mentally. To add to the pain her family is going through with her illness, a murder has taken place in her neighborhood and Dr. White is the prime subject, for two reasons:

1.) The person murdered was her neighbor/best friend, Amanda, and Dr. White was the last person seen with her alive.

2.) Four of Amanda’s fingers had been cut off after her death, which leads to suspicion of

Dr. White because her surgical practice. 

Through Dr. White’s first hand account, the reader goes on a wild ride as they try to figure out if this murder case has nothing to do with her or if the holes in Dr. White’s memory are hiding the clues needed to uncovering the case.

To tell Dr. White’s story, Alice LaPlante uses an interesting writing style of using short sentences and having Dr. White’s voice in regular font while anyone else’s voice is in italics, making the voices of others seem shaky; Dr. White only certain of her own voice. 

The flow of the story is fluid, the imagery is lucid, and the thoroughness LaPlante uses in showing the ups and downs from the Dr. Whites point of view is eye-opening and sad; an amazing accomplishment with Turn of Mind being a fictional novel, at times feeling like a memoir. 

This feat in writing from the perspective of a Dementia sufferer also has its downfalls, do to the way different things are described and then randomly changes, most likely following the thought pattern of someone with Dementia, but it can frustrating for the reader with not understanding what is happening. The only other downfall to LaPlante’s novel is that the build up to what happened to Amanda takes a while; it is not until the middle of the novel the murderer is uncovered, and when that is revealed, it is in a quick sentence that will make the reader stop and say, “wait…what?” I promise, however, that the ending is worth the wait and will leave you practically speechless.

A carefully constructed story with many aspects relatable to older generations of our families undergoing increasing memory loss, Turn of Mind is a brilliant story full of twists and discovery of the mind and heart. The relationship between Dr. White and the reader is effortless as they embark on a voyage through her mind to try to cover any holes in her memory that could aid the murder investigation and help her mind piece together her fragmented thoughts and memories before she loses everything in her mind for good.

~Shelly-Beans

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Genre: Contemporary Fantasy

Date of Publication: July 3^rd, 2012

Memorable Quotation: “It is these aficionados, these rêveurs who see the details in the bigger picture of the circus.  They see the nuance of the costumes, the intricacy of the signs. They buy sugar flowers and do not eat them, wrapping them in paper instead and carefully bringing them home. They are enthusiasts, devotees. Addicts. Something about the circus stirs their souls, and they ache for it when it is absent.” (Pg. 184)

Lasting Impression: The Night Circus, or Le Cirque des Rêves (The Circus of Dreams), will leave you breathless with how vivid the story and the Circus are, leaving the readers as upset to see the last page as the last patron of the circus is to see the sun rise.

Story line: A+

Pace of Story: A+

Characters: A+

Ending: A+

Overall Grade: A+

Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus is nothing short of spectacular. There are innumerable reasons why this circus is so unique, the most noteworthy being that the circus does not adhere to the usual visions of what a circus is. The Night Circus is not only absent of clowns and elephants but also of color; the tents, booths, and costumes are all covered in shades of black, white, and gray; the lack of color giving the Circus a more sophisticated look.

Inside the walls of the circus are many stories to told, all of which are in some way tied to the deadly game of skill two magicians, Celia and Marco, have been unknowingly forced into by their instructors.  Through the third person perspectives of numerous characters, including the magicians themselves, we are shown a world where futures can be read in the stars, illusions are real magic in disguise, and forbidden love always finds a way with a little luck and perseverance.

 The description of the circus and everything it offers is exquisite, but it is Morgenstern’s description and personality each character is given that sets this novel apart from anything I have ever read.  When Marco first falls in love with Celia, for instance, the reader finds themselves falling in love with her too.  As the romance between the two magicians blossoms, they learn to express their secret love for one another through the different exhibits throughout the circus, a beautiful yet painful display of affection that will make anyone’s heart ache.

Another example of Morgenstern’s amazing storytelling is shown during the opening ceremony of the Night Circus, when the cauldron in the middle of the courtyard has a beautiful archery/fire display presented and everyone, including the reader, can feel and see everything as if they were there.  The amount of detail required to write such a book is extraordinary, and left me feeling breathless numerous times.

In an ironic way, the best feature of The Night Circus is also its worst.  It is amazing how much this novel draws the reader in and how full of detail the chapters are, but unfortunately the chapters do not always flow very well together.  Sometimes you become so deeply engrossed in one story line that going into the next chapter is a bit like being thrown into a pool; the coldness is shocking at first but once you get used to it, you adjust.

Personally, my soul has been stirred by this beautiful story by the beauty of the characters, the circus, the mysteries everyone is hiding for fear of being exposed. There is so much to be analyzed and discussed but fear of saying too much leaves me only brushing the surface.  If there is one novel I could recommend for you to take a journey on, it is The Night Circus, for it is not often that someone creates a novel made out of dreams and intertwines them with the most brilliant of words to capture them.

~Shelly-Beans