The Law of Love

by Laura Esquivel 
translated by Margaret Sayers Peden
4 Stars
Science Fiction
Setting: Mexico
266 pages
Published 1995

Ellie's Review
Mexican and Sci-Fi are not too genres I expect to overlap, but they do.  The Law of Love is a unique book because of the genre and also because of the format.  The written novel includes intermissions for songs on the included CD and sections of illustrations.  This uniqueness intrigued me throughout the novel.  I loved actually hearing a song that deeply moved a character rather than simply reading that he/she was moved by music.  The plot itself is also unique, blending Mayan, Catholic, and Eastern beliefs.  I consider this book entertainment (it reminded me of Latin soap operas) and enjoyed it; however, if you are looking for a deeply spiritual book, keep looking.  I’m thoroughly impressed by Esquivel’s creativity and loved her writing style of lines like, “Her teeth chattered like castanets.”

Book Summary

This exuberantly romantic and wildly comic tale from the author of Like Water for Chocolate combines inventive printed fiction with Puccini arias on CD!  When a Mexican astroanalyst in the 23rd century searches her past lives for her lover, she encounters many adventures, including the fall of Montezuma and a plot by a reborn Mother Teresa to rule the planet.  As the music in the CD releases the past lives, you see those reincarnations unfold dramatically in a series of colorful artwork.

Born to Run

Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen
by Christopher McDougall
5 Stars
Nonfiction: Memoir
Setting: USA, Mexico
287 pages
Published 2009

Ellie's Review
If you run or have ever thought about running, you should read this book. I was completely hooked from the first page to the last: the story was so incredibly interested and was well written. Learning about the running tribe in Mexico was amazing, and I am seriously considering purchasing a pair of Five Finger running shoes (even though I've openly mocked their appearance). I will honestly think of this book every time I run, and I hope to think of it whenever I face a challenge I think is too great for me. I loved this book!
 
Book Summary
Full of incredible characters, amazing athletic achievements, cutting-edge science, and, most of all, pure inspiration, Born to Run is an epic adventure that began with one simple question: Why does my foot hurt? In search of an answer, Christopher McDougall sets off to find a tribe of the world’s greatest distance runners and learn their secrets, and in the process shows us that everything we thought we knew about running is wrong.

Bel Canto

by Ann Patchett
4 Stars
Setting: South America
318 pages
Published 2001

Ellie's Review
While I felt it dragged a bit about 1/3 through the book, when I finished it I was actually sad it was over. In all, I really enjoyed it. Patchett spun an interesting tale about various individuals being thrown together in a high stress environment.

Book Summary
Somewhere in South America at the home of the country's vice president, a lavish birthday party is being held in honor of Mr. Hosokawa, a powerful Japanese businessman. Roxanne Coss, opera's most revered soprano, has mesmerized the guests with her singing. It is a perfect evening—until a band of terrorists breaks in, taking the entire party hostage.