Her Fearful Summetry

Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger

I've been courting more than one book at a time and it has really taken a toll on completing one book.

Her Fearful Symmetry is written by the author of  The Time Traveler's Wife.  I felt daunted knowing how much I LOVE her first book.  However the two books are so different that I was able to stop comparing rather quickly.

Julia and Valentina are 20 year old American twins.  Their lives are intertwined in an unnatural and somewhat perverse way.  Sometimes it's like they are only a whole person when they are together.
Their mother (Edie) and aunt Elspeth) are also twins.  As far as they can remember they have never met their mother's twin.  Their contact with her begins upon her death.  Elspeth leaves her London flat to the girls.  Once they accept the stipulations set out by their dead aunt, deep secrets, bizarre desires, and twisted personal lives come flooding into the light. 
Much of the book centers around London and Highgate cemetary which added a layer of gothic/romantic sadness.
I couldn't come to love Julia and Valentina, or Elspeth.......at times I disliked them for their deceit, desperate dependance, and sickening selfishness.  My heart broke for Robert, Elspeth's left behind lover and for the quirky, charming upstairs neighbor (with extreme OCD) Martin.
On the other hand I loved the supernatural aspect, the cemetary, and finding out by the end that I didn't know what I thought I knew!

Rating 4  Didn't really love the characters but I did get into the story.
Rating PG13  sexual content, hauntings

The Time Taveler's Wife

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audry Niffenegger

Okay..........eep! This really isn't a book review per say. I just saw the movie based on the book. In general I do not condone book to movie. They are almost always ruined with poor casting or creative license. However, I loved this movie almost as much as I loved the book. The movie concentrated more on Clare and Henry and not as much on their surrounding family and friends (whom I didn't like anyway). Also the movie took out all of the parts of the book that made it rated R. Can you believe the movie was cleaner??? In the book Clare was a trash mouth, which just made me cringe. I still fell completely in love with Clare and Henry........and especially Henry. I cried my eyes out from beginning to end.....probably because I already knew the story. So, if you are ever going to see a book to movie......this is the one.

Book Rating 5 So emotional and unique. It is one of my top faves ever.
Book Rating R This is the part that makes me hesitate recommending it to anyone I know. Clare truly has the mouth of a convict, not a woman. I'm sure there are other parts also but it's been about a year since rereading it and I only remember Clare.