Laura's comments
Laura's comments from the Pick-a-Shelf group.
Note: Laura is no longer a member of this group.
(showing 1-20 of 23)
I never got around to Outlander for romance last month. Maybe this time. I might also try The Hummingbird's Daughter.
From Love Walked In by Marisa de los Santos.
This might not sound earth-shattering to you, so fabulously clever or romantic, but trust me when I tell you that it was. Right from the start, we just had a cadence, an intuitive rhythym that I might possibly compare to the sixth sense that jazz musicians sometimes have when they're playing together if I knew the first thing about jazz. You've seen Tracy/Hepburn movies, yes? It was the conversation I'd been waiting for all my life.
And it kept up, that back-and-forth. He talked about his business trip - four days in London, finanace something or other - and about fog, how the thing of it was it really was foggy in London. I felt taut and tingly and flushed, as though I were wearing a new skin, but I wasn't exactly nervous. Miraculously, I was up to the challenge of meeting this man, perfect as he was. I was "on".
I read Love Walked In. Only two people had catorgorized this as Romance and I would have to agree that this does not really fit into the genre. This book is about many different kinds of love, but light on the romantic kind. I didn't end up liking this one as much as I had hoped to. It started off kind of whimsical and fun, but when the subject matter got more serious I felt like the tone was really melodramtic. I am still hopeful that I will like Belong to Me A Novel and I am interested to see if the continued story of these characters makes me like them a bit more.
I love it...very romantic scenes! I'll have to go back and pick one from my last book.
I was thinking about the fact that only a couple of people categorized the Marisa de los Santos books I picked to read as Romance. I think these books probably fall into the slightly more socially acceptable genre of "Chick Lit". I suppose the more typical idea of this genre is the Nora Roberts or Danielle Steele type of books. I went through an entire summer where I did nothing on my days off, but go to the beach and read Nora Roberts. And I loved it! If someone is looking for a really good, scandalous, pick you should try Family Album by Danielle Steele. There is isn't anything that doesn't happen in this one! I think the only real problem with the typical romance novel is that the authors clearly follow a formula in order to churn out book after book, so they all seem to seem alike after awhile. Other than that they are great guilty pleasures!!
Lyn wrote: "Laura wrote: "Thank goodness. I have been reading nothing but dark depressing things it seems and I am ready for some LOVE! I had already decided to read Love Walked In next, so tha..."
Lyn - I am a few chapters into Love Walked In, and I am already in love with the author's style. I read some reviews that talked about loving the "cadence" of her writing. I would have to agree! Isn't it great when you know you have another book by an author you love to look forward to? Hope you get to read it soon!
Thank goodness. I have been reading nothing but dark depressing things it seems and I am ready for some LOVE! I had already decided to read Love Walked In next, so that will work out nicely. I also plan to read Belong to Me A Novelfor an upcoming book club. My mom loaned me the first several books of the Outlander series, so I will get into those next.
Fun idea and a great way to get a better feel for the books I might want to read. I skipped ahead a few pages from 46 to a passage I felt gave a little better peek at the book.
"They were hurrying toward him over the cropped grass, while April slowly and heavily brought up the rear, pulling the lawnmower behind her, blowing damp strands of hair away from her eyes with a stuck-out lower lip. Everything about her seemed determined to prove, with a new, flat-footed emphasis, that a sensible middle-class housewife was all she had ever wanted to be and that all she had ever wanted of love was a husband who would get out and cut the grass once in a while, instead of sleeping all day." - Revolutionary Road
I was going to take a month off it the shelf didn't fit any of the books I have hanging around that I have been wanting to read, but I won't have to do that. Great pick, Tara. I plan to read Revolutionary Road and possibly My Sister's Keeper.
I read Rebecca and give it four stars.
Wonderful imagery. I had a vivid idea of Manderely and its long dark drive, beautiful gardens, and pretty beach. It was very suspenseful and just the right amount of creepy to keep you on edge. I think my very favorite part was how Mrs. de Winter would play out situations in her head and sometimes get so into her imaginations that she would be acting them out in her facial expressions. She was caught by Maxim once. I think I do this from time to time as well, so it struck me as very funny
I decided to go ahead and read The Giver before moving on to the June book. I really enjoyed it. I thought you all might be interested to learn a little background about this book. A friend of mine recently heard the author speak and told me the inspiration for this story came from the author's experience with her mother who had Alzheimer's. Her mother would ask about a child that had passed away and each time she was retold about the death it was as if she were grieving it again for the first time. This experience made the author wonder what it would be like if someone else had to hold our memories for us. I always enjoy getting to hear what inspires someone to write a story, so I wanted to pass it along to the rest of you who read The Giver last month.
I am very tempted to reread Jane Eyre or Wurthering Heights, but since there are so many classics I have not read I should try a new book. I am going to read Rebecca or Pride and Prejudice...I have never read Jane Austen!!
The Host
I found this to be quite similar to the Twilight story. The souls who have taken over the human's bodies are in some ways similar to the vampires in that they need to prey on another creature for their survival, but they are still good and have lots of redeeming qualities and a way of life that is appealing. There is also the parrallel of an alien falling in love with a human and how do they make that work. I think Stephenie Meyer is a great storyteller and keeps you interested in what is going to happen until the end. I would say the main flaw of this book is that is it probably too similar to Twilight, but if you are a big fan like I am, you probably won't mind:)
Lynne wrote: "I finished "The Giver" and have to give it 5 stars. It is, without a doubt, one of the best, and most thought provoking books I have ever read. That's one of the things that is so fantastic about..."
I am planning to read this after I finish The Host. I can't wait! I had an opportunity this spring to hear the author of this books speak and didn't end up going. I think I am going to be very disappointed I missed this chance after reading the book.
I read Tales of a Female Nomad Living at Large in the World. I just read a few reviews to make sure it wasn't just me, but something about the author's tone rubbed me the wrong way. She seems rather self-centered and pushy. She is often unprepared and impulsive and lucky that such "serendipitous" situations come her way. That being said, I did enjoy the story of her journey. I think all of us would like to figure out a way to be come unencumbered by all of our "stuff" and be able to explore other cultures. I give it three stars because even though I thought it could have been better written, it still provided a good description of life on the road and made me want to visit all the places she lived. Especially Bali!
I started with Blue Latitudes Boldly Going Where Captain Cook Has Gone Before. It has a lot of interesting history, but it is slow reading and I don't have time for books I can't get through quickly. If I am ever lucky enough to travel to the South Pacific I will try and read it before I go. In the meanwhile, I have moved on to Tales of a Female Nomad Living at Large in the World. I am about halfway through and am enjoying it. I'll post my review when I have finished. Hopefully this weekend...April is almost over already!!
I remember hearing that The Host A Novel is science fiction for people who don't like science fiction, so that seems like a good choice for me. Plus, I am a huge Twilight fan:)The Giver is also on my to-read list, so I'll try that one if I have time.
Tara - I'm still holding off on Outlander because I think I will be addicted and need to read the whole series once I start:)
These are my top three picks. If I don't read them all I will at least add them to my to-read list.
Tales of a Female Nomad Living at Large in the World
Blue Latitudes Boldly Going Where Captain Cook Has Gone Before
I might also try On the Road...never read it!!!
The Tipping Point
This book was definetly not something I would normally read. My husband had just finished it and it popped up on the first page of the shelf, so I went with it. I think it would be a really interesting read for someone in the business world, especially if you are trying to market something. I am not in that field, but the message I took away is that small changes and actions can have a big impact and results. It is a hopeful way of looking at problems that might seem overwhelming.
I just finished [book:The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time|1618. I really enjoyed the book, although it made me rather sad. It must be such a struggle for a family to deal with these types of issues. Very interesting and well written. Still plugging away on the Tipping Point....non-fiction is not my thing.
