It was an quick read. I enjoyed the content and it was easy to understand. But, I just wasn't ove...moreEh. That's what I think about this book.
It was an quick read. I enjoyed the content and it was easy to understand. But, I just wasn't overly impressed with it. I liked was how humble Groeschel was in admitting his faults, but by the end, I was just bored. There are plenty of other Christian authors and pastors I'd much rather read. (less)
Welcome to Lovecraft was suggested to me as a good "entry-level" graphic novel by a friend/librarian. I really enjoyed the art and the story...moreWelcome to Lovecraft was suggested to me as a good "entry-level" graphic novel by a friend/librarian. I really enjoyed the art and the story was good, although, somewhat confusing at times (to me at least). I guess the problem is that I don't have much to compare this to because (besides this) I've only read one graphic novel.
I enjoyed Welcome to Lovecraft, but if I didn't already have volume 2 checked out from the library, I probably wouldn't be in a big hurry to read it. I think that the more graphic novels that I expose myself to, the better I will be able to judge what I like and dislike about them. (less)
After reading The Hunger Games, I was more than excited to read Catching Fire, the second book of the trilogy. I sped through it and thoroughly enjoye...moreAfter reading The Hunger Games, I was more than excited to read Catching Fire, the second book of the trilogy. I sped through it and thoroughly enjoyed it. When I first got done reading it, I thought, "This is a great book, but wasn't as great as the first (which I gave 5 stars to), so I'll give this one 4 stars." As I said in my review of The Hunger Games, I have a hard time writing reviews for books I love because I don't feel like anything I say will do the book justice. Unfortunately for Catching Fire, the opposite is true. It has taken me a while to write this review because I've been thinking about the book, and have now changed my rating to only 3 stars. And now I'll explain my reasoning without giving anything away.
I felt like the last third of the book was an afterthought to the overall story of the series, almost like Suzanne Collins felt like she had to put it in to keep the excitement of the first book. What was new and exciting in The Hunger Games was no longer new or exciting in Catching Fire. As a matter of fact, I almost threw the book down and quit reading when Collins revealed where the plot was going.
The end of Catching Fire seemed very rushed. Again, it was like an afterthought, like Collins thought, "I have to wrap this up and explain what happened really fast." For fans of LOST, you can relate to this. The writers spent six seasons leading up to the end without ever knowing what the end actually was. I felt like Suzanne Collins did the same thing here. To not give anything away, I can safely say that all books have (or should have) a dramatic structure that includes the exposition (or background), the inciting moment, the rising action, the climax, the falling action, and then the resolution. The problem with Catching Fire is that the falling action and resolution is about 5 pages of pure crap. Collins had built up the story so much and the realized that she had to figure a way out of the character's predicament, so she just threw it together.
Now, all that's not to say that I hated the book, because I didn't. I absolutely loved the first two-thirds of Catching Fire. Collins did an awesome job of putting in that signature little twist at the end of each chapter that made you want to read the next chapter. I really enjoyed seeing how the characters were growing and adapting to their new lives. And yet again, the last line of the book got me all excited. I could absolutely picture the book as a movie. There is a lot I liked about the book, but unfortunately the resolution just kind of ruined it for me.
That said, I'm stoked to read Mockingjay. I hope it doesn't disappoint!
(less)
Disclaimer: I’m reviewing this book for booksneeze.com.
When Emma gets an invitation to the King’s birthday party (which also happe...more
Disclaimer: I’m reviewing this book for booksneeze.com.
When Emma gets an invitation to the King’s birthday party (which also happens to be a Christmas party) in her mailbox, she can’t wait to take him a present. So she goes (with her talking dog, Shu-Shu) on a journey to the King’s castle. On the way there, she meets some needy families and Emma is forced to decide whether or not to give up some of her own items that she loved very much. I don’t want to spoil the story, but Emma ends up learning that her decisions meant more than she had thought they would.
This is a good kid’s story about serving “the least of these,” even when it means giving up things that mean the most to you. The message was clear and written in a way that’s easy for children to understand. The art was very well done, too. My child kept trying to run away while I was reading it to him, but… he’s 8 months old. I enjoyed the story, though.
One thing I didn’t understand was the title of the book. The King didn’t have a Christmas list. Nowhere in the book was a list even mentioned. Maybe a more appropriate title would be The King’s Christmas Gifts. But the title of the book definitely didn’t ruin the rest of the story for me.(less)
I always have a hard time writing reviews for books I love, because I feel like nothing I say can do the book justice. The Hunger Games is no exceptio...moreI always have a hard time writing reviews for books I love, because I feel like nothing I say can do the book justice. The Hunger Games is no exception. I loved this book, and for five days I've been afraid to write a review.
The basic idea of a post-war country where people are divided into working classes and ruled by the big thumb of "the Capitol" isn't original, but the premise that children from each district are forced into an arena to kill each other off in the hopes of winning food for their district... and all for the entertainment of the country... that's original. In addition, it's awesome and horrific at the same time.
While reading The Hunger Games, I kept thinking what an amazing movie it would be. I could imagine everything happening with such detail. Even the end of the book is the perfect movie ending. After doing some research, I learned that Suzanne Collins has a background in playwriting. (Side note: They are actually making a movie of the book and Suzanne Collins herself adapted the book for the screen.)
I don't want to go into too much detail about the book because I don't want to ruin anything for anyone who wants to read it. But I will say that the story is compelling and very well written. At the end of every chapter, Collins leaves a little cliffhanger making you want to immediately start reading the next chapter.
As I'm closing up this review, I realize that I did The Hunger Games or Suzanne Collins absolutely no justice, which is exactly what I was afraid of. So I guess all I can really say is that I highly recommend this book. (less)
In Outlive Your Life, Max Lucado relates the book of Acts to our current situation in the world. From the description of the book: 1.75 billion people...moreIn Outlive Your Life, Max Lucado relates the book of Acts to our current situation in the world. From the description of the book: 1.75 billion people are desperately poor, natural disasters are gouging entire nations, and economic uncertainty still reigns across the globe. But you and I have been given an opportunity to make a big difference. What if we did? What if we rocked the world with hope? Infiltrated all corners with God’s love and life? We are created by a great God to do great works.
Max challenges us to live lives that changes the lives of others, through service, giving, and love. Don’t be people who just talk about doing good; actually go out and do it.
When my wife and I were talking about having a child, we kept coming back to the thought that we should wait until we have enough money. My mother told me, “If you wait until you have enough money, you’ll never have a child.” Her point is that if we just have a child, we will find ways to make ends meet. The same idea goes for living a life of service. We can’t wait until the conditions for serving or giving are perfect. We have to have faith in God that if we do what He wants us to do, He’ll make sure that our needs are met, too.
I recently just finished reading Primal, by Mark Batterson, and feel that Outlive Your Life is a very complimentary book. Both authors want to encourage the readers to go out and do something in the world. Our generation is the new face of Christianity. Now more than ever, people are looking to Christians and wondering what we stand for. Are we judgmental? Do we only care about converting everyone to Christianity? Or are we just people who really want to change the world through love as Christ changed us through his love?
I finished reading Primal a few days ago, but I've been waiting to write a review because I've been chewing on the content.
Before I even ...moreI finished reading Primal a few days ago, but I've been waiting to write a review because I've been chewing on the content.
Before I even finished the book, I declared Primal as the best book that I have read in 2010. It is clear that Mark Batterson has a heart for God and a passion for change. He wants to see Christians acting more like Christ, and more so reacting like Christ.
Batterson challenges the reader to go on a personal quest to examine compassion, wonder, curiosity, and energy in their faith.
For days before reading this book, I felt like I was being called to donate money to a charity, even though I really don't have the means to do so. I kept getting little signs from God (or they were little in my mind) that I needed to do this. I'd had Primal on my bookshelf for a while, and randomly picked it up to start reading. When Mark talks about being more compassionate, I thought, "Ok, God. You win. I get your message loud and clear." The book really challenged me and convicted me.
Mark Batterson has now earned himself a spot in my top authors. Bravo, sir. It's not easy to get there.(less)
I randomly picked up The Hound of the Baskervilles when it was on display at the library. I've never really read a graphic novel, so I wasn't sure wha...moreI randomly picked up The Hound of the Baskervilles when it was on display at the library. I've never really read a graphic novel, so I wasn't sure what to expect. To my surprise, I actually liked it.
I realize that I'm really late to the graphic novel game, but I just like the visualization of the story.
The only thing was... after I read it (which only took about 2 hours total), I didn't feel like I really accomplished reading anything. Yeah, I got the story, but my brain wasn't engaged in the same way that it is when I'm reading a text-only book. I guess it just felt more like passive-aggressive reading.
But like I said, I did like it, and I'll definitely read more graphic novels in the future. (less)
I picked up Brains: A Zombie Memoir, by Robin Becker because I wanted something light and funny to read. I figured it would be something along the lin...moreI picked up Brains: A Zombie Memoir, by Robin Becker because I wanted something light and funny to read. I figured it would be something along the lines of Shaun Of The Dead, and it was. I liked that it was told from the point of view of a zombie, rather than a survivor. Although, in this case, a select few zombies are seen as the survivors. The main cast of zombies each have a special "power" that they retained from life - the ability to write, run, speak, or "heal".
The book is the story of these zombies trying to reach the man who created the virus in hopes that he can cure them. All the while, they must feed their insatiable desire for human flesh, while avoiding being "killed" by the military. In addition, they seek for other intelligent zombies among the hoards of the walking dead in hopes that they can build their own army.
One thing that bugged me about the book (and it bugged me a lot) was the author's use of pop cultural references. She slipped them into the story so often that I almost wondered if she came up with a list of them and then wrote a story around them. They really distracted me from the actual story.
Overall, I enjoyed the book. It's not in the normal genre of books that I read, but it was a nice change of pace. However, I don't really feel compelled to start reading more zombie books because of it.(less)
Disclosure: I am reviewing this book as a part of the booksneeze.com book review program.
I started reading this book completely skeptical of...moreDisclosure: I am reviewing this book as a part of the booksneeze.com book review program.
I started reading this book completely skeptical of it, because I don’t trust diet plans that promise fast weight loss and all-you-can-eat food. Right on the cover of Let’s Do Lunch, the author (Roger Troy) states that you can lose weight “eating all the calories and carbs you want.” The lies on the cover are only my first piece of beef with this book.
Sure, you can eat all of the carbs that you want, as long as they aren’t “bad” carbs, like bread or potatoes. And you can eat all of the calories you want, as long as they don’t come from those bad carbs and… as long as they come from fruit and beans. The theory is that no one gets fat eating fruit. The fruit has fructose, but not glucose or sucrose or any other -oses that make people fat. But what they fail to mention is that eating a diet that consists mostly of fruit will spike your blood sugar.
Some of the ideas in the book make perfect sense. For example, make lunch your biggest meal because if dinner is your biggest meal, it will just sit in your stomach all night. And it’s better to eat fruit than other bad foods. But I have a lot of questions that some people can’t (or won’t) answer. The plan promises rapid weight loss. Is that really safe? Have doctors approved this plan?
On letsdolunch.com, there is a message board of people who are looking for a quick fix, and yes, this plan will make you drop pounds fast. Fruit is easier to digest than other foods, so your body’s metabolism rises naturally. And there are people who have lost a lot of weight on this “way of eating” plan. But is this weight loss sustainable? Can a person truly expect to never eat “bad” carbs again? I’ve seen the same issues with other plans, like the Atkins or South Beach diets. You eat no, or significantly reduced, amount of carbs… and then when you eat carbs again, all of your weight comes back.
When I asked the community (or “Lunchers,” as they call themselves) how they can expect to never eat ice cream or pizza or any other “bad” food again, they all simply say that because of fruit, their cravings for those things are gone. The responses are almost cult-like, to be honest. To say that you’ll never want ice cream or birthday cake again is… frankly, BS.
I’ve tried all of the diets out there, and the one I had the most success on was Weight Watchers. The key to WW is moderation and balance. Don’t cut things out of your life completely… just eat them in moderation. Do I need to eat four scoops of ice cream? No. But do I need to substitute my ice cream with frozen grapes? Absolutely not. The advantage to Let’s Do Lunch is not counting points or calories. The disadvantage is that you’re severely limited in what you can eat.
Does Let’s Do Lunch work? Yes. I’ve seen the before and after pictures of plenty of people on the plan. I’ve heard the amazing stories of overcoming diabetes and losing weight when nothing else worked. If you’re desperate for a plan that restricts you from eating anything “bad” again, this is the plan for you. If you want the freedom to eat a balanced diet, you’ll definitely want to look elsewhere.(less)
A friend turned me on to Stuart Woods a while back and I was thoroughly enjoying the Stone Barrington series. While recently perusing the library shel...moreA friend turned me on to Stuart Woods a while back and I was thoroughly enjoying the Stone Barrington series. While recently perusing the library shelves, I came across Orchid Beach and checked to see what series it was. (I am a huge stickler for reading book or seeing movie series in order. I hate picking up in the middle of a story.)
I was pleased to find out that Orchid Beach was the first in the Holly Barker series. I must say, I loved Holly. I thought that I loved the Stone series, but after reading Holly, I don't know how I ever liked Stuart Woods in the first place.
Mostly, I love that Holly isn't a complete whore like Stone.(less)
I never really cared about history when I started reading this book. I did, however, care about beer. Plus, I'm a Christian. So this seemed like a goo...moreI never really cared about history when I started reading this book. I did, however, care about beer. Plus, I'm a Christian. So this seemed like a good book for me to read.
What I expected was a book about how beer (Guinness, in particular) affected Christians. What I found was a good book about how Christianity affected the Guinness family, and in turn, affected society.
However, the reason I give this book only 3 stars out of 5 is because while it was interesting to read the history of Guinness, I got a little bored reading about the entire family tree of the Guinness family. It would have been sufficient to talk solely about the key players of the brewery, and how Christianity affected how they ran the family business.
It was very interesting to see how the brewery survived some of the hardest economic and political times, and stayed one of the best selling beers of all time.
And I'm proud to say, that after learning about the history of Guinness, I've become much more interested in other history, as well. (less)
I think that Stuart Woods has two rules when writing books. Move the story along quickly and make the main character have an unbelievable amount of se...moreI think that Stuart Woods has two rules when writing books. Move the story along quickly and make the main character have an unbelievable amount of sex with random women. Dirt was no exception to these rules.
That being said, I really enjoyed Dirt. The first Stone Barrington book (New York Dead) was more of a whodunit, whereas Dirt was more of a "we figured out who the bad guy is, we just have to catch them" book. And what I really liked about this book is the way that a few different stories intertwined.
What I like most about Stuart Woods books is that they're quick book between heavier reads. After reading a dense history book, I need something to just relax and free my mind for a bit. And these books are great for that.(less)
Tony Hsieh knows business, and he knows people. He knows that without making your customers happy, you will have no customers. And he knows that if yo...moreTony Hsieh knows business, and he knows people. He knows that without making your customers happy, you will have no customers. And he knows that if your employees aren't happy, you can't make your customers happy.
This is all common sense. And yet most companies just don't get it.
I could sit here all day and list off my reasons for loving Zappos as a company, or Hsieh as a CEO. But it would be much easier to just read the book yourself. Hsieh does what is best for the company, the employees, and the customers... even if it means making personal sacrifices, such as setting his own salary to $12 (not $12k or $12m... just $12) a year.
Delivering Happiness definitely gave me a new prospective of how a company should be run. This book should be required reading for all company owners and managers.(less)
When I saw the trailer for the movie, I really wanted to read the book. I'm a nut for books that are made into movies, especially if the book is fanta...moreWhen I saw the trailer for the movie, I really wanted to read the book. I'm a nut for books that are made into movies, especially if the book is fantastic.
This book is not fantastic.
Don't get me wrong. This is a good book. It tells the story of Soren, a young barn owl that is taken to a school for orphaned owls and his escape from the school.
The thing that made this book somewhat annoying to read is that Lasky made up a bunch of words. It wasn't hard to figure out what they meant, but it got old after a while. Also, when she did make up a word and would define it, she would tell you what it meant a couple of pages later. And the chants and songs got old really fast.
On the upside, Kathryn Lasky really did her homework on owls, and did a great job describing them. This book is interesting just to learn new facts about owls that you never knew.
Like I said, this book is good, but not great. It doesn't happen very often, but I just have a feeling that the movie will be better than the book in this case.(less)
I don't normally read mysteries or crime thrillers, but I picked up New York Dead based on a friend's recommendation. To be honest, at first I wasn't ...moreI don't normally read mysteries or crime thrillers, but I picked up New York Dead based on a friend's recommendation. To be honest, at first I wasn't thrilled about reading it, because I can usually figure out early on in the story who's guilty.
This book was no different.
However, what made me really enjoy this book was watching the characters trying to solve the crime. The entire time I was reading, I kept thinking, "you idiot... you've got your person right there!" Of course, I didn't know HOW they'd figure it out, and that was the fun of the story.
The chapters were short, making for a pretty quick read. There were some sex scenes, but I didn't find them too graphic. It seems that the police (except for Barrington) were pretty racist, which kind of bothered me. But overall, I really liked this book. I'll definitely read some more Stuart Woods books.(less)
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