I so loved Dave Eggars' A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, so I really, really wanted to love this book. Or even like it. The only good story ...moreI so loved Dave Eggars' A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, so I really, really wanted to love this book. Or even like it. The only good story in it is from the point of view of a dog. The rest failed to connect on any level, but rather seemed to be Mr. Eggars' attempt to play with funny names and unlikely scenarios. I did read the entire book, but did not enjoy it. I kept hoping the next short story would be better, but it wasn't.(less)
I really enjoyed this twelfth book in the Women of the Otherworld series. Savannah is one of my favorite characters, so I am enjoying following her li...moreI really enjoyed this twelfth book in the Women of the Otherworld series. Savannah is one of my favorite characters, so I am enjoying following her life as she comes (really) into adulthood. The book seems to pick up right off where the last one finished, which it had been awhile since I read, so I had to do a lot of remembering to try to come up to speed. The book could've been improved with a bit more explanation of past events.(less)
This was an amazingly heart breaking tale of a young girl who's upbringing led her to seek to become someone's second wife. She was a fourth generati...moreThis was an amazingly heart breaking tale of a young girl who's upbringing led her to seek to become someone's second wife. She was a fourth generation polygamist, growing up all over Utah and Arizona. The Church of Latter Day Saints had long ago shunned the practice, so these "pligs" were left to fend on their own, making their own churches, following their own "prophets" (all of which insisted that the more wives you had, the better your chances of securing a place in heaven were).
As you can imagine, having many wives with even more children was an untenable situation. Growing up, Irene was at the lowest level of poverty, living off of the US Government welfare system, wearing clothing made of old flour sacks, and wondering where her next meal would come from. As only one wife was recognized as the legal wife, the rest of them were "single mothers" and able to collect benefits from the Government.
Irene's mother did eventually leave her father and take up the monogamous lifestyle so much of the rest of America considered normal, and begged Irene to marry a man that was not interested in multiple wives. But would Irene listen?
Every step of the way, as a reader, I was shouting out to Irene to make different choices. To me, raised in a traditional family, it seemed obvious that Irene was making the wrong choices, dropping out of school to "marry" her half-sister's husband and move down to Mexico.
Irene recounts her time living in Mexico, Nicaragua, Utah and Arizona, often with no electricity, no running water, and no food to feed her ever increasing family. In the end, her husband had 10 wives and over 50 children.
I could not put this book down, I can't recommend it enough!
What I love about Armstrong is that she doesn't feel compelled to stay true to the classic texts on how to shape her supernaturals. Her vampires can g...moreWhat I love about Armstrong is that she doesn't feel compelled to stay true to the classic texts on how to shape her supernaturals. Her vampires can go out during the day (and no, they don't sparkle!), and her werewolves have more control over their changes (not simply at full moon).
In this book, she takes us into the corporate world of the supernaturals, where we learn more about the Cabals (business arm of the major sorcerer families).
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This book focuses on a character I did *not* like in the earlier books, Paige. Armstrong does a great job here in showing that her characters are not ...moreThis book focuses on a character I did *not* like in the earlier books, Paige. Armstrong does a great job here in showing that her characters are not flat, and like real people they have good, bad, annoying and delightful traits. In this book, we learn what makes Paige, a witch, tick. Paige has found herself the caretaker of a young orphaned witch, Savanah, and stuck in the middle of a custody battle - super natural style. :-)
In this book we learn more about half demons and meet socerers - what fun!
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The second book from the Women of the Otherworld was so much more compelling from the get go than the first. In this book, we learn why it's called "...moreThe second book from the Women of the Otherworld was so much more compelling from the get go than the first. In this book, we learn why it's called "women" of the otherworld when we meet witches, vampires and half demons. :-)
Elena is the target of a corrupt group of rich weirdos and scientists that are studying super natural beings (against the will of said supernaturals, hence the title "Stolen"). Even knowing she is a target doesn't keep her safe, as Elena's wreckless behaviour gets the best of her and gets her separated from her pack at a most inopportune moment. Armstrong does a great job of describing what exactly happens at this compound full of super naturals and introduces us to many interesting characters that seem to reappear in the later books.
I love books like this - they are quick, fun reads where you're totally escaping from real life. Perfect for reading during rehearsals.(less)
Honestly, this book started out really slowly. I had no empathy for the main character, Elena, and could really care less about what she was up to. I...moreHonestly, this book started out really slowly. I had no empathy for the main character, Elena, and could really care less about what she was up to. I stuck with it, though, as my friend Jen insisted the story would pick up and that I would really love the book. She was right! The first few chapters of the book cover Elena, a werewolf, trying to hide her true nature and live like a regular boring person - so, it's boring. :) Once Elena has to reconnect to the rest of her pack to solve a mysterious upswing of creation of "mutts" with a love of killing humans, the story gets *much* more interesting!
I'm glad I stuck with it, as the other characters I was introduced to and the background for how Elena became the only female werewolf in existence were fascinating, if you like books about supernaturals (which I do ;)(less)
Ever since I read Atwood's Oryx and Crake, I wasn't able to get the story out of my mind. Constantly wondering if there were any other survivors and w...moreEver since I read Atwood's Oryx and Crake, I wasn't able to get the story out of my mind. Constantly wondering if there were any other survivors and wondering what happened to Jimmy after Oryx and Crake ended.
This book follows almost the same time line, but from the perspectives of Toby and Ren, two women that cross paths early in the book, but that choose two very different paths for survival. Like Oryx and Crake, I couldn't put this book down. I was absolutely fascinated by Atwood's vision of where our future may take us if we stay our course. Reality television taken to the extreme, super connected ever present devices, animal and food hybrids making some foods unrecognizable, bioengineering and corporations running the lives of ordinary citizens.
This book only goes about 30 minutes further into the time line that Oryx and Crake, and it's not necessary to read Oryx and Crake first, as they are truly parallel stories (no matter how much I hoped for THe Year of the Flood to have a different ending, I knew where the story was taking me and still couldn't wait to read the next word to see how Atwood would take us there.(less)
I really enjoyed this book. I love how DeMille can write many different characters as if he really is in their shoes. You can feel the exhaustion of t...moreI really enjoyed this book. I love how DeMille can write many different characters as if he really is in their shoes. You can feel the exhaustion of the agents, and he conviction of the jihadist, with every page.
I love when fiction can make you think - I really felt like I could understand *why* Asad Khalil hated America so much. I could feel his grief at the premature death of his loved ones. Don't get me wrong, I could never condone what this character does, but DeMille did give me Asad's perspective.
I understand this was a sequel to another book, Plum Island, but I haven't read that one and had no problem with this book.(less)
This book also features a large time gap, but then Sookie's world collides with the real world as the vampires, demons, werewolves, and the other citi...moreThis book also features a large time gap, but then Sookie's world collides with the real world as the vampires, demons, werewolves, and the other citizens of Louisiana deal with the devastation left behind from that terrible storm.
Oh, and she also takes a trip to Chicago, which apparently has a vampire convention center, of all things. :-)
Another fun and delightful story, well worth the read! (less)
This was a phenomenal book that changed the way I looked at every doctors visit I've ever had, along with questioning at least one diagnosis from my p...moreThis was a phenomenal book that changed the way I looked at every doctors visit I've ever had, along with questioning at least one diagnosis from my past.
Groopman told story after story about how once one doctor gives you a diagnosis, most other doctors will shut down their "cognitive reasoning" and never question that diagnosis and will keep trying to treat something you may not have. In some stories, this resulted in the death of a patient. He also talks about how physician lore and influence from drug and device companies perpetuate incorrect diagnoses and treatments.
For a personal example of a bad diagnosis sticking, I was diagnosed with carpel tunnel syndrome by a nurse practitioner who referred me to an orthopedic surgeon, who confirmed the diagnosis and was ready to operate. I then was lucky to meet my friend's cousin, a Harvard Med student, who within moments said "you don't even have the right symptoms for carpel tunnel - you have a pinched nerve in your neck and any surgery to your wrist would just cause you more pain and discomfort". My problem was corrected by a series of chiropractic adjustments - no surgery and now I'm pain free (and have been for years).
One poignant set of examples in the book that really stuck with me was about spinal fusion surgeries - these are very common and are well reimbursed by insurance companies, yet there is little evidence that they cure low back and extremity pain. There is little follow up done by the actual surgeons to see how the procedure impacted quality of life, and when follow up is done and the patient hasn't improved, they are simply told "well, you're one of the people this treatment doesn't help". Basically, if you don't have a spinal tumor or an actual broken back, back surgery probably won't help and will likely make things worse!
Groopman keeps things real by even referencing his own mistakes.
This book isn't a scary book, but rather one that gets you to think more about your own health and teaches you how to communicate with your doctor to help them keep out of the cognitive traps and really question what *else* could be wrong with you.
This is a silly book that has you laughing out loud and scratching your head as you wonder, "what *were* they thinking?!". I'm a big fan of ...moreThis is a silly book that has you laughing out loud and scratching your head as you wonder, "what *were* they thinking?!". I'm a big fan of the website, so I've seen a lot of the material before - but loved how Yates added new cakes and additional background for some of the others.
While this is no major literary accomplishment, it is a great way to pass time on a plane or with family or friends.(less)
I sped through the rest of the Sookie Stackhouse novels at a rapid pace, but didn't get around to writing them all up until now :)
This boo...moreI sped through the rest of the Sookie Stackhouse novels at a rapid pace, but didn't get around to writing them all up until now :)
This book had me worried at first - it was the first book that contained more than a short lapse of time since the last one. Sookie was referring to major things that had happened in the past, but that I hadn't read. I thought for sure I had missed a book, but no, this was just the authors way of speeding up the story line a bit.
Sookie finds herself in New Orleans, investigating the death (true death) of her cousin, who had been a vampire - and then ending up in the service of the Queen of Lousiana.
Oh, and the new supernatural being in this book? Demons! :-)
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A friend lent me this book, so you really can't complain about a free book... but I will anyways :-)
In the prologue, it's established that...moreA friend lent me this book, so you really can't complain about a free book... but I will anyways :-)
In the prologue, it's established that the main character, Jennifer, had lost her young husband, Danny, in a swimming accident 18 months before. She laments that she mostly went through this grieving on her own, with the exception of support from two friends. One of those two friends was named ... Danny. Okay, four characters have been introduced and two have the same name? Not a Danny and a Daniel, but both Danny. I had to reread a few pages to make sure I had it all straight. This is fiction - pick unique names! Why couldn't the friend be called Bob? David? Charles? the good news is that the friend Danny was only mentioned in the prologue and never again.
The book covers Jennifer's ability to love again and her mixed up emotions when she finds her self falling for a childhood friend that ... is dying. Oh, and her grandmother is in a coma, likely dying. Fortunately for Jennifer, her grandmother has left her a series of letters detailing her life, so it would all be written down. Of course, Jennifer learns secrets so shocking she isn't sure what to do with them, but eventually learns to accept her grandmother for the imperfect woman she was.
The book was a bit sappy for my taste, but due to the way it was mostly presented in "letters" it was a very fast read.(less)
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