Emily has
583 books
(31 selected)
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| # | cover | title | author | isbn | isbn13 | asin | num pages | avg rating | num ratings | date pub | date pub (ed.) | rating | my rating | review | notes | recommender | comments | votes | read count | date started | date read |
date
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date purchased | owned | purchase location | condition | format | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0060528877
| 9780060528874
| 3.75
| 2,535
| 1957
| Jun 28, 2011
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None
| Notes are private!
| none
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1
| not set
| Jan 05, 2009
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Dec 13, 2008
| Paperback
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| 0007170785
| 9780007170784
| 3.30
| 1,731
| Jun 17, 2003
| 2004
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**spoiler alert** The Tattooed Girl is a story of a relationship between a professor and his assistant. It's a story of intolerable hate, and bigotry,...more
**spoiler alert** The Tattooed Girl is a story of a relationship between a professor and his assistant. It's a story of intolerable hate, and bigotry, with some violence thrown in on the side. Joshua Siegel is a novelist famous for a single novel and a bit of a recluse. He's recently been diagnosed with a degenerative nerve condition that causes him to give up his solitary lifestyle and take on an assistant. His choice is a girl named Alma. She is an ignorant country girl who has a tattoo on her cheek that many confuse for a birthmark. In fact, she has scrawling tattoos covering most of her body. She is filled with hate, has low self esteem, and clings to a boyfriend on the side that treats her like a prostitute and sells her out to his friends. She detests Seigel, despite he mostly treats her well, and plots his death from their first meeting, merely because he is Jewish (or rather half Jewish - although she doesn't know this fact). The novel follows their relationship as it evoles from strangers to co-workers to dependents. The scoring ... ** Alma's Anti-Semitic views were more than I can tolerate reading. On more than one occasion I considered putting the book down because it was so difficult to read. - Minus 5 ** The back of the copy of this book that I read gave complimentary remarks from numerous reviews. It's part of the reason why I picked it up at the library. Of course, I didn't realize until after I finished that all of the quotes were from a previous novel of Joyce Carol Oates. I hate it when publishers pull that trick. - Minus 2 ** I really don't buy that Seigel goes through applicant after applicant for the position of his assistant, and then hires Alma. He turns down PhD candidates, and then hires an uneducated girl in a book store. Really?? - Minus 2 ** At the very least most of the chapters were short. Some only a couple of sentences. - Plus 3 ** I liked the idea of a hermitted novelist. It reminded me of Harper Lee and JD Salinger. - Plus 3 ** I picked up this book based on the title. I'm a tattooed girl, so I'd like this book. Pity that I have almost NOTHING in common with the tattooed girl in the novel. - Minus 1 ** I have an admitted intolerance for stupidity and ignorance. I find it extremely hard to deal with and it makes me incredibly angry. So, to have a main character in a novel who is convinced that the Holocaust was completely fictitious is difficult for me to deal with as a reader. - Minus 4 ** It's my 30th ... did I mention that ;) - Plus 5 ** There was not a single character in this book that I liked. In fact it was hard to find an single characteristic of a character in this book that I liked. Maybe one of the old chess players was remotely sympathetic and likable, but that's about it. - Minus 3 ** This novel had by far the most disgusting stomach turning scene in a book that I think I have ever read in my life. So disgusting, I cannot bear to even repeat it. One of many times I almost quit reading this book. - Minus 5 ** It's unfortunate that I picked this book to be my first taste of Joyce Carol Oates. I highly doubt I will ever read one of her novels ever again. - Minus 2 Final tally ... -13 I really hated this book. In fact I would have thrown it in the recycling bin if I owned it, and I only finished it because it was book number thirty. (less) | Notes are private!
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1
| not set
| Dec 13, 2008
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Dec 01, 2008
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| 0007154615
| 9780007154616
| 3.59
| 6,073
| Mar 26, 2002
| May 01, 2003
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**spoiler alert** What happens when you lose control of a situation?? What happens when your child slips into psychosis?? The novel Unless by Carol Sh...more
**spoiler alert** What happens when you lose control of a situation?? What happens when your child slips into psychosis?? The novel Unless by Carol Shields tells a story of what happens. Reta Winters is a suburban Toronto mom with three daughters and a husband obsessed with trilobites. One spring day, her oldest daughter Norah slips for an unknown reason. She drops out of college, moves to a hostel, and begins a life of sitting on a Toronto street corner with a sign that simply says “Goodness”. What follows is a novel deconstructing why. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ** Reta is an author. An award winning author … but her book is called My Thyme is Up. Seriously, a book with that kind of ridiculous title is award winning?? I don’t buy it. – Minus 3 ** The sequels are to be called – Thyme in Bloom an Autumn Thyme. – Minus 2 ** The storyline in this book is so completely random, kind of like my book reviews. How could I not love that. – Plus 3 ** This calls back a personal pet peeve of mine. What is the point of naming a chapter if it has absolutely no relevance on what happens in the chapter. And no relevance on the novel. It drives me bonkers. – Minus 2 ** That being said, the one chapter that I appreciated the title, was the one called Unless. This chapter discussed the usage of the word and it's importance in the English language. I appreciated that. - Plus 1 ** Reta’s last name is Winters. Her husband’s last name is Summers. As someone with a color for a last name, and having heard a multitude of comments over the years when I’ve been in a class with someone else with a different color last name, I can appreciate the irony and the tale about the story of the jokes of that situation. God willing, I’ll marry someone with the last name Purple. – Plus 3 ** Reta begins a letter writing campaign to every author she reads that does not mention women or discounts women in their books. Each letter she signs with some ridiculous synonym. I don’t really get the point of these letters. They just paint her as a complete and total lunatic. – Minus 4 ** I appreciate the underlying theme of the novel that a mother is only as happy as her unhappiest child. I think my mom definitely falls into that type of mom. – Plus 3 ** As always … the chapter length. Super short chapters. I was easily reading a couple on the bus, and a couple before I went to sleep. It was excellent. – Plus 2 ** There is an event in the book that mirrors an event that happened on the campus of the University of Washington (go Huskies!) a couple of weeks ago. Reading it, and the repercussions, made me think about it a lot. I think it was good timing that I chose this book now and not in a few months when I’ve mostly forgotten about it happening. – Plus 3 ** This is the fourth author this year that I’ve doubled up on. And I think it’s the first one that I’ve liked both the first and the second book at almost the same level. – Plus 2 ** I wasn’t sure about this book at all until I decided to power through the last 100 pages so I could start my next book. But by the last little bit, I was enjoying it. – Plus 1 Final Score … Plus 7 … I mostly liked this book. I didn’t love it though, and in all likelihood, it’ll probably go in the stack going to Half Priced Books to sell it. But still a pretty decent book. (less) | Notes are private!
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1
| not set
| Nov 25, 2008
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Nov 17, 2008
| Paperback
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| 0307237699
| 9780307237699
| 3.68
| 53,177
| Oct 17, 2006
| Oct 17, 2006
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**spoiler alert** It’s hard to review a book in which the author essentially lays out his viewpoints and his ideas for the country. There’s no real ta...more
**spoiler alert** It’s hard to review a book in which the author essentially lays out his viewpoints and his ideas for the country. There’s no real tale or story line, just a presentation. In an effort for full disclosure, I admit that I voted for him, so it’s not difficult for me to agree with his ideas and support them. So, it’s pretty much impossible for me to write a review on a book that wouldn’t get 100 million points, simply because I think he’s exactly what this country needs right now. And I have trouble with the non-fiction reviews anyway. I have a hard time judging people’s decisions and ideas when they’re real and not fictionalized. The book was inspiring, and I think that if every undecided voter read it, they would not have been undecided after they read it. So, since my reviews are mostly arbitrary anyway … Plus 19 points – Inspiring, Thought Provoking, and for any McCain voters who happen to read this, I think if you’re uncertain about the future of the country, you might feel a little bit better if you read this book. (less) | Notes are private!
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1
| not set
| Nov 03, 2008
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Oct 16, 2008
| Hardcover
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| 0452286530
| 9780452286535
| 2.94
| 35,141
| Jan 01, 2004
| Apr 26, 2005
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**spoiler alert** I chose to read The Jane Austen Book Club for two reasons - I liked the movie, and my friend Jessica had a copy I could easily borro...more
**spoiler alert** I chose to read The Jane Austen Book Club for two reasons - I liked the movie, and my friend Jessica had a copy I could easily borrow. Plus, I needed something light after my last book. The novel tells the story of a group of women, and one man, who are on a quest to read all 6 Jane Austen novels over a period of 6 months. The movie in fact kind of inspired me to get my own book club up and running. I'm actually kind of glad that I saw the movie first on this one ... The scoring ... ** This book was almost obnoxious to read if you're not an Austenite. I have never read a single sentence of a Jane Austen book, so I'm definitely not it's target audience. - Minus 3 ** I might be a youngin' but I found it hard to relate to the characters. Most were in my mother's age bracket and older. The two that were closer to my own age, one was a bitter lesbian, and the other an uptight teacher, neither of which I particularly related to. - Minus 2 ** Speaking of the bitter lesbian ... why did she have to be a slutty angsty stereotype?? Think outside the box, there are lesbians in the world that don't sleep with each and every other lesbian they meet, or are angry about life. - Minus 4 ** One of the few things that I did love about the novel was that it had cross generational friendships. - Plus 3 ** One of my very best friends in the entire world lives just outside of Sacramento, where the book takes place. He works at an Air Force Officer's Club called The Delta Breeze ... which I always thought was kind of a weird name for an officer's club, and thought it belonged on something more flamboyant. But reading this book taught me that the delta breeze is an actual weather pattern in northern California. And I feel so much better for knowing that. - Plus 5 ** The chapters were really quite long, but except for Prudie's chapter, most had good stopping points. - Neutral ** I liked the layout of the movie a lot better. I know that I shouldn't really compare the book and the movie and determine if I like it or not, but it's hard not to do so. Anyway, the movie was much more laid out as a coherent story rather than the novel which was snippets of each character's life with limited interaction beyond the actual book club meetings. - Minus 2 ** I really want to know who the narrator of this book was. It was definitely a third person narrative, but at the same time, the narrator felt more like a character without a name or a backstory. I didn't like it. - Minus 3 ** There's a quote about librarians that I particularly liked ... "When librarians read for pleasure, they often pick a good mystery. They tend to be cat people as well, for reasons more obscure." - Plus 3 ** Again with the movie comparisons, but I liked the portrayal of Prudie's mother a lot more in the book than in the movie. In the movie, she was insufferable. In the book, she seemed much more of a genuine free spirit. - Plus 2 ** I also preferred the portrayal of Prudie's attempt at an affair with a student in the novel. - Plus 2 ** The movie made me want to read a Jane Austen novel. The book makes me want to sell the three paperback copies I have of her books immediately. - Minus 2 ** The book was marketed as chick lit. But it didn't seem too much like chick lit to me as I read it. At least not in my definition of chick lit, aka the neuvo romance novel without the shame and the half naked people on the covers. - Minus 2 ** I don't get the disharmony between Prudie and her husband. She doesn't think that she's pretty enough to deserve him, so she hates him for loving her?? It makes no sense to me. - Minus 3 ** I really liked Bernadette. She was a feisty old lady without a care in the world & totally true to herself. I hope one day to be just like her. - Plus 3 ** What was the point of Mo Bellington?? Was it to show how simple mystery writers are today compared to how complex Jane Austen is?? Seemed rather snobby! - Minus 4 Final score ... Minus 9. Needless to say, I was not a fan. I probably should have left well enough alone, and liked the movie without having ever read the book. Ugh. I hate it when a book disappoints me this much. (less) | Notes are private!
| none
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1
| not set
| Sep 2008
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Oct 03, 2008
| Paperback
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| 0452287634
| 9780452287631
| 3.98
| 3,083
| Sep 01, 2005
| Sep 26, 2006
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**spoiler alert** My latest selection is The Commitment Dan Savage. To be upfront and honest, I should state at the beginning that I love Dan Savage....more
**spoiler alert** My latest selection is The Commitment Dan Savage. To be upfront and honest, I should state at the beginning that I love Dan Savage. I’ve read his column every week for over 10 years and I’ve listened to every single one of his podcasts as well. Plus, when I was a freshman in college, I went and saw one of his lectures. I read one of his earlier books, The Kid, when it first came out. When I was in high school, Dan Savage was a beacon of light for one of my best friends, who was in the closet, and terrified of what would happen when he eventually came out. Needless to say, I’m a big fan of his. Which means, this review is more than likely tainted by my love for him, and my final score should probably be halved to account for it. The Commitment is a memoir of marriage. It tells the journey in which Dan and his boyfriend Terry decide to marry or to get tattoos commemorating their 10 year anniversary. From family vacations, and family pressures, to their son being totally opposed to the idea, the book presents what I believe is an honest portrayal of gay families in the United States. - Dan talks about his grandparents’ marriage, but not the end of his parents’ marriage. – Minus 3 - The hotel room scene in South Dakota/Iowa (I can’t remember now) – absolute hilarity and totally something that you can picture happening to any parent – Plus 3 - Surprise ending for me. I read his column weekly, and listen to his podcast, and I was still surprised. – Plus 2 - Super quick read. I read it over Thanksgiving weekend and I didn’t even have to try that hard to finish it. – Plus 2 - I’ve said it before, I genuinely enjoy reading books that take place in Seattle and mention specific places. Authentic Seattle is awesome. Way better than generic Hollywood version (better known as Vancouver BC). I loved that I know where Re-bar is, and know all about Dan’s annual Valentine’s Day party. – Plus 2 - I liked the mini update on DJ’s mom. I read The Kid, about half a dozen years ago, and I appreciated that he took the time to update readers on how her life had progressed since giving up DJ for adoption. – Plus 3 - I did not dig the fake ending. Lame parlor trick. – Minus 3 - It was bittersweet reading this book with so much of Dan’s mom knowing that she passed away this spring. It was also bittersweet reading this novel so soon after Prop 8 passing in California. – Neutral - The Mad Clipper … totally reminds me of my Grandmother sending me comics in the mail when I was a kid. Of course, her return address was usually hers, unlike Dan’s mom. – Plus 2 - While I’m completely used to Dan’s vocabulary and blunt use of sexual language, it could certainly throw some readers. If you’re not sure what you’re getting into, it could be a surprise. – Minus 2 Final total … 6 – not nearly as biased as I expected. But I held back ;) (less) | Notes are private!
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| not set
| Nov 29, 2008
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Sep 25, 2008
| Paperback
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| 0812968069
| 9780812968064
| 4.00
| 156,095
| Feb 2005
| Feb 21, 2006
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**spoiler alert** Snow Flower and the Secret Fan is a story about two friends in nineteenth century China. The two girls, Lily and Snow Flower, are ol...more
**spoiler alert** Snow Flower and the Secret Fan is a story about two friends in nineteenth century China. The two girls, Lily and Snow Flower, are old sames or laotongs. They are closer than the best of friends and closer than spouses. Lily is the narrator, and the story is follows her from her early childhood to her foot binding years, through her engagement, marriage, and motherhood. It’s a moving story, and is skillfully written. As a general rule (thanks to a Lit class in college) I tend to shy away from Chinese Literature, but this novel was picked for the November/December meeting of the Hersday Book Club, and so I was “forced” to read it. I was pleasantly surprised … ** Late in the novel, there is a simile that compares something to tofu skin. Delightfully unique – Plus 3 ** There were simply way too many times when the foreshadowing was blatantly obvious. I’m all for some subtle foreshadowing here and there, but when it’s obviously stated it’s annoying. - Minus 2 ** The chapters tended to be longer, but usually the longer chapters were a bit more quick paced than the shorter chapters to compensate. – Minus 1 ** The so called secret fan kept the details of the friendship between Snow Flower and Lily throughout the 20 plus years they were friends. It had their first meeting, their hardships, their marriages, the births of their children, the deaths of their children, and finally the death of Snow Flower. Which lead me to wonder … how fricking big was this fan??? – Minus 3 ** I found the relationship between Snow Flower and Lily, mostly comparable to many life long girlfriends. Lots of ups and downs, a couple of drag down fights, but in the end genuine love for one another. – Plus 3 ** It was difficult for me to picture the foot binding process without trying to find a picture. If only this had been a non-fiction, and then there could have been photos. – Minus 1 ** This novel gets a bonus simply for being one of the first novels that I’ve read in a while that I genuinely liked. I’ve had a string of bad luck lately – Plus 5 ** I’m usually a pretty open person about cultural foods, and usually will try anything once. But all the same, caramelized fried taro sounds particularly disgusting. So I don’t really understand why it’s such a treasured treat. – Minus 1 ** The idolization of Snow Flower by Lily reminds me of nearly every stereotypical nerdy girl looking up to the cheerleader in high school. It’s a nice reminder that even the ones who seem to have a perfect life, probably have just as many problems as you do. – Plus 3 ** This book was entirely TOO SAD. I understand that it takes place in a time and place when child mortality rates were extremely high, but still. A little less death would have been nice. – Minus 2 ** I found it an interesting approach to have very few named characters. Aside from Lily and Snow Flower, most of the characters in the novels failed to have names. It was mostly things like Elder Brother, Third Sister, and Second Son. – Plus 2 ** It's hard to read a novel about how treasured small feet are when you're a girl with slightly larger feet (but nothing ridiculous). – Minus 1 Final Score … Plus 5 … I guess that isn’t stellar, but the sum of the parts made it a good novel to read. I certainly enjoyed it, and I’m glad it came along when it did. I was beginning to grow disheartened with my book selection.(less) | Notes are private!
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| not set
| Nov 17, 2008
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Sep 25, 2008
| Paperback
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| 006095969X
| 9780060959692
| 3.83
| 903
| Jun 01, 1962
| Jan 23, 2001
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**spoiler alert** This book is a story of a young girl coming to age in Africa during the time just prior to World War II. It’s kind of hard for me to...more
**spoiler alert** This book is a story of a young girl coming to age in Africa during the time just prior to World War II. It’s kind of hard for me to really embellish about what the story is about, because frankly, it’s pretty boring. Martha leaves home, moves to town, gets a job, gets a boyfriend, and that’s about it. The only thing that I can truly find that distinguishes this book from every run of the mill novel about a girl growing up is that it takes place in Africa and the time period. Beyond that … she dates an idiot, she dates a gay boy (although he doesn’t know it), she marries the wrong man etc … But for some reason it won the Nobel Prize for Literature. I really don’t entirely get it. On the surface it’s a perfectly well written book, but IT’S BORING. However, if you’re suffering from insomnia, by all means, it’s ideal. Since my reviews are mostly arbitrary anyway … Martha Quest … Minus 12 points – Bland, Boring, and Blah (less) | Notes are private!
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| not set
| Oct 14, 2008
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Aug 28, 2008
| Paperback
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| 0007136358
| 9780007136353
| 4.18
| 4,208
| Sep 2000
| 2003
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**spoiler alert** It’s difficult to describe The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse by Louise Erdrich. On the surface, the novel tells the...more
**spoiler alert** It’s difficult to describe The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse by Louise Erdrich. On the surface, the novel tells the story of a small community in North Dakota over a span of about eighty years. The primary narrator and character in the novel is Father Damien, who is actually a woman named Agnes. Through an unusual set of events, Agnes takes on the role as priest to a small Native American Catholic church, thus becoming Father Damien. Under her charge is a young girl named Paulin possesses extraordinary powers, and in In time becomes Sister Leopolda, and after more time, Sister Leopolda is under investigation for sainthood. From the back cover of the book, this seems to be the entirety of the story. The struggle for Agnes to tell the story of Leopolda without divulging her long standing secret of being a woman. The reality is that the novel is more about the Ojibwe community that Louise Erdrich has created to tell her story. There’s the oversexed Nanapush, the bitter Lulu, the second priest Father Gregory, the investigating priest Father Jude, Kapshaw and his 4 wives … The reality is that the book is about much more than what the back of the book would lead you to believe. Scoring on this novel has been difficult. It’s a complex narrative, with a lot going on at any one time, and I had a hard time picking it apart in pieces rather than seeing it as a whole, but I did as best as I could … ** There is something about this woman’s books that makes me have dreams about my Grandad. This is the second novel by Louise Erdrich that I’ve read this year, and while reading both of them, I’ve had at least half a dozen dreams starring my grandfather. – Plus 3 ** God bless a book with cross-dressing. – Plus 2 ** There is SO much going on in this novel. For the first time in a while, it certainly seems like there was not an editor pulling out important plot points to the story to keep it under 350 pages. But all the same, it’s hard to keep all the details straight sometimes. – Minus 3 ** Something I don’t quite get … the back of the edition of the book that I have mentions that Father Damien risks losing everything by revealing the whole truth. But at the same time, Father Damien guesses that he’s at least 90 years old, and probably closer to 100. How much could you really lose at that age, it’s not like he would have to start over from scratch. – Minus 2 ** Nanapush & the moose … hilarity – Plus 2 ** I love the murder mystery element of the novel. There are so many small towns with a crazy unsolved murder of a bad seed ruffian that creates gossip. – Plus 3 ** The San Francisco Chronicle compared Erdrich to Garcia Marquez. It’s no secret that I hated Love in the Time of Cholera and I love both this book and Plague of Doves, so I’m not a huge fan of the comparison on principle. – Minus 100,000 points to the San Francisco Chronicle. ** Impossible title to remember and tell your friends about. – Minus 1 ** Chapter length … pretty average. But you can’t get away with absent minded skimming in this book. So no reading half asleep on the bus or in bed. – Minus 2 ** Reading Louise Erdrich’s books makes me kind of want to go North Dakota, which is a strange feeling. I also love that in her real non author life, she owns an independent book store. – Plus 2 ** I kind of like how difficult it was to score this book. Seeing the forest through the trees doesn’t always happen, especially to me, since I like to pick apart all of the details. I appreciate that the combine whole overwhelmed the details. – Plus 3 ** All of the priests were human in this book. There were four different priests in the novel (six if you include the pope and the old dead priest that Father Damien replaces) and each of them had their flaws, and had their weaknesses. None of them were portrayed as holy and without imperfection. And none of them had a weakness for little boys. - Plus 2 Final Tally ... 9 points. I really liked this book, but be warned, it's not for a casual reader. It's really something that you need to read in only a couple of weeks. Any more time without reading constantly, and you get lost in what's going on.(less) | Notes are private!
| none
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1
| not set
| Sep 2008
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Aug 28, 2008
| Paperback
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| 1554681723
| 9781554681723
| 4.13
| 156,543
| May 13, 2008
| May 13, 2008
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**spoiler alert** The 22nd selection in my little journey is The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein. My dad bought me this book for my birthday,...more
**spoiler alert** The 22nd selection in my little journey is The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein. My dad bought me this book for my birthday, read it before he gave it to me, and then insisted that I read it IMMEDIATELY. Despite telling him numerous times how the hold lists and renewing library books works, he still insisted. And I'm weak ... so here we are. That being said, I don't regret that I rushed to read this book. It was a perfect quick easy read for me while I was on a business trip down to Portland. The Art of Racing in the Rain is a love story. But not your traditional love story. It's a story of a dog's love for his master. The entire book is told from the persepctive of Enzo, the family dog. He enters the life of his master, Denny Swift as a puppy, when he's a single guy in beautiful Seattle. Denny meets the woman of his dreams, gets married, has a child, experiences great tragedy, and Enzo sticks by him and sticks up for him through every single step. And on to the analysis ... ** This is the second book I've read that's told from the perspective of the dog. I can't for the life of me remember the first book, because honestly it was a painful experience in a college literature class, and I'm sure I've blocked it from my memory. This one was so much better. The funny thing is that both of them took place in Seattle - Plus 3 ** I loved all of the Seattle references. Here's my thing - movies constantly take place in Seattle, but if you're from Seattle, you know they're filming it all in Vancouver. Same thing with this book. It was so obviously written by someone in Seattle. Places that only Seattleites know about are in the book, like Victrola and Bauhaus. Seriously awesome. - Plus 3 ** I believe that bad things happen to people. But I hate it when the bad things make me want to quit reading a book. It happens all the time in romance novels, and it's really probably why I've quit reading them for the most part. - Minus 3 ** Denny is a race car driver. I get it. But really, I was over all the chapters about auto racing. Did the author think for some reason he was writing the next Moby Dick or Grapes of Wrath?? - Minus 3 ** Great quick read. Chapters that were 5 or so pages long throughout the book. It was ideal for reading on airplanes and in airport waiting rooms. Especially when you're in the smallest waiting room ever, with only an infant and a rainstorm to distract you from your boredom. - Plus 2 ** As much as I loved the quick chapters, this book was totally USA Today and written for an eighth grade reading level. I'm more of a New York Times kind of girl. Of course saying so makes me feel kind of elitist, but still. You can have quick complex chapters. - Minus 2 ** I loved that Enzo expresses opinions on pop culture. Denny leaves the television on for him while he's at work, and he spends many days watching movies and tv shows. I love that he loves Steve McQueen and Dog Day Afternoon. - Plus 2 ** I also loved Enzo's constant frustration with his inability to speak to his humans. More than once he describes how annoying having such a large tongue is, and that we couldn't possibly understand the frustration of not being able to voice his opinions. - Plus 3 ** There's a scene about halfway through the novel, where Denny and Enzo are taking a walk in the rain. The description of the day and the kind of rain Seattle actually gets instead of what they portray on Frasier, was so perfect. - Plus 4 ** There's an ongoing theme in the novel that zebras are demons. Why all the zebra-hating?? - Minus 2 ** I had a hard time not picturing Sundance and Cassidy throughout this entire book. It lead to both good and bad. - Neutral Final tally ... Plus 7 ... very cute book, and a worthwhile read. But bring tissues.(less) | Notes are private!
| my
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| not set
| Sep 02, 2008
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Aug 18, 2008
| Hardcover
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| 0060515120
| 9780060515126
| 3.69
| 5,045
| Jan 01, 2000
| Apr 29, 2008
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**spoiler alert** The Plague of Doves by Louise Edrich bills itself as a murder mystery. But it's not. It tells the story of a group of people living...more
**spoiler alert** The Plague of Doves by Louise Edrich bills itself as a murder mystery. But it's not. It tells the story of a group of people living in and around Pluto, North Dakota and the nearby reservation. Most of them are of a Native American blood line and all of them in some way have a connection to a brutal crime and the brutal vigilante act that followed. Some 65 or so years prior to the opening of the novel, a family was murdered, saved for the sleeping infant in the back bedroom. A group of townsfolk instantly suspect a group of Native American men who happened to find the scene. And almost immediately, they are lynched from the nearest tree. What follows the murder and vigilantism is a story of how the events effect a number of the townspeople, from the Native American who survived and his granddaughter, to the grandson of the head lyncher, to the former lover of the grown infant child. It's a fascinating novel, and in the end the whole story of the murders is revealed, but the book is definitely not a murder mystery. ~~~ --- ~~~ --- ~~~ --- ** Maybe it was the slightly eccentric Native American grandfather. Maybe it was the stamp collecting father. And maybe it was because I checked it out from the library. Regardless, every page of this book reminded me of my Grandad. - Plus 10 ** A couple of chapters go back and forth in time in the story, which I found to be confusing. A nice date at the beginning of these chapters would have been extremely helpful. - Minus 2 ** What I wouldn't have given to for a family tree ... or three. - Minus 3 ** I like the conflicting elements of Native religion and Catholicism coming to the reservations. The priest and the grandfather interacting were some of the best comedic moments of the novel. And the mix-up towards the end between the grandfather and his brother was quite funny in a macabre kind of way. - Plus 3 ** The people felt real. They had their eccentricities, some slight alcoholism and obsession. But they were real. After spending a week and a half listening to the Shopaholic series by Sophie Kinsella, with one of the least real characters that I've ever read, it was nice to get back to the salt of the earth. - Plus 2 ** There is one chapter that is even further back than the murders. It tells the story of the first set of settlers to the area surrounding Pluto and the eventual reservation. It felt like I was on Oregon Trail, and any moment I was going to die of dysentery. - Plus 2 ** I loved how all of the stories merged together at the end. At the beginning it was mismashed and no one seemed to have much in common beyond the geography, but by the end it all fit together and I loved it. - Plus 2 ** The ever constant chapter length factor ... long chapters but there were breaks. And really after Love in the Time of Cholera even the longer chapters with breaks are kosher with me. - Plus 2 ** Have I mentioned that I love multi-generational novels ?? - Plus 3 Final tally ... Plus 19. I really enjoyed this novel, and to be honest, I'm kind of bummed it doesn't pass the available in paperback clause of book club. Oh well, I'll keep it in reserve until it is available. Until then ... go read this book, you won't regret it.(less) | Notes are private!
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Jul 24, 2008
| Hardcover
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| 0307394956
| 9780307394958
| 3.95
| 9,921
| Jan 01, 2008
| May 06, 2008
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**spoiler alert** Skeletons at the Feast by Chris Bohjalian is a novel about a group of travelers on the Eastern Front of WWII during the final months...more
**spoiler alert** Skeletons at the Feast by Chris Bohjalian is a novel about a group of travelers on the Eastern Front of WWII during the final months of the Third Reich. It's loosely based on a true story and follows the lives of six main characters journeying across Eastern Germany in the dead of winter. There are three members of the Emmerich family, Mutti, Theo, and Anna. The Emmerichs are accompanied by their Scottish POW, Callum and a Jewish man masquerading as a German soldier to escape detection named Uri. The book also follows a young French Jewish woman marching with a group of women from a Nazi work camp named Cecille. Most of the story is with the Emmerichs, Callum, and Uri. It follows the five of them as travel together in an effort to stay ahead of the rapidly approaching Russian army and in the hopes of getting through the winter and safely over western lines. Cecille's story is told in between. Much of her daily life is spent marching to an unknown future, witnessing the horrors that the Nazi guards inflict on the Jewish women, and experiencing unexpected kindness from where she least expects it. ---+++---+++---+++---+++ ** I liked that the book had good Germans. The general portrayal of Nazi Germany is that all Germans proscribed to the Nazi belief system with limited to no resistance. It was nice to see a portrayal of a family that sat on the line and a bit across it. - Plus 3 ** The work camp guards were sufficiently brutal. They reminded me of their portrayal in Schindler's List - Plus 2 ** Call me a pessimist, but I don't buy that Uri could have gotten away with his chameleon act for as long as he did. - Minus 3 ** The Eastern front brutality isn't something that's especially prevalent in the stories, books, and movies I've seen about World War II. I appreciated the alternate perspective. - Plus 2 ** A personal issue with the edition that I read ... A detailed map would have been nice. I'm not especially familiar with German geography, and got particularly confused when names of towns and villages were thrown about. - Minus 2 ** Chapter size was okay. Not perfect, but broken up enough to be bus ride friendly - Plus 1 ** The novel wasn't sufficiently uplifting or depressing in my opinion. It was in a gray zone. Of course, I'm fully willing to admit that this was the plan for the author, in an effort to demonstrate a sense of numbness on the part of the characters. - Neutral ** I liked that there were more than just people walking with Cecille on the march between work camps. The author could have made them names and nothing more, but he took the time to tell back stories on a few of the women, and I appreciated their perspective. - Plus 3 ** I didn't understand the point of the prologue. It was the middle portion of the book and it could have just been in the correct place chronologically. Putting it at the beginning as a prologue gave it absolutely nothing. - Minus 3 ** There were so many holes in this novel. It could have used at least 100 more pages of narrative to cover the big chunks of time that went missing. It's so frustrating reading a good book, and then you get towards the end and suddenly weeks and months worth of time are passed over in an effort to keep the book at a certain length. I only hope the final chapters of the drafts had more substance than the final edition. - Minus 3 ** The quotes on the cover imply that this book is a great romantic journey between Callum and Anna. I believe one that I saw mentioned that it was the best since The English Patient. It wasn't. The reality is that the story is a journey of a family, and it's struggle to survive. Callum and Anna just happen to have a love affair in between it all, and their story is by no means the centerpiece of the novel. - Minus 3 Final Tally ... Plus 3. Overall, this novel would make for a good beach read with some substance, but it's no great classic piece of literature. Provided you don't go into reading it with more expectations than that, you'll like it. If you think it's going to have more depth than the most recent best selling chick lit, you'll likely be disappointed.(less) | Notes are private!
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| Aug 14, 2008
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Jul 22, 2008
| Hardcover
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| 0385494246
| 9780385494243
| 3.36
| 18,138
| 1998
| Nov 02, 1999
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**spoiler alert** Amsterdam by Ian McEwan is important for two reasons. One ... it's my official halfway point. I'm a week and a half ahead of schedul...more
**spoiler alert** Amsterdam by Ian McEwan is important for two reasons. One ... it's my official halfway point. I'm a week and a half ahead of schedule. Go me! And two ... it's my first repeat author this year. The novel is about morality. The two primary characters, Clive (a composer) and Vernon (a newspaper editor) are frenemies by true definition. It seems that the only reason the two of them became friends was because of one woman, Molly Lane. They have nothing in common beyond her, and it seems that while they respect one another, they detest one another all the same. Both men had an affair with Molly many years ago, and the novel opens with Ms. Lane's funeral. Along with Clive and Vernon, Molly's other former lovers is in the crowd of mourners, Julian (a political official on the fast track to the prime minster's office) and George, Molly's husband. Through the course of the events of the novel, both Clive and Vernon are given different moral choices. Both decisions have the possibilities of furthering the mens' careers while simultaneously causing pain and hardship to others. Both men make their decisions and are forced to accept the repercussions of these decisions. I'm quite ecstatic to be finished with this novel, but mostly because its the half way point, and I'm ahead of the game, it makes me seem like I'm on my way to actually meeting my goal. And more importantly, this marks my 15th review, which means once I'm done with this one, I'll be halfway done with writing reviews too. The scoring ... ** I liked the ending. It was simple, but it still kept me guessing and theorizing about the real events of the earlier portions of the novel. I like it when a book makes me keep thinking despite being finished with it. - Plus 3 ** Aren't men supposed to be friends with their friends?? Aren't women supposed to be scheming and have frenemies?? I didn't realize men had the capability of being so deep ;) - Minus 3 ** There's a scene when Clive wishes he could go back to an earlier arguement and say different things and have wittier responses to his opponent. And I've so done that. - Plus 2 ** I don't buy that straight men in the prime of their lives would make a pact to take care of one another in their old age. Especially when one of them is married. - Minus 2 ** Quick short read. Granted it might be cheating to read quick short books to make my quota, but still, a nice 200 page novella is good for the soul. - Plus 2 ** Hiking through the English countryside to gather your thoughts is so something I would do. - Plus 3 ** I finished this book about an hour ago, and I'm still sitting here contemplating how much plotting and scheming was going on at the early point of the novel when I wasn't quite paying attention yet. - Plus 2 ** There are a handful of politicians that I'd like to see in Julian's predicament. I enjoyed daydreaming about some of them in that kind of scandal. - Plus 3 ** Why don't characters in novels have real jobs?? Not a lot of people know composers and news editors and big wig politicians. Why can't we have some blue collar folks with moral compasses?? - Minus 3 ** For a novel named Amsterdam I would have thought more of it would actually be in Amsterdam. - Minus 2 ** I like to think the best of the human race. I like to think that in Clive's case he would have made a different decision. - Minus 3 Final score ... 4. I enjoyed this book, but I'm fairly certain that I'll probably forget what it's about in a couple months, so the low but positive score doesn't surprise me. (less) | Notes are private!
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| Jun 20, 2008
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Jun 16, 2008
| Paperback
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| 0156027127
| 9780156027120
| 3.29
| 804
| Feb 04, 2002
| Nov 11, 2002
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**spoiler alert** The Life Before Her Eyes by Laura Kasischke is a novel about survivor's guilt. The main character, Diana, is a 40 year old woman, wh...more
**spoiler alert** The Life Before Her Eyes by Laura Kasischke is a novel about survivor's guilt. The main character, Diana, is a 40 year old woman, who survived a Columbine/Virginia Tech like shooting while in high school. Not only did she survive, but she was asked by the gunman if he should kill her or her friend, and she responded to kill her friend (not giving anything away, it happens in the first 5 pages). Diana’s life in the not too distant future appears perfect. She is a wife, mother, and lives in a house with a white picket fence. She drives a min-van and goes to soccer practice. All is well. However under the surface, Diana is a tortured soul who is tormented by her decision. The novel travels back and forth between Diana’s life, and the last summer between Diana and her friend Maureen. Diana’s story spans only a week or two, versus Diana and Maureen’s time is about 9 months worth of storyline. As the girls’ story gets closer and closer to the shooting, Diana’s life grows more and more turbulent. ------ ** Nice medium length chapters. Where they were long, they had frequent breaks. – Plus 2 ** I have my suspicions about how the book ends, but I’m not entirely sure. I’ll have to go back and review it to really be sure I knew what happened, as I rushed through the final 20 pages in an effort to finish it on my lunch break. Although more than likely, I’ll just have to assume that I knew what happened. While I like concluding things about a book, I’m always frustrated when I’m not quite sure what happened at the end. – Minus 3 ** I still can't remember the name of the book entirely. I keep having to look it up. Not good marketing if you can't get the readers to remember the simplest thing as a title. - Minus 2 ** I've read quite a few books as of late that switched back and forth between two time periods. Some of them did it well. Some of them weren't so hot. This one falls into the not so hot category. - Minus 3 ** While completely unrelated to the book, there was a movie made based on it. A couple of weeks ago I started to watch the Love in the Time of Cholera movie, and turned it off after 5 minutes because I hated the book so much. While I didn't love the book all that much, I think I'll make it through the movie. - Plus 3 ** What could have been a really heartbreaking novel about survivor's guilt. It's completely frustrating that it could have been a great novel. One that changed your life, and then it ended up having a lame twist, and totally ruined it's potential. - Minus 4 ** Black cats are fun. - Plus 1 **The book was too short. The topic is complex. And far too much of it was glossed over in a couple sentences. We get three or four pages describing adult Diana being a peeping tom to the kids in the pool next door. And only a page or two of the actual shooting. Seriously?? - Minus 4 ** I have to give points for having a main character that's favorite ice cream is vanilla. Being a big vanilla fan, I like it when it's the star instead of chocolate. - Plus 2 Final Tally ... negative 8. I would have liked this book more if it took the topic seriously. The first 60 or so pages it did, and then it turned a corner. It's frustrating to have expectations that a novel will approach something difficult and then toss it aside cheaply. It would have been much much better to have a story about a woman surviving the guilt rather than a nasty twist at the end. Cheap shot. (less) | Notes are private!
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| Jan 2008
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Jun 01, 2008
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| 014023313X
| 9780140233131
| 3.75
| 15,858
| 1993
| Apr 01, 1995
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**spoiler alert** The Stone Diaries by Carol Shields is number 13 in my race to 30 books read in 2008. It tells the life story of a completely ordinar...more
**spoiler alert** The Stone Diaries by Carol Shields is number 13 in my race to 30 books read in 2008. It tells the life story of a completely ordinary Canadian American woman through the 20th century. Daisy Goodwill Flett is born in Manitoba in 1905. She moves to Winnipeg as an infant, and then to Bloomington, Indiana as a young girl. She later marries and moves to Ottawa, and finally retires in Florida. The entire story spans her life in memorable eras: Birth, Childhood, Marriage, Motherhood, Illness, and Death. The book won the Pulitzer Prize the year it was released, and far be it from me to disagree. And to be upfront and honest, I flat out loved this book. So coming up with even slight negatives was a struggle. I apologize in advance for lame negatives. ** I lost my grandmother in late March. Reading this novel, I thought about her a lot since Daisy’s life experiences were very similarly timed to my grandmother’s life. I couldn’t help but picture Betty White throughout the years as the main character. – Plus 3 ** Daisy’s life is so perfectly ordinary. She’s the everywoman. All that was missing was being den mother to her son’s Boy Scout troop. She could be your elderly neighbor, and she is so incredibly approachable. She was the type of woman who I'd actually want to play bridge with, despite the fact that I haven't the first clue how to play bridge. – Plus 2 ** I love how the book is organized. Each chapter is a glimpse into Daisy’s life at certain points. Her story is by no means complete, but you get flashes of her life. In that way it’s very much like an old woman’s memories. Exact details are overlooked, but the general idea of how her life has happened is described. – Plus 4 ** Chapter length … my standard score. Good decent long chapters, but frequent breaks. And the differing writing styles make even the long chapters fly by. One chapter in particular is all correspondence between multiple people to Daisy. Others are full sections of her family and friends' opinions on Daisy and her decisions. It made it easy to not get bored reading the book. – Plus 3 ** I wish there was more with Daisy’s wedding to Barker and his eventual death. Both major events were glossed over in just a couple pages. Now I could read into it and assume that Barker meant not all that much to her, but I like to think differently. – Minus 3 ** Daisy takes in her single knocked up niece during the mid 1950s. That couldn’t have been easy. Especially when her niece decided to keep her child. Back to those strong female characters that I like so much. – Plus 3 ** At the very end of the book, there’s a paragraph of all of the things that Daisy never did in her life. The reader is left to wonder if Daisy made this list in her head once she knew she was going to die. It’s something that I imagine that I’ll do when my day comes. And I’m sure a list that a lot of people make internally as things to accomplish in life. – Plus 2 ** Mid way through the novel is a section of family pictures. Daisy’s mother is described as hugely obese during the few pages, when she is present. But the photo of her is nowhere near what I’d call obese, unless she gained 200 pounds in the two years from her wedding to Daisy's birth. To believe that this woman had no idea she was pregnant because of her tremendous girth and irregular menstrual cycle … I totally don’t buy it. – Minus 4 ** Flowers are everywhere in this book. From the character’s names to a constantly tended garden. I wish I had time for a garden … and that I wouldn’t kill my plants unintentionally. – Plus 2 ** Who gets a P.hD in paleobotany ??? – Minus 3 ** Clarentine Flett leaves her husband because he won’t give her money to go to the dentist after spending 11 dollars plus shipping on an ice box. And his kids never forgive him. It’s great how the straw breaks the camel’s back sometimes. – Plus 3 ** Still, I couldn’t figure out what was so awful about Magnus Flett. Maybe Clarentine should have talked to her husband instead of just walking out with an infant in tow. – Minus 4 ** Daisy's dad is so in love with is deceased wife that he builds a tower in her memory of carved limestone. It becomes a roadside attraction with people coming and viewing the memorial. He doesn't remarry for 30 years, and even then only thinks of Mercy as his wife. It's precious. - Plus 2 Final score ... Plus 10. I had a terrible time coming up with true negatives about this book, so it doesn't surprise me that the final score is kind of high. I'd even go so far as to say it's the top book so far this 30 book year, even though I'm pretty sure something recent has outscored it. Do yourself a favor ... read this book. (less) | Notes are private!
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Jun 01, 2008
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| 1594489580
| 9781594489587
| 3.82
| 91,943
| Jan 09, 2001
| Sep 06, 2007
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**spoiler alert** My first inclination to read The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz was not because it was a Pulitzer prize winner, but...more
**spoiler alert** My first inclination to read The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz was not because it was a Pulitzer prize winner, but because my favorite talk radio show chose it as their book club selection. So far it’s been their only book club selection but I digress. I didn’t read it with them, as I was tied up in other books, and the hold list at the library was a mile and a half long. But, I finally got my copy. And I’ve just recently finished it. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao is a novel about a Dominican family in New Jersey. Most of the novel focuses on Oscar, the overweight teenager obsessed with science fiction and a disaster with females. Other portions of the novel focus on his sister, Lola, and his mother, Beli. The story bounces back and forth from New Jersey and the Dominican Republic, and historical accounts of the reign of Trujillo are spliced throughout the novel. - I loved the spanglish – Plus 3 - While I loved all the interspersed Spanish, but I’m fairly certain that people who have never taken a Spanish class would be lost. I took 4 years in high school, and I still felt a little lost at times about what was going on. – Minus 2 - I appreciated the fact that there was so much Dominican history spliced in throughout the novel. I admit to not knowing much about the history of the island, and without the footnotes, I’m sure I would have been lost on the historical stuff. – Plus 2 - I really wish there was more of a back story on La Inca. Most of the other main characters had some historical perspective except for her, and that was a little disappointing. Especially since she was my favorite character. – Minus 2 - While I think it fit with the cultural slang style of the novel, the overuse of the “n word” was distracting to say the least. It got tiresome and seemed more like shock value than necessity. – Minus 3 - The abundance of science fiction and comic references were cute, but not altogether familiar I think to a general public. I was pretty thankful that I’d seen the Lord of The Rings movies, or else I wouldn’t have gotten all of the Mordor and Sauron references. – Minus 2 - I don’t understand the point of EXCESSIVE run on sentences as a writing style. Why on earth is it worthwhile to have a single sentence last almost two pages? - Minus 2 - I love how Oscar talks completely different from everyone, using all his ten penny words – Plus 3 - The good old chapter length issue. These were good. The novel is broken up into about half a dozen parts, with smaller not quite chapters sections. It made for good break up during the bus commute and the pre-bed time rituals. – Plus 2 - I didn’t totally get the evolution of Oscar’s nickname, or why exactly it was offensive to him or to those around him. I think it was another sci-fi reference, but I’m really kind of lost on the entire thing. – minus 2 - Call me the anti-romantic. But I really don’t understand why both Beli and Oscar would go to such extremes for love. Especially one sided love. – Minus 5 Final Tally - Minus 8 All in all, I’ve read five Pulitzer prize winning novels from the last 60 years. Of those five, this one was definitely the weakest selection. I don’t get why it won to be honest. Still, it was an okay book I guess. But I’m glad I got it at the library, and got to return it instead of have it sit on my shelf at home waiting for the next run to Half Priced Books. Maybe TBTL will pick a better book club book next time … if there is a next time. (less) | Notes are private!
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| Aug 25, 2008
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May 07, 2008
| Hardcover
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| 0812972597
| 9780812972597
| 3.25
| 2,221
| 2004
| May 24, 2005
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**spoiler alert** The Egyptologist by Arthur Phillips is a peculiar novel. It tells a story of an expedition in Egypt during the 1920s. The story foll...more
**spoiler alert** The Egyptologist by Arthur Phillips is a peculiar novel. It tells a story of an expedition in Egypt during the 1920s. The story follows multiple paths. The first is of an Australian detective, tasked to find the illegitimate heir of a British beer tycoon. The second is of a British archeologist financing, traveling, and completing an expedition into the deserts of Egypt in search of the tomb of Atum-hadu, a pharaoh of questionable legitimacy. The novel mostly switches back and forth between the story told by Harold Ferrell, the detective, and Ralph Trilipush, the archeologist. I read this book because the Elliott Bay Book Company was reading it as one of their book club selections. And I suggested it for my own book club, and I was overruled and it was turned down. But it still intrigued me, and so I purchased it on a Portland Powell’s trip and read it myself. It was one of the more “interesting” books I’ve read as late. --------------------------------------- ** As mentioned many times before in my blog reviews, chapter lengths are important to me. They really play a large part in whether or not I like or dislike in a book. This novel had no chapters. It had journal entries (long journal entries) and letters (long letters) and both tended to stay on the side of being too long for one bus ride or just a bit too long to read before I fell asleep at night. Plus, I didn't really like that the novel was set up that way. What's so wrong with chapters??– Minus 2 ** It took about 100 pages worth of reading before I could begin to follow the plot. And even then it was difficult. I had to re-read passages many times because I was sure I had missed something. Only to figure out that I hadn’t quite missed what I thought I had. – Minus 3 ** I like pyramids and mummies. – Plus 2 ** The excavation takes place at the same time as the discovery of King Tut’s tomb by Howard Carter. That part of the novel seemed historically accurate (at least according to what I read on Wikipedia), but it was used in a fictitious manner. – Plus 3 ** I liked the story being told by Ferrell. There were twists and turns as his story begins to line up with Trilipush’s story, and I enjoyed how it got there. It was puzzling to try to figure out which story to believe until the very end. I liked Ferrell’s version of events much better, though. – Plus 2 ** I didn’t like the story being told by Trilipush. He jumps around from letters to his fiancée in Boston, his journal of his excavation, and sometimes just random rambling. It just gets confusing sometimes. Especially towards the end. It gets increasingly more difficult to figure out what is fact and what is fiction. – Minus 2 ** I’m still kind of wondering what happened at the end. I think I know, but I’m not positive. And I think if I had gone to the book club meeting, I would have enjoyed discussing the ending and to hear other people’s opinions on how it ended. – Plus 3 ** I really hate Margaret. What a spoiled brat. I totally did not understand why all of these men were falling in love with her. And she’s pretty much the only female in the whole book. WTF. – Minus 4 ** I can’t pinpoint the reason why, but this book really reminded me of an Edgar Allen Poe short story. There was some kind of thriller element to it that was similar to his writing style. – Plus 2 ** The story didn’t flow very well. With the going back and forth between Ferrell’s story and Trilipush’s story, it was segmented and disjointed. Towards the end it gets slightly better as the time lines for both stories merge into the same one, but that’s not until two thirds of the story is already over. – Minus 3 ** The big bad guy is an Irishman. - Minus 1 Final tally -- Minus 5. That's the first negative tally. And it really doesn't surprise me since, I really don’t recommend it unless you’re really into Egypt or pyramids or Edgar Allen Poe. Or maybe if you want to sit and puzzle over how a story ended.(less) | Notes are private!
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| not set
| Apr 2008
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May 05, 2008
| Paperback
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| 0142000671
| 9780142000670
| 3.75
| 796,493
| 1937
| Jan 08, 2002
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May 05, 2008
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| 0812976738
| 9780812976731
| 3.56
| 10,728
| 2007
| Dec 18, 2007
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**spoiler alert** Kabul Beauty School by Deborah Rodriguez is a memoir of a woman who traveled to Kabul just after 9/11 as a humanitarian aid worker....more
**spoiler alert** Kabul Beauty School by Deborah Rodriguez is a memoir of a woman who traveled to Kabul just after 9/11 as a humanitarian aid worker. Her trade is cosmetology and she wasn't sure what she could offer to the people of Afghanistan but she knew she wanted to help. During her first trip, she felt mostly useless but fell in love with the country and people of Afghanistan, and knew she would return. Over the next year, Ms. Rodriguez took the lead and became involved with a project to begin a beauty school in the city of Kabul to help train the women of Afghanistan in a trade. She gets sponsors, donations, and returns to the country to change women's lives. She slowly adapts to the culture, marries an Afghani man, and ends up staying in Kabul to keep the school running. Kabul Beauty School is my first nonfiction book of the journey to 30. As I was reading this book, I realized that my usual method of scoring a book is not going to work very well for non-fiction. It's not like I can judge a decision of a character when in reality it's a decision of this woman's life. So ... bare with the kinks of having to review a non-fiction memoir rather than a novel. ** I learned a lot about the Taliban's reign in Afghanistan and the ramifications. I knew they were the bad guys, but it some of the restrictions - like outlawing all beauty salons - I had no idea about. - Plus 3 ** I really didn't need the life story of the maid. Call me elitist ... but I didn't really care. - Minus 2 ** I've said it a TON ... girl power rules and the fact that this woman left her abusive husband, went to Afghanistan and started making a difference is super duper girl power! - Plus 10 ** Long chapters ... I've said my full on this, but it took me about 4 days to read this book from start to finish, so it couldn't have bothered me too much ;) - Neutral ** I loved all the side stories of the women in the school, but they got distracting keeping up with them all. And they were all depressing. - Minus 3 ** Total curveball that she became arranged to be married. And then actually got married. (I'm not giving anything away if you read the book cover) - Plus 2 ** I love memoirs. They're pretty much the only non-fiction book that I'll regularly read voluntarily. - Plus 3 ** I learned something. Learning is good and knowledge is power. - Plus 2 And I'm tapped out. It's a lot more difficult to come up with scoring when you're critiquing someone's life rather than someone's literary decisions. Final Tally ... 9. I'm sure that's high because I couldn't find the heart to say that I didn't buy that she screamed and yelled and tried to get a guy arrested for grabbing her ass in the market. Cause I'm sure she did do that, and she has my respect for it. I'm pretty sure I would have ignored it and just shot evil eyes. (less) | Notes are private!
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| Jun 10, 2008
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May 05, 2008
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| 1400065968
| 9781400065967
| 3.35
| 1,043
| 2007
| Jul 17, 2007
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**spoiler alert** The River Wife by Jonis Agee is a novel that spans 100 plus years and details the lives of the women in the life of Jacques Ducharme...more
**spoiler alert** The River Wife by Jonis Agee is a novel that spans 100 plus years and details the lives of the women in the life of Jacques Ducharme, from his first wife, to his mistress, to his daughters, and the bride of his grandson. The tale is told from the perspective of Hedie Ducharme, the bride of Jacques’ grandson in the 1930s. Pregnant and left alone a fair share of the time, Hedie finds the journals of Jacques’ first wife Annie and begins reading of the history of her husband’s family. Jacques is a fur trapper and eventually a river pirate on the Mississippi River during the 19th century. His dealings can be shady, but they’re all for the love of Annie, the teenage girl he rescued from the ruble of the New Madrid earthquakes in 1812. He strives to make her happy no matter what happens. Time passes and other women come and go in the life of Jacques and each of their stories is told to the reader, all the while Hedie’s story is told in between. The scoring … I liked that the story began with the New Madrid earthquake. The history and the changing dynamics of the event were considerable in the area, and I liked how the story included the details in the novel. – Plus 3 I wish there had been more about Jacques losing his arm. It was just barely mentioned. The reader returns to his story and he’s suddenly one armed. One sentence mentions the event. Not every novel has a main character that loses a limb. What a disappointment. – Minus 3 Two tragedies in two chapters is a lot for the reader to take. I understand the mirroring stories but seriously, spread that stuff out. – Minus 3 I totally understood Annie and Jacques’ love affair. He rescued her, a damsel in distress and they fell madly in love. Total romance novel stuff … but I didn’t so much get Hedie and Clement. Yes he rescued her from a domineering mother, but he was a loser. A domineering mother doesn’t compare with a gigantic beam across your legs. - Neutral Yellow diamonds?? Does anyone actually like those?? - Minus 2 I really liked Annie. I liked her grit and her ferocity. Good strong female characters rule! – Plus 5 I also really liked Omah. Nothing like strong women in novels! – Plus 5 But I wasn’t such a fan of Dealie or Laura – Minus 3 Ghosts … duh – Plus 2 Buried treasure … duh – Plus 2 ** I was totally wrong about how it was going to end. And I have to admit that I liked that. - Plus 3 ** In the end, I'm still not sure if I liked or loathed Jacques. He was kind of a drunken bastard, but he seemed so tortured and sad, like a wounded puppy. Or like Jordan Catalano in My So Called Life, or James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause ... a girl has to have a weak spot for the tortured bad boy. - Plus 3 Final Tally ... Plus 8 I think that's one of the higher books that I've reviewed, although to be honest, I'm not sure why. I really enjoyed the elements of the book and I liked a lot of the characters, but I'm not sure that I liked the book as a whole. This might be one of those times that the sum of it's parts doesn't quite add up to the whole ...(less) | Notes are private!
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| not set
| Jun 2008
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May 05, 2008
| Hardcover
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| 039915468X
| 9780399154683
| 3.72
| 2,037
| Feb 14, 2008
| Feb 21, 2008
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**spoiler alert** I've been a fan of Anne Shirley for longer than I can remember. I think it began with Megan Follows and PBS. It continued with a har...more
**spoiler alert** I've been a fan of Anne Shirley for longer than I can remember. I think it began with Megan Follows and PBS. It continued with a hardback illustrated copy that my grandmother gave me for Christmas. I read all 8 books of the series finally about a year ago. So when I heard that a prequel was out (granted by another author) I knew I had to get my hands on it. Before Green Gables by Budge Wilson is that prequel. It tells the story of Anne's life before Marilla, Matthew, and Gilbert Blythe. The story begins with Walter & Bertha Shirley and their brief married life in Nova Scotia. Anne is born, and shortly thereafter both Walter & Bertha die of a fever. Mrs Thomas, a housekeeper for the Shirleys, takes Anne to be her own, thinking she is done having her children. Of course, what follows is four baby boys in four years, and Anne suddenly becomes housekeeper, babysitter, and pseudo slave to the Thomas family. Anne stays with the Thomases for 8 years, but unfortunately tragedy strikes, and Anne leaves the Thomas family for the Hammonds. More years of pseudo slavery and babies and 3 sets of twins follow. Of course, as readers, we all know how the story ends ... My scoring analysis --- ** The story is completely true to Anne's tone and voice in the original series of books. She's chipper despite her circumstances and finds solace in her imagination. - Plus 4 ** I truly wanted to believe that Anne was a wonder kid. Really I did, but I have a hard time buying that a 5 year old was responsible for the cooking, the washing, the dishes, and taking care of babies. - Minus 3 ** It was nice to see where Katie became in Anne's life. From the inception to the emergence in the window. - Plus 2 ** It was equally nice to see the origins of bosom friends and the depths of despair. - Plus 2 ** Anne's hardships in her home life were difficult to read as a life long friend of hers, but it was nice to see so many people outside of her homes were so nice and caring towards her. - Plus 3 ** The Anne with an E comment was overdone. Walter & Bertha discuss it just after she's born, followed by Anne's insistence with every single person she meets in the story. It gets tiring and forced. The simple mentioning like bosom friends is enough for true Anne fans. - Minus 2 ** Despite his drunken fits of rage and violence, I really liked Mr. Thomas and appreciated his nervous affection for Anne. - Plus 2 ** The time spent with Walter & Bertha is very very quick and large segments of time are glossed over or skipped. Part of my curiosity in the beginnings of Anne's life were the relationships between her parents. I've found a lot recently that books that I've read deserved to have 50 more pages and a bit more storytelling in parts. Walter & Bertha deserved more pages. - Minus 3 ** Speaking of being true to Anne's character, there is a school bully that Anne refuses to fight back because she hopes that one day he will share his dictionary with her. - Plus 3 ** About two thirds of the way through the book, Anne discovers Prince Edward's Island. The author throws in a random comment about Anne's life long love affair with PEI began that day. It was a little much. - Minus 3 ** Two cats named Gilbert and Sullivan. Couldn't we have been more creative on this?? - Minus 2 ** I only wish that Anne daydreamed about being named Cordelia at some point in the early years. And where were the kindred spirits?? - Minus 1 ** Before Green Gables lives up to the title. The book ends with Anne departing from the train at Bright River to wait for Matthew. I appreciated the consistency. - Plus 3 ** I went back and re-read the first 25 pages or so of Anne of Green Gables and it lined up. All of the details matched. I appreciated that, it really made it feel like the prequel fed right up into the series. - Plus 2 Final Tally ... Plus 7. It was light and fun to read. And I recommend it to any Anne fan.(less) | Notes are private!
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| not set
| May 19, 2008
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May 05, 2008
| Hardcover
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| 0061140260
| 9780061140266
| 3.04
| 345
| Jan 01, 2007
| Jan 02, 2007
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**spoiler alert** The Mathematics of Love by Emma Darwin is a story of the lives of two people connected over time by a house. The story jumps back an...more
**spoiler alert** The Mathematics of Love by Emma Darwin is a story of the lives of two people connected over time by a house. The story jumps back and forth between Major Stephen Fairhurst, an injured British soldier in 1819 and Anna Jocelyn Ware, a teenage girl sent to live with her uncle in 1976. Major Fairhurst's story is about his travels from England, Belgium, and Spain. He develops a strong friendship with an independent woman named Lucy Durwood, and much of the novel are his letters to Miss Durwood. Anna's story is about her upheaval from life in London with her mother, and being sent to live with her uncle in the country. She becomes friends with a child named Cecil, and an artistic foreign couple, Eva and Theo. The connection between Stephen and Anna is in the house, Kersey Hall. In Stephen's time, it's a great estate, and in Anna's time, it has become a bankrupt private school. I found this novel particularly difficult to score. Despite the connections of history, the two stories are virtually two separate novels. But I will do my best ... ** Long chapters ... ugh ... unhappy bus reading. But, to be honest, I was riding planes to and from Portland when I was reading this, so the long chapters weren't as much of an issue - Neutral ** Each chapter ended with a slightly confusing italicized handful of paragraphs. I hated them and had no idea what they hell they were about until the last 5 or 6 chapters- Minus 2 ** I loved Lucy's character. I loved that she constantly sketched, and was a true independent woman in Victorian times. Yay strong female characters - Plus 4 ** While I disliked Theo intensely, he does have the best line in the book. And in turn the title of the book ... "I would say that the mathematics of love defy arithmetic." - Plus 2 (would be higher if I didn't hate Theo) ** They go to Spain. I have a fascination with Spain as of late - Plus 2 ** Just when I was really getting into Stephen's story line, it'd swap to Anna's storyline. It kept the suspense up, but got annoying - Minus 3 ** I hate how historical fiction has a tendency to put a lot of the action in the form of letters between characters. I think I'd rather have an extra hundred pages of novel than a brief summary of something - Minus 4 ** Despite my dislike of letters in historical fiction, at least the letters were all about things that happened before the beginning of the novel. It helped in telling the backstory of Stephen's character - Plus 3 ** I adored Cecil. But I don't understand the nickname Ciss - Plus 2 ** There is a random section in the first chapter that takes place in 2006. It makes no sense why it's there, until the last two pages of the novel. And even then, it still does not need to be there. It's almost there as an afterthought, because the author wanted to tie the end into the beginning. I didn't like it - Minus 3 ** I liked all the photography stuff during Anna's story. It felt like I was in high school photography class again with the enlargers and fixers. It was cool - Plus 2 ** I was quite satisfied with the conclusion of Stephen's story. It felt like a Jane Austen novel. Not that I've ever read Jane Austen. But it'll come this year sometime, I promise. - Plus 3 ** I wasn't so satisfied with the conclusion of Anna's story. I needed more than what I got. - Minus 3 Total ... 3 Points. Sounds about right, I didn't really love it or hate it(less) | Notes are private!
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| not set
| Feb 2008
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Mar 11, 2008
| Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
| 038572179X
| 9780385721790
| 3.79
| 193,513
| Sep 21, 2001
| Feb 25, 2003
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**spoiler alert** I decided to read Atonement by Ian McEwan mostly because I wanted to see the movie. I go through that a lot. A movie comes out that...more
**spoiler alert** I decided to read Atonement by Ian McEwan mostly because I wanted to see the movie. I go through that a lot. A movie comes out that I desperately want to see, but I want to read the novel beforehand. I put it off for a while cause, I didn't have a copy, but thanks to my good friend Elaine, a copy was acquired, and now it has been read. Atonement is a story of a lie, and how it radically impacts the lives of the individuals involved. You'd have to be under a rock to really know what it's about since the Oscar race, and really I just want to rush to the scoring, so I can get to the movie theater :D ** It was difficult to read the first half of the novel. I wanted to throw the book across the room in irritation and anger that I couldn't reach into the book and slap a character around. I felt the same way reading Harry Potter 5 - I desperately wanted to beat the crap out of Dolores Umbridge, in the same way I wanted to beat up Briony. - Minus 3 ** The story of the war being fought in France was quite compelling. I'm not someone who readily enjoys war stories, but I found the story to be gripping, and I was quite interested in how it turned out. It kind of reminded me of Band of Brothers. - Plus 5 ** Despite my irritation with Briony, I really enjoyed the different view points during part one. The story was told through all of the characters and not just one. I appreciated that point of view. - Plus 4 ** I wanted more of the story told through the eyes of Cecilia. - Minus 2 ** Now I can go see the movie ... I hope it holds up to the book. - Plus 2 ** The chapters were just right. They were just long enough to last a bus trip, and not too long to read one before I went to bed. - Plus 2 ** I figured out the truth of the lie before it was told. It was kind of transparent that way. - Minus 3 ** It was interesting to read an account of the British during World War II. I'm used to reading American or German accounts, so it was nice to read an alternate perspective of the events. - Plus 3 ** It was hard to imagine a sweltering summer in England. - Minus 2 ** There is a scene when Cecilia changes her dress 3 times, simply because it looks different when she walks out of her room than it did in her room. I have so done that. - Plus 2 ** It's a story that brings to light how one event can transform your life. I've always liked that idea. Probably why I love the movie Sliding Doors. - Plus 3 ** It seems the movie might have been perfectly cast. Either that or I found it impossible to read it without picturing the cast. I prefer the first option. - Plus 1 ** The story was completely and totally heartbreakingly beautiful. - Plus 3 Final Tally ... 15. I really loved it. Maybe it should have breached 20.(less) | Notes are private!
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| not set
| Mar 10, 2008
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Mar 05, 2008
| Paperback
| |||||||||||||||
| 0316067628
| 9780316067621
| 3.37
| 6,782
| Dec 10, 2007
| Dec 10, 2007
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**spoiler alert** Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips is the latest book on my quest to 30 and the May selection for the HBC. The story imagines a s...more
**spoiler alert** Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips is the latest book on my quest to 30 and the May selection for the HBC. The story imagines a situation in which Greek gods living among us. The primary characters are all the immediate family of Zeus, and all live in a house together in suburban London. There’s Apollo, a romancing talk show host. Aphrodite, the phone sex operator. Artemis, the dog walker. Eros, the born again Christian. Athena, the scholar. The list goes on. Through a turn of events, the group of gods become involved in the lives of two mortals, Alice and Neil. The story progresses from there … ** I loved that Eros is a born again Christian with morality issues and conflicts with himself over worshipping Christ, while being a god himself – Plus 2 ** To quote the story, page 223 … ‘Oh no’ said Artemis. ‘They’re very inferior creatures, cats.’ – Minus 8 ** The sexual stuff got a little ridiculous. I get that Aphrodite is the goddess of love and lust, and it completely makes sense that she’d be a phone sex operator, but does she have to have sex with all the gods all the time in addition to all of that?? – Minus 3 ** Short chapters … you know my opinion about that. – Plus 2 ** Super easy, super quick read. It only took 3 days to finish it, and yet I didn’t feel like I was speeding through it because I loved the story. It was more that it was just so simple. – Minus 3 ** I liked the representation of the underworld. I envisioned the abandoned London in 28 Days Later. Why I have no idea, but that’s how it went. I also pictured South Park Satan when Hades came on the scene. – Plus 3 ** Styx = Synergy – Plus 4 ** Artemis was pretty annoying. She seemed to me to be a bitter lady who needed to get out more. – Minus 2 ** I liked that Alice was a house cleaner despite the fact that she had her degree. It reminded me of something I wish I did instead of be responsible and get a job in a law firm. – Plus 3 ** It was a decent refresher of my Greek mythology. Even though I had to sharpen my skills with some wikipedia. – Plus 2 ** Both Alice and Neil were adorably awkward characters. Kind of like Betty and Henry, but British. It was a great contrast with the omnipotent gods. – Plus 3 ** I kind of feel bad for the gods not being able to enjoy food. Where’s the fun in that?? - Minus 2 ** There was definitely an overabundance of gods living in this house; lesser-known gods that no one has ever heard of like Dionysus, Hephaestus, and Demeter. With all of the gods to keep track of, the extra ones were just confusing. – Minus 3 ** I loved that Ares was constantly frustrated with the wars in the world currently. It through a nice little current spin on it. – Plus 2 Total … ZERO. Total neutrality. I did appreciate it the story. But, I wasn’t sure I really enjoyed the book. It needed a bit more substance I think for me. (less) | Notes are private!
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1
| not set
| Mar 2008
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Mar 05, 2008
| Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
| 1407416898
| 9781407416892
| unknown
| 3.55
| 338,597
| Jun 23, 2005
| Feb 01, 2008
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**spoiler alert** The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards is a novel about a choice. I went from reading a book about a lie in a moment (Atonement...more
**spoiler alert** The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards is a novel about a choice. I went from reading a book about a lie in a moment (Atonement), to a book about a choice made in a moment. It was a good transition. Thanks to some late spring snow (just like Seattle got last night) Dr David Henry is forced to deliver his wife's twins with only the help of his nurse Caroline. The baby boy, Paul, is born 100% healthy and alert, but the baby girl, Phoebe, is born with Downs Syndrome, and David makes the decision to give his daughter to Caroline to take to an institution, rather than raise the child in his family. He tells his wife, Norah, that the child was stillborn, and tries to live his life with just his son. Caroline, however, cannot leave the child at the institution, and makes the decision to raise the child herself in another town. The novel goes back and forth between the lives of Paul and Phoebe, and the ramifications of David's decision. ** The David, Norah, Paul storyline takes place in Lexington. I love Lexington, and I don't think I've ever read a book that takes place there. - Plus 2 ** I really liked David's character despite his decision. The author makes his struggle and pain over his decision up front, and he never seems malicious in his decision. It's clear that he truly made it to try to save his wife from further pain. - Plus 3 ** Norah on the other hand, I really didn't care much for her. Especially in the middle part of the book. She was kind of a witch. - Minus 2 ** Just following the "death" of Phoebe, I really sympathized with Norah's struggle with depression, postpartum issues, and alcoholism. The way it was treated in the novel seemed to echo what I have heard from my parents about how these issues were hidden from view in that time period, and I really appreciated how it was shown and yet not dealt with, much in how it would have happened during that time period. - Plus 3 ** Where I appreciated how Norah's issues were presented, I felt like Caroline's struggles with raising a child with Downs Syndrome were glossed over. One meeting with the school board, one mention of the struggles to find other mom's in similar situations. While it would have added about 100 pages to the book, I would have liked to see more with that storyline and more details on how society reacted to children with Downs Syndrome during the 1960s and 1970s. - Minus 4 ** I don't know that I really buy that an at home photographer with a dark room above his garage would get to the point that he's giving lectures. Especially since he spent the majority of his time being a doctor. - Minus 2 ** While the book deals with moderately controversial topic, it was definitely something that you wouldn't have trouble recommending to anyone from your aunt, to your co-worker, to your bus buddy. It's relatively unoffensive, and is a novel that I think a lot of people would read and enjoy. Well, one that a lot of women would enjoy, I'm not so sure it's a man's man kind of book ;) - Plus 2 ** This is the second book (the other being The Namesake) I've read recently that deals with detached fathers and the resulting relationship with their sons. The story lines were different, but the same type of struggle to have a relationship existed. Both books were written by women. And both made me wonder if the men only have issues with the relationships because they're being viewed and written about through a woman's perspective. It makes me want to seek out a novel about fathers and sons written by a man. - Neutral ** I wanted more with Al. - Minus 2 ** Despite not being a total Norah fan, this book had some great strong female characters. Caroline, who makes a decision to raise a child with Downs Syndrome that is not even her own flesh and blood. Norah, who goes from being a house wife to a successful business woman. Doro, a successful physics professor at a time when most women didn't work, let alone were leading academics. And Bree, who has a strong sense of self throughout the novel, and really sets a good example for Norah to be strong. - Plus 3 ** I didn't like why it was titled The Memory Keeper's Daughter. For a while there, I was hoping that Caroline lived out her dream and traveled to a far away country with Phoebe. To a place where people worshiped those who were different, and Phoebe became a powerful shaman in an indigenous tribe. - Minus 2 ** From the television channel that brought us, The Fantasia Barrino Story ... Lifetime is making the made for TV movie. It airs on April 12th. It stars Dermot Mulroney. I admit to having a slight weakness when it comes to Lifetime's made for TV movies and a pretty big weakness when it comes to Mr. Mulroney. I'll probably watch it. I might be a little excited. - Plus 2 ** So, what about Rosemary?? - Minus 2 Final score ... 1 I didn't love it or hate it. There were some flaws, but some outstanding points as well. The final tally seems about right. (less) | Notes are private!
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1
| not set
| May 05, 2008
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Mar 05, 2008
| Audio CD
| ||||||||||||||
| 1565125606
| 9781565125605
| 4.05
| 630,147
| May 26, 2006
| May 01, 2007
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**spoiler alert** Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen is a story about Jacob Jankowski and his short time with The Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Sho...more
**spoiler alert** Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen is a story about Jacob Jankowski and his short time with The Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. The story is told in memory by Jacob from his 93 year old self in a nursing home. Just a week prior to graduating Cornell Veterinary School in the 193os, both of Jacob's parents are killed in a car accident. To distraught to finish his exams, Jacob jumps a train and realizes only afterwards that he has just run away with the circus. The leaders of the circus decide to keep Jacob on once they learn of his veterinary past and with The Benzini Brothers, Jacob meets a range of characters including Marlena, a beautiful horse rider, her mentally ill husband, August, a dwarf named Kinko, and an old timer named Camel. In time, the circus acquires an elephant named Rosie, who quickly becomes a friend to Jacob. This book was the first book in the brand new Hersday book club. Which is why I read it, although I purchased it before it was chosen. I knew I wanted to read it. ... the scoring ... ** After reading the book, I decided that I didn't like Thomas Edison anymore. Although, that had nothing to do with the book, but the afterword, with a story about Thomas Edison publicly electrocuting an elephant to prove a point. - Neutral cause it wasn't the book itself. ** The ending was absolute perfection, and completely unexpected from my point of view. Even reading between the lines and analyzing it to death, it still makes me happy. - Plus 3 ** One word ... elephants. - Plus 2 ** Two words ... dwarf clowns. - Plus 2 ** I have this personal issue with generic pet names. For example, Dalmatians named spot, and long haired cats named fluffy. It's only excusable when the pet owner is under the age of 6. The Benzini Brothers have a chimp named Bobo. It bothered me. - Minus 2 ** Cool depression era photos begin every chapter. Aside from the brief embarrassment of a topless woman while reading on the bus, they were a great touch. - Plus 2 ** While I appreciate the research that went into the book, the use of all of the circus terms like First of May and rubes were a nice touch, but they were totally overused. Almost to the point of annoyance. They seemed forced. - Minus 3 ** I've read some people that disliked August's portrayal as inaccurate. But I think for a violently ill man, or even just an abusive husband, it was a fairly genuine portrayal. - Plus 4 ** It was easy to relate with the characters' struggle at the end of the book, given the time it took place. The depression was felt throughout the story, and the reader felt how that complicated the situation. - Plus 4 ** I had never heard of the Jamaican Ginger epidemic. It kind of broke my heart, but I'm glad I'm more aware now. - Plus 2 ** My faith in humanity makes me doubt the legitimacy of the brutality of red-lining people. But maybe I'm just an optimist. - Minus 3 ** Spoiler ... although not entirely unexpected, poor poor Camel. - Minus 2 ** The book reminded me a great deal of Carnivale on HBO. A show that I absolutely love. - Plus 2 ** But because it reminded me of Carnivale, I had a hard time not picturing Jake like Ben, and Marlena like Sofie. - Minus 1 ** I'm secretly hoping Nick Stahl (aka Ben from Carnivale) will play Jacob in the newly optioned movie. - Plus 2 Final Score ... 12 ... sounds about right. I really enjoyed it, and I totally recommend it to everyone. Super quick read too. (less) | Notes are private!
| none
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1
| not set
| Jan 2008
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Mar 05, 2008
| Paperback
| |||||||||||||||
| 0061122416
| 9780061122415
| 3.70
| 589,106
| 1988
| May 01, 1993
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**spoiler alert** I decided, both in an effort to alleviate boredom at work and to keep me on task with the whole reading thing, to write reviews of a...more
**spoiler alert** I decided, both in an effort to alleviate boredom at work and to keep me on task with the whole reading thing, to write reviews of all of the books that I finish. People tend to think that I read all these great books, so this is either an opportunity for people to realize that I read too much chick lit or to pass along some great titles. The first book, cause it was the last one I finished, is The Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo. I read this book for one reason only. I'm going to Spain, in exactly one week (!!), and every message board I looked at regarding what to do in southern Spain and northern Morocco, mentioned that one should definitely read this book before going. That was enough for me. So, when I made my yearly venture to Portland for the cross country races, I picked up a used copy at Powells ... aka heaven on earth. When my sister saw my book, her response was that she was so happy I'd bought it, and that she'd read it and loved it. She also said she'd told everyone she knew to read it as well. Apparently, she does not know me, cause I have zero recollection of her ever telling me to read it. The story is a simple fable about a shephard pursing his dream and listening to his heart. It starts in the south of Spain, with the shephard day dreaming about marrying a girl from a local village, and progresses to the shephard meeting an ancient king, and deciding to pursue a treasure in the Egyptian pyramids. Readers follow the shephard from Spain to Morocco, and from Morocco through the desert in a caravan and to an oasis, where he meets the alchemist. I've decided, after a day of reading a Gossip Girl blog recommended to me by Nicole, that I'm going to steal their method of awarding random points to each book, with a final total at the end of each review. Each point will be totally arbitrary really, but it'll be better than me saying it's an awesome book - go pick up a copy, or don't waste your time. So .. here it goes ... ** The book is broken up into a shorter part one, and a longer part two. However, there are frequent breaks in the text, allowing it an easy book to read on the bus, as there are frequent stopping places. - Plus 3 ** The book is a bit too philosophical for my tastes. And can be boring in parts where it's all philosophical mumbo jumbo, thus making me tired, and likely to fall asleep on the bus, which leads to awkwardness - Minus 2 ** When I was in high school I read Siddhartha by Herman Hesse (but only after finding out that River Phoenix is named after the river in the book). This book reminded me entirely too much of Siddhartha and despite that I've just finished re-reading the entire Harry Potter series, and frequently re-read a certain romance novel involving lucky charms cereal, I don't really like re-reading books I've already read. - Minus 4 ** Much of the book takes place in the desert, and involves riding camels. - Plus 7 ** My sister read it in the 8th grade. It reads like a book for an 8th grader. - Minus 3 ** While the first part of the book takes place in Tarifa and Tangier (two places I plan to visit), I didn't really walk away feeling like it was necessary to read the book prior to going. It's not like there are any famous landmarks mentioned in the text that I simply must see now. - Minus 2 ** It has a happy ending. - Plus 3 ** Despite the happy ending, I was left feeling moderately unsatisfied, and needed more. - Minus 3 ** The ending is rushed. All of this getting there stuff, but when he does, its two pages to fulfullment. I don't buy it. - Minus 4 ** It's less than 200 pages, which makes it a quick read. - Plus 4 ** While there is a lot of philosophical stuff, the point of the story to listen and to follow your heart is a good underlying message. - Plus 5 ** They only mention the name of the main character on page one. Which is a tad cheesy. - Minus 2 ** Despite it being a quick read, despite being overly philosophical in places, and despite feeling like it was at an 8th grade reading level, it was still a book to make you think. Of course, the conversation with friends about the book will really improve with some alcohol or other mind altering substance. - Plus 3 Final tally --- Plus 5(less) | Notes are private!
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1
| not set
| Jan 11, 2008
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Dec 03, 2007
| Paperback
| |||||||||||||||
| 0142000663
| 9780142000663
| 3.85
| 268,388
| 1939
| Jan 08, 2002
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**spoiler alert** Once again, I've fallen into the line of classics, what right do I have to criticize?? But I press on, given that this book was a he...more
**spoiler alert** Once again, I've fallen into the line of classics, what right do I have to criticize?? But I press on, given that this book was a hell of a lot longer than Of Mice and Men, so I should probably say something. So I just returned from a two week long road trip. We went from Seattle to Lexington, KY to Smithville TN, to Elmhurst, IL and back to Seattle. Via Yellowstone, Nebraska, and Mt Rushmore of course. Anyway ... in preparation for the trip, I took FOUR books. I only got through one, and I didn't even finish it. Obviously, the lone book was The Grapes of Wrath. I've always wanted to read this book not for the story, but so I could bring it up in conversation. It's a lot more impressive to tell people you just finished The Grapes of Wrath than it is to say you've just finished the latest Oprah's Book Club selection. So, admittedly it was purely for selfish reasons that I picked up this book. I knew it was about a family named the Joads crossing the country from Oklahoma to California, and I knew that my mom always complained that the mom was too heavy set in the movie starring Henry Fonda. That's about all I knew. Oh, and that my dad loved it when he read it five years ago. I must admit I was disappointed ... ** It reminded me of the first 150 pages of Moby Dick and only because that's all I've gotten through of Moby Dick. One chapter about the story, followed by one chapter about the life style and the culture. I think I remember Steinbeck admiring Melville from 11th grade American Literature, and I was kind of happy it was so blatantly obvious. - Plus 3 ** Still, why can't you make your own mark. - Minus 3 ** Rose of Sharon ... seriously ... who would ever name their kid that?? And people think Pilot Inspektor and Audio Science are weird names. - Minus 2 ** Not only was her name annoying, but she was annoying too. Get over Connie, he left you and your family and it was because you were so blasted annoying. - Minus 3 ** I really really liked Casey. I liked that he questioned his faith, and found a new path. I liked that they all kept insisting he was still a preacher despite his insistence to the contrary. I really liked that he was just on the edge of communist, but really just for the people. - Plus 4 ** I liked the Mom too. Nice to see a feminist in early 20th century literature. And on a side note, she's totally heavy set in the book, so that shut my mom up ;) - Plus 3 ** Long chapter followed by ridiculously short chapter. Spread it out. - Minus 2 ** It was a little wordy. I guess it's a classic for a reason and I'm sure part of it is a prose thing, but I kept losing my spot and found myself re-reading the same paragraph repeatedly. - Minus 3 ** The grandparents were fun. I enjoyed their bickering with each other and the family and their personalities. Pity they died so early on in the story. - Plus 3 ** While we're on the death thing ... why did so many characters have to die?? It kind of makes me happy that I didn't finish the last 100 pages of East of Eden because everyone probably died. That is if it's anything like The Grapes of Wrath or Of Mice and Men. - Minus 4 ** Depressed much?? - Minus 2 ** It was depressing. REALLY REALLY DEPRESSING. But I guess that's why they called it The Great Depression. - Plus 3 ** Okay ... here's what I don't get - There's a chapter all about the food spoiling and the Californians pouring toxins over it because they didn't like the Okies. But there's also a large section of the novel when the Joads are near water and no mention of whether or not provisions were made to keep them from fishing. They're starving and living on fried dough ... do none of them know how to fish?? Give a man a fish, he eats for a day, teach him how to fish, he eats for a lifetime. - Minus 3 ** Uncle John ... a little too obsessed with sin. Did he do anything besides ignore his dying wife?? Considering he had no way of knowing that she was dying and not merely queasy, he shouldn't be so guilt ridden. I was hoping maybe he molested a child or something, cause his sin was pretty boring if you ask me. - Minus 2 ** No definitive spoiler ... but seriously, a great American classic ending the way it did is kind of disturbing, and it's probably years of reading Dan Savage's column that's making me think about it in such a way. - Minus 3 Final Tally ... Minus 11 I'd love to end this with a positive ... really I would ... but it wouldn't be true to the story. It was really one of the most depressing books I've ever read in my entire life ... so if you're suicidal, stay FAR AWAY from this novel ... and read the Oprah's Book Club book.(less) | Notes are private!
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| Jul 2008
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Sep 04, 2007
| Paperback
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| 0451527747
| 9780451527745
| 4.04
| 195,132
| 1865
| Dec 01, 2000
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I've been meaning to read this for years, ever since a drunk guy at a Halloween party told me that the Norton version was phenomenal. I didn't think i...more
I've been meaning to read this for years, ever since a drunk guy at a Halloween party told me that the Norton version was phenomenal. I didn't think it was so wonderful. Not bad, but just watching the Disney version would have been enough. All but a couple pages are in the movie.(less)
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| Jul 20, 2008
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Aug 29, 2007
| Mass Market Paperback
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| 140003468X
| 9781400034680
| 3.83
| 180,595
| 1985
| Oct 05, 2007
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**spoiler alert** I read Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez because of John Cusack. It’s no secret that I have a weakness for the m...more
**spoiler alert** I read Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez because of John Cusack. It’s no secret that I have a weakness for the man. Between him and Gilbert Blythe, I’m likely to remain single for my entire life, because I’ll be searching for the combination of the two of them for eternity. I've started reading this book at least half a dozen times. This last time it was selected for the HBC ... Hersday Book Club. So I had to keep going this time. Much like my quest for the perfect cross between John Cusack and Gilbert Blythe, Love in the Time of Cholera is a tale of unrequited love. Florentino Ariza falls madly in love with Fermina Daza as a teenager, and worships her mercilessly from afar. When Florentino finally gets the courage to contact her, she accepts his attentions, and they begin a letter-writing affair with one another. When Fermina’s father finds out about their correspondence, he sends her to go live with cousins, and Florentino is heartbroken. When Fermina returns, she rebuffs Florentino, chalks up her affection for Florentino to a childhood crush, and is soon married to Juvenal Urbino, a young doctor. Throughout the years, Juvenal and Fermina have their triumphs and their disappointments, and through it all Florentino watches and waits patiently for Juvenal’s death, so he can reclaim his one true love. The onset of the novel is Juvenal’s death, and then the chapters that follow detail the events leading up to the doctor’s death. On to the scoring … a side note – the scoring this time is unapologetically FILLED with spoilers. Continue at your own risk. ** Florentino is creepy – maybe it’s because I am jaded, but he is obsessed and not in love – Minus 4 ** Chapter length ... I’ve been over the importance of this factor many many times - - but they’re flat out ridiculous in this book. 350 pages and 6 or 7 chapters. UGH … cause it’s so terrible to have chapters in a book - Minus 3 ** Beautiful narrative. The story flows nicely and you can feel the Caribbean town in the descriptions – Plus 4 ** Juvenal seems to be a genuine person who loves his wife unconditionally. – Plus 3 ** Juvenal has an affair, which makes him imperfect, and I appreciated that. Compared to Florentino’s constant reckless anonymous sex, I had a hard time not liking Juvenal – Plus 2 ** I have no sympathy for Florentino living with unrequited love for decades. He’s sleazy. And reminds me of a stalker. – Minus 3 ** Sara Noriega – one of Florentino’s lovers needs a pacifier in her mouth to have an orgasm. And she keeps them on the bed post - Plus 2 … cause a freaky kink is always appreciated ** “It is as if he were not a person but only a shadow.” – This are Fermina's thoughts on why she cannot love Florentino – Plus 3, I totally agree with this statement. He’s a shadow of a person, and I have a hard time having sympathy for him. ** I was so happy that Fermina originally rebuffs Florentino at the funeral. So inappropriate. I’m biased in this regard having had people offer to buy my grandmother’s house during her wake, something else so totally inappropriate. – Plus 5 ** When Juvenal dies, Florentino is in his late 60s (roughly) and sleeping with a teenage girl … who he is guardian of in the eyes of the state. How am I supposed to like this guy? How am I supposed to feel bad for him that he’s been living with unrequited love for 50 years?? He just makes me feel ICKY! Add to the fact that she kills herself after Florentino leaves her for Fermina … he’s such an unlikable bastard! – Minus 10 ** The first time that Florentino and Fermina are together, he’s got some ED action. It was great. It was justice. – Plus 3 ** Fermina prepares a dish on the river boat called Eggplant al Amor. Loved it. I’m totally going to copy her the next time I make eggplant. – Plus 2 ** Always referring to the characters by first and last name was kind of annoying. – Minus 2 Plus 2 – Overall, it was a good book. The narrative was beautiful, and the descriptions were phenomenal. But I had a really hard time reading the book simply because the Florentino was such a scumbag. If not for the HBC, I would have quit despite the lyrical beauty.(less) | Notes are private!
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| May 14, 2008
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Aug 28, 2007
| Paperback
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