I have read anna karenina before, but I did not really remember all of the plot line so it has been fun reading this book and slowly remembering some...moreI have read anna karenina before, but I did not really remember all of the plot line so it has been fun reading this book and slowly remembering some things, but then there are androids! it's very much an alternate reality that is fun to discover. I must admit that by the end, I was sucked in and wondering how the book was going to end and resolve some of the outstanding plot points. So this is a good addition to the other novels that have added zombies and sea monsters to jane austen books.(less)
This is an interesting novel. It is a book within a book. Basically, in 2011, Grace receives a book from a family friend, Toby, that was a novel that...moreThis is an interesting novel. It is a book within a book. Basically, in 2011, Grace receives a book from a family friend, Toby, that was a novel that was never publicly published of his father's (who had written several well acclaimed book). Grace agrees to read it to see if it might be published now. The book, called The Child's Child, was set in England in the period before and during World War II and dealt with homosexuality and unwed mothers. The Child's Child book is the middle part of this book and it is bookended with scenes from 2011 and Grace's life with her brother Andrew and his lover James. Several elements of the book The Child's Child occur in the 2011 portion of this novel, but I must admit those 2011 sections just sort of feel tacked on. I actually really liked the Child's Child section, and so for that, I really liked this book. The Child's Child section deals with Maud, who becomes pregnant at 15, and her brother, John, who is homosexual, but is trying to deny that since it is considered a sin. He offers to help Maud by moving with her to a small town, and saying that they are husband and wife so that the baby seems legitimate. But his love for his lover, Bertie, makes it harder and harder for him to deny what he is. This will eventually lead to tragedy. The novel follows the life of Maud and her daughter, Hope, as they both grow up.
Overall, this book was a fast read, and I enjoyed it. Though like I said above, the 2011 sections seemed not quite completely fleshed out. Granted they make up less than a 1/3 of the book, but I feel that the author should have made it seem less jarring when you finish the Child's Child section, and go back to the 2011 section. I had trouble recalling some of the character's names since it had been over 200 pages since they were last on the page.(less)
This is a wonderful novel. It tells the story of Louisa and Rolf - two young German Jews who escape from Germany before World War 2 starts to live in...moreThis is a wonderful novel. It tells the story of Louisa and Rolf - two young German Jews who escape from Germany before World War 2 starts to live in America. They fall in love, and it is the story of their lives and their family. Though sad things happen in the book (the Holocaust, Louisa's illness, etc), the book never becomes bogged down with sadness. The writing keeps the story moving and it definitely enthralled me. You really end up caring for all the characters even when you don't like some of the things that they do or that happens.
The title is a strange one for this book since the novel is about Jews. Near the beginning, the term "oriental wife" is mentioned and then at the end, Rolf and Louisa's daughter becomes involved with a Cambodian man. But I did not feel the oriental wife described the two main female characters or really any of the characters. But despite the title seeming not to fit the book, I really enjoyed it.
I won this copy of the book in one of the Goodreads giveaways, but that has not influenced my review.(less)
This book is basically a memoir of the author's pursuit to discover indigo, a deep blue dye made in the traditional African manner. She goes to Africa...moreThis book is basically a memoir of the author's pursuit to discover indigo, a deep blue dye made in the traditional African manner. She goes to Africa in pursuit of this. Throughout the book and her stories in Africa, the author weaves in information about the history of indigo and its effects on African culture, economy, etc. It was interesting to learn about how important cloth is to African culture. However, the history, etc of indigo is not very deeply explored, I thought. Since it is interspersed throughout, I never really felt like I got a full picture of the history, especially the chronology of it's growth and decline in importance. So I wished the author had made this a bit more of a research/historical book. But her stories and experiences were interesting though again, I never really understood her passion and obsession for indigo. She would often say things like "indigo is love" and while I sort of got that, I also sort of didn't. But since it was more of a tale of discovery for the author, I accepted her feelings on this. I found the character of Eurama to be the most interesting person in the book.
I received this copy of the book from one of the Goodreads giveaways.(less)
It took me a little bit to get into this book, but after a bit, I started to really like the main characters, and rooted for them to get together and...moreIt took me a little bit to get into this book, but after a bit, I started to really like the main characters, and rooted for them to get together and win. The plot and the writing is a bit basic, but it's a fun and quick read. Good for the beach. The bad guys in the book are very stereotypical and only at the very end do you find out what is really going on and why so there is not a lot of character or plot development in that way. The book is really about the main two characters, Jake and Robin, and how while on the run from the bad guys, they grow to love each other and help each other get over some personal baggage they each have from the past. They use God and praying to also help them. I'm not a huge religious person but they religion and God stuff that is in the book is done in a light way - not overly religious and cloying which is nice. I think that is handled really well.
I won this autographed copy (which is cool) in one of the Goodreads giveaways, but that has not influenced my above review. (less)
This novel is about an elderly man, Martin Manning, who has locked himself in his apartment for 30 years and has not interacted with anyone during tha...moreThis novel is about an elderly man, Martin Manning, who has locked himself in his apartment for 30 years and has not interacted with anyone during that time. A caseworker comes to his apartment one day and is determined to have him come out and integrate with society again so that he can become a "better" person. The novel becomes a satire on how well-meaning intentions of help can quickly become excessive and infringe on a person's rights. Martin is removed forcibly from his apartment and then set on a path of improvement which involves attending a variety of classes meant to help him overcome various issues. He is very resentful of this interference to say the least. And pretty much from the start, he plots and plans a way to get away and to enact his revenge on the people who caused this to happen for him. It is a humorous book and a fast read. I wish I learned a little more about Martin's back story, and more information as to why he locked himself away for 30 years. But you do definitely feel for him and what he has to go through. The book is a bit open-ended at the end so I wonder if there is meant to be a sequel?
I won this novel in one of the Goodreads giveaways.(less)
This novel is about a middle-aged woman, Lauren, who lives in Austin, TX with her boyfriend Gerry. Her beloved brother, Alex, tells her he is leaving...moreThis novel is about a middle-aged woman, Lauren, who lives in Austin, TX with her boyfriend Gerry. Her beloved brother, Alex, tells her he is leaving to go to Iraq with Doctors without Borders, and that awakens all sorts of fears and worries in her. Alex has been her rock every since their mother was killed when she was 8 and he was 10. Their father was incarcerated for this crime, and has been in jail ever since. Lauren is convinced of his guilt and she does not want to revisit the past, but her brother think their dad is innocent. His leaving leads Lauren down a path of discovering the truth of what happened and additionally coming to terms with her inability to really commit to her boyfriend, etc. The book is pretty well written, and the characters are interesting. It is a pretty quick read. However, the book introduces another character, Sylvia, in the middle of the novel in a surprising twist. But at the end, the author does not tell us what happens to her. Maybe that is good because the novel is wrapped up pretty neatly and perhaps it would be too neat if all the loose ends were answered. Nevertheless, the story kept my attention and interest.
I won this copy in one of the Goodreads giveaways.(less)
I very much enjoyed this book. It is set in 2043, and America has turned into ice, and some survivors moved to a new island between Hawaii and Califor...moreI very much enjoyed this book. It is set in 2043, and America has turned into ice, and some survivors moved to a new island between Hawaii and California, and established a new country - America Pacifica. 15 year old Darcy grew up there, and it is a very unequal society with her and her mom barely scrapping by. When her mom disappears, Darcy goes on a hunt to find her and in doing so uncovers secrets about the ruling people of America Pacifica, the mainland, and about her mom. This future world is very interesting with a lot of things made from seaweed modified to become fuel, building materials, etc. But the material isn't very good, and the sidewalks melt when it rains for instance. The plot really moves along and kept my attention. I kept reading, wanting to know what happens next and what other interesting or crazy character Darcy was going to met. The book ends and does not answer all your questions which leads me to think the author was setting up for a sequel. Which if there is one, I would want to read!(less)
This is a fun fantasy type novel with some romance thrown in. Cassie is a seemingly normal American woman when she meets Alex, s strikingly handsome m...moreThis is a fun fantasy type novel with some romance thrown in. Cassie is a seemingly normal American woman when she meets Alex, s strikingly handsome man. Even when she firsts meets him, she feels there is something unique about him. It turns out he is from an alternate world coming to enlist her help to save his country from an evil person who is wreaking weather-related devastation on his land. Despite her hesitation, she eventually agrees to go back with him to his world (and brings along her friend, Grace). There she discovers she has a special power of healing and can harness that to help fight the effects of the devastation. Along the way she becomes more and more attracted to Alex and she discovers she is connected to him in a way that she does not fully understand. The book is a fun read and I enjoyed the characters in it. Though there are times when I feel a bit incredulous about how Cassie acts - she just leaves home and ends up staying away for what seems like months and doesn't really give any thought to the fact that she probably has lost her job, etc. Plus she had a cat that she left with friends (full disclosure - I have a dog, and I definitely would not leave him behind so I suppose that might be me being a little biased). But despite that, I enjoyed the book. Though I wonder if it is the first in the series because I feel like there are some unanswered questions - such as the connection between Cassie and Alex. I imagine there has to be a reason they have it. I kind of thought perhaps it might be because Cassie is originally from Alex's world, but nothing like that comes up in the book. So maybe it will be explained in a future book or maybe not!
I won this book in one of the Goodreads giveaways. (less)
This is a very strange book. It purports to tell of a UFO sighting in 1947 at Maury Island by this man Crisman who then was involved with the CIA and...moreThis is a very strange book. It purports to tell of a UFO sighting in 1947 at Maury Island by this man Crisman who then was involved with the CIA and potentially JFK's assassination. The first half of the book (about 115 pages) tells this story though it is mostly focused on the Maury Island incident. The second half of the book are a series of appendixes that raise more questions. Basically everything is innuendo and suppositions. Crisman may have known of strange characters and may have been involved with the CIA, but it is really hard to connect the dots. There are so many stories and Crisman told so many different versions of the Maury Island incident, including saying it was a hoax, that it is really hard to believe him on what happened. Evidence like photos never materialized, etc. So while the theories are interesting to read about, I find it a bit too much of a leap expecially to JFK's assassination. I received this copy of the book in a Good reads giveaway so I am not sure if I received an advance copy or not, but there were a lot of typos and grammatical errors (like missing periods, etc) that really ended up detracting from the book as a whole also.(less)
This is a zombie book - one where the zombies are created by a mad scientist type. It is set over the course of a day and night in the county of Stebb...moreThis is a zombie book - one where the zombies are created by a mad scientist type. It is set over the course of a day and night in the county of Stebbins - a remote farming county in Pennsylvania. The main character, Desdemona Fox, is a police officer who has some issues. As many different characters say in the novel, she is damaged goods. But she knows how to kick butt and quickly learns how to kick some zombie butt too. She is strong but vulnerable character, and I liked her. Her partner, JT, is a good foil though he disappears fairly early on in the book. The zombies are classic zombies - they want to bite and eat human flesh. However, through one of the early zombies, we learn that consciousness of the person lives on in the zombie but is unable to control the zombie body. So you get an unique insight by being able to get in the zombie head. If you like zombie books, you will like this one. It has a lot of thrills but also a pretty developed plot and characters.
I won this book in one of the Goodreads giveaways.(less)
This book is about the real life story of Everett Ruess, an young wanderer, who in the 1930s went out on his own, and explored the Southwestern desert...moreThis book is about the real life story of Everett Ruess, an young wanderer, who in the 1930s went out on his own, and explored the Southwestern desert area for months and months at a time on his own. He did this from the age of 16 to the age of 20 when he disappeared in the Southwest and was never seen again. This book tells the story of this life and of those voyages up to when he disappeared. During his travels, he wrote, painted, etc and these writings have inspired people ever since. He was very much like the boy who went into the Alaskan forests on his own that was described in the book Into the Wild and was made into a movie. The author of Into the Wild writes the forward for this book. After telling Everett's story, the author attempts to uncover the mystery of his disappearance, and when an old body is found relatively near to where Everett disappeared, an investigation begins to determine whether the body was Everett's. It is interesting to read about this young man and all that he did in his very short life. He has inspired countless others and therefore lives on through what he did, his writings, etc. I very much admire the young man. The book was enjoyable to read, and it was very well balanced. The author presents possible theories about Everett that are controversial, but he handles them in a very even-handed way. I recommend this book.
I received this book in one of the Goodreads giveaways.(less)
I enjoyed this book especially because it is unusually written. It is written in verse so it's like a long poem, and it there are some turns of phrase...moreI enjoyed this book especially because it is unusually written. It is written in verse so it's like a long poem, and it there are some turns of phrases that are really lovely. At times, this mode of writing can make it difficult to understand a paragraph but everything becomes clear eventually, and you get the jist of it. But overall, I think it's a really interesting to read. The novel is about a 17 yr old guy named Edmund Lea who, due to events that become clearer as the book goes on, becomes doomed to ride a ghost type train forever. He does not age. Every 7 years he is returned on the day he started riding the train, Christmas Eve, to his home town. As the years pass, he sees his family and friends grow old, and most do not believe he is Edmund since he still looks 17. He struggles to figure a way to stop this curse. And in doing so, he remembers the events that lead him to board the ghost train in the first place. It's a very unique book, and I really enjoyed the writing, the story, etc.(less)
This is a light-hearted take on the supernatural genre. Basically, it is about a super-secret spy/defense organization called the Chequy that focuses...moreThis is a light-hearted take on the supernatural genre. Basically, it is about a super-secret spy/defense organization called the Chequy that focuses on supernatural threats. It also recruits and trains agents that have supernatural abilities though there are some normal human employees in the organization too. The power structure of the organization is set up like chess with a King/Queen (in this case they are called Lord/Lady), Bishops, Rooks, etc. One of the top operatives is a woman named Myfanwy Thomas who is a Rook. Someone in the organization double crosses her and wipes her memory. But she had received hints that this would happen so she plans aheads and leaves instructions for the person that would appear in her body after her memory is wiped. This person is still Myfanwy, but due to this memory wipe, her personality is a bit different. This Myfanwy decides to act as if nothing has happened to her, and she decides to try to figure out who double crossed the organization. Along the way she has run-ins with supernatural and bizarre genetically engineered creatures, a rival supernatural organization, dealing with her conterparts in the Chequy, and all while still trying to figure out who she is. The book is humorously written and does not take itself too seriously. It is a fun, fast read. I liked it.(less)
This book jumps from 1969, 1989, 2006, and back and forth as the characters tell their stories and their views on the death of an American girl in 196...moreThis book jumps from 1969, 1989, 2006, and back and forth as the characters tell their stories and their views on the death of an American girl in 1969 in a remote town in Finland. The girl dies from falling off a cliff, and it is assumed that her boyfriend pushed her and then hung himself. But is there more to this story? Various different characters, with varying degrees of connections to this event, tell their stories. As the book goes on, you uncover some answers that relate to this mystery, discover information about mysteries you didn't even suspect, and at last get a final resolution on the American girl mystery. The book is written in an odd style. The best way I can describe it is each character is written in a stream of conciousness style. And you discover as the book goes on, some of the narrators are unreliable. This style of writing was unusual and confusing for me and I felt detracted some from the story. While you get a sense of the character some of what the character says doesn't make a lot of sense (at least to me though some things become clearer by the end of the book). I eventually got used to the style though, but I can't rate the book any higher because of it.(less)
This is the true story of a Captain in the Special Forces, and his mission in Afganistan in 2006 called Operation Medusa - the attempt to clear out Ta...moreThis is the true story of a Captain in the Special Forces, and his mission in Afganistan in 2006 called Operation Medusa - the attempt to clear out Taliban in their heartland in the south of Afghanistan. The book was really riveting, and very interesting to get an insider perspective of the war, the Afghan army that the special ops forces fought with, etc. There is a lot of action in the book and it keeps your attention. I did have some problems with keeping track of all the different special ops team members that the author was the commander of. I wish there had been a glossary or something of the names and their role in the ops team. It was amazing to read this story, and read about how the special ops team lacked certain equipment because the priority was to send that stuff to Iraq at that point. The author really stays away from politics and does not really second guess those sorts of things, but it is scattered throughout the story, and it does make me wish the USA had been more prepared for the Afgan war. But you really end up admiring the soldier and all that they have to do and are subjected to. It is an incredible story of survival, perserverence, courage, dedication, and loyalty. (less)
This is a thriller about weather manipulation causing havoc across the globe. A scientist, Greg Simpson, sets up a research base on Antartica called T...moreThis is a thriller about weather manipulation causing havoc across the globe. A scientist, Greg Simpson, sets up a research base on Antartica called TESLA with the help of a huge agrobusiness called Flint. There Greg goes rogue and starts causing weather to wreak havoc. When Flint decides to replace him with another scientist, Tess, he really flips out. Tess worked for him in the past, and due to the way their working relationship ended, Greg hates her. So before he leaves TESLA, he activates software viruses and code taht he has programmed that essentially hijacks the weather manipulation equipment, and it starts sending out disasterous storms, earthquakes, etc. Also, there are government players involved like the Pentagon who want to use TESLA for their purposes too. One of the interesting things about this novel is that it seems strangely plausible that big business, the government, etc could have programs with these purposes. Are some of the horrible weather events like Katrina, etc really just freaks of nature storms or could they have been purposely generated? The book it entertaining and fast paced. I enjoyed it.
I won this copy in one of the Goodreads giveaways.(less)
This is a book where the author has gathered together the stories of about 46 people who have had experience with smoking in some form - either smokin...moreThis is a book where the author has gathered together the stories of about 46 people who have had experience with smoking in some form - either smoking themselves, seen loved ones dies from smoking related diseases, activists, etc. Each person's brief story (one page) is accompanied with their photo. It personalizes the fact that thousands of people die from smoking related diseases every day. I am so glad that I have never smoked! Perhaps this book may inspire others to quit or never to start smoking. Many of the activists were involved in getting smokefree workplaces and restaurants laws passed which I am very glad about! The only thing about this book is while at the very end there is a list of websites and resources, I would think it would have been a little better to include a little more info on how one can try to quit smoking. But other than that, the stories were interesting.
I won this copy of the book in one of the Goodread giveaways.(less)
This is a novel set in the 1800s in which a young English girl is sent to live with her uncle in the wilds of Canada after the death of her parents. D...moreThis is a novel set in the 1800s in which a young English girl is sent to live with her uncle in the wilds of Canada after the death of her parents. Danielle knows her uncle to be revengeful and bad man since he had bankrupted her parents before their deaths. When Danielle arrives to live with him, her worst fears are confirmed. She befriends an Indian shaman named Shadow Song. After witnessing an act of evil by her uncle, she runs away and becomes Shadow Song's apprentice. She learns and lives with the native people, learning about how to respect nature and the way of the land. However, her uncle does not give up hunting for her and eventually Danielle and Shadow Song realize they must confront their hunters.
This is a very interesting novel as it very much goes into the culture and way of life of the Indians living in the Canadian forests. I found it very fascinating. Danielle is also a sympathetic and yet strong character. It is quite a lot that she had to live through.
I won this copy in one of the Goodreads giveaways.(less)
This is a thriller where the bad guys are these dark angel types. It is interesting because a lot of what you know about angels from the Bible come in...moreThis is a thriller where the bad guys are these dark angel types. It is interesting because a lot of what you know about angels from the Bible come into the story, but there is also the story of Orpheus and his lyre that plays a huge part in the plot. So it is definitely not your typical angel story. A nun, Evangeline, meets a man, Verlaine, who is doing research on a Rockefeller. He discovers that the head nun at Evangeline's convent was writing to Abigail Rockefeller so he goes and meets Evangeline in hopes of learning more. This leads to them both discovering a secret society of people (which included Evangeline's dead mother and father) who research and try to stop the dark angels. Evangeline and Verlaine get drawn into this world and have to work together to prevent a dark angel, Grigori, who killed Evangeline's mother from getting an ancient relic that could change the world. The book is well written and really moves along and keeps you interested. All the back story and historical info that is brought into the book really helps flesh the book out. Very entertaining! The author is working on a sequel which I would definitely be interested in reading when it comes out.
I won this copy in one of the Goodreads giveaways.(less)
This novel is about a scientist, Darren, who turns into a crime fighter in an area of LA called the Orchard. He, along with a fellow scientist, has de...moreThis novel is about a scientist, Darren, who turns into a crime fighter in an area of LA called the Orchard. He, along with a fellow scientist, has developed a highly advanced suit that is abulletproof and can help him jump higher, run faster, etc than a human typically can. He also has some cool gadgets on it that can help his crime fighting ability. The gangs he fights against end up hating him and they do everything they can to stop him which leads to the climax when someone he cares about is kidnapped. At the end, the author sets up the possibility of there being other crim fighting individuals like Darren who have other super technology so the possibility of having a group of superhero type people in later books is suggested. The book is entertaining, but I wish there had been a bit more character development. Perhaps that will come in later books. The book is fast paced and a pretty quick read.
I won this copy in one of the Goodreads giveaways.(less)
This is a well-written and comprehensive look at the growth of the USA military-industrial complex since September 11th, 2001. The authors detail not...moreThis is a well-written and comprehensive look at the growth of the USA military-industrial complex since September 11th, 2001. The authors detail not only the growth in the military and other organizations that deal with terrorism (like DHS, etc), but it specifically looks at how the growth has been in creating organizations, data, etc that have been classified as top secret. They examine the growth of top secret-related organizations, operations, etc. While people of different political backgrounds may agree/disagree with some of the premises in this book what I found interesting and particularly relevant to the current political climate is that the growth in the top secret USA has lead to an explosion in money being spent that is not being tracked, being spent with organizations that are essentially doing the same work, and no one is figuring out the effectiveness of a variety of programs, operations, etc that have come into existence. It is the lack of accountability that really amazes me. I hope that with the wars in Iraq and Afgahnistan winding down that the higher-ups in the government can scrutinize the spending, the programs, the use of expensive contractors, etc and figure out a way to be more effective and more efficient with money. And I bet if they could figure out what programs were actually working and eliminated the programs that are a waste of money, there would be savings that could be used for the deficit or something. Anyway, this book really makes you think and poses a lot of interesting questions and topics to think about.
I won this copy in one of the Goodreads giveaways.(less)
This is a young adult book about a teenager, Wren, who can do magic, and when her first love boyfriend dies, she uses her magic to bring him back to l...moreThis is a young adult book about a teenager, Wren, who can do magic, and when her first love boyfriend dies, she uses her magic to bring him back to life. But he is not really alive and he is not the same as he used to be. So she begins to realize that bringing him back was a bad idea. She meets another boy, Gabriel, who helps her to realize what she needs to do - let him go for real. The book really centers around Wren, and it is written from her perspective. I really liked her character, and really felt for her. The book hints at other issues - Gabriel's background, Wren's dad's disappearance, etc that are not resolved in this book so it makes me think the author is setting up for a series or a sequel. Despite this book supposedly being for young adults, I really enjoyed it, and felt that the Wren character was more mature than the average teenager so I could identify with her.
I won this copy in one of the Goodreads giveaways.(less)
This is a fun novel. It is about time travel. Nick Falcott jumps into the future (from the 1800s to the present) when he is about to be killed in batt...moreThis is a fun novel. It is about time travel. Nick Falcott jumps into the future (from the 1800s to the present) when he is about to be killed in battle. He is collected by a mysterious group of time travelers called the Guild. He is recruited to help them find a mysterious object called the Talisman which is the Guild's hope to save the future because there appears to be a probably in the future which may result in the end of the world. Nick agrees to go back to his time to try to locate this Talisman. While there, he is reunited with a girl he loves, Julia, and discovers a rival group of time travelers called the Ofan. I enjoyed this book; however when there was about 30 pages to go (it has about 300 pages), I started getting the sense that not everything could be resolved by the end. And that is how it seemed. So I suspect this might be the first of a series which I would be interested in reading. I just wish I knew that when I started the book! But nevertheless, the characters are fun and the way time travel works in this book actually made sense to me. It seemed to resolve all those time travel conundrums of what if you go back in time and change your future by doing something different, etc? So I thought that was smartly written. I would recommend reading this book if you like fantasy/time travel adventure stories with a romantic element. (less)
I really enjoyed this book. It's a good fantasy novel with an elves, some mages, etc. The main character, Willow, is an elf who lives among humans as...moreI really enjoyed this book. It's a good fantasy novel with an elves, some mages, etc. The main character, Willow, is an elf who lives among humans as the Captain in the army. Her old enemies, the Kards, invade the land and kidnap the prince right in front of her. So she goes on a quest to rescue the prince and in the process confronts some old fears, demons, etc. At first when I started reading it, I was not sure I was going to like the main character, but as I kept reading, I really got wrapped up in her story and the plot. It ended up being quite a page turner for me - even if there were times when I had to suspend disbelief that she could be injured so much and still be able to keep going. The ending is also a bit too neatly wrapped up, but still it is a very enjoyable book, and I would like to read more by this author.
I won this book in one of the Goodreads giveaways but that has not affected my above review.(less)
This was definitely an interesting book. It is a research book about the effect of income inequality on all sorts of different things in society such...moreThis was definitely an interesting book. It is a research book about the effect of income inequality on all sorts of different things in society such as violence, mortality rates, health problems, levels of trust, etc. Basically, the research shows that in countries and in US states that have higher levels of income inequality, there are more problems in society - higher prison populations, lower education levels, higher violence, less trust, more health problems, etc. The authors show this effect over a broad range of issues and it is pretty convincing. The authors do have some suggestions on how to make society more equal, but they do not get into too much detail on how to do this. Perhaps because they do not want to be accused of being too liberal in their suggestions. But they do have interesting ideas that if society is more equal then we could actually have a smaller government. It is idealistic but perhaps with work, it could happen. I think this is a very good read.(less)
This is a collection of poems from the author's life. They span about 15 years from the author's teenage years to her early thirties. The book is divi...moreThis is a collection of poems from the author's life. They span about 15 years from the author's teenage years to her early thirties. The book is divided into four sections, but I think I would have preferred the poems to have been arranged by date (the author includes the year that each was written). I feel I get a bit more of a sense of the author when I realize that a poem was written in her teens versus her twenties, etc. You can see some of her development. I am not a huge reader of poetry so I don't really know how to analyze her poems, but overall, I enjoyed reading this collection. I liked some of her teenage angst poems like "i hurl my screams" and "a rush of flames" and her poems about striving to be an artist like "portrait of the artist, struggling." I think we can all identify with that feeling of whether we can be successful in what we do.
I won this copy in one of the Goodreads giveaway contests. (less)
I really enjoyed this book. It is about a family - Camille and Caleb Fang and their children Annie and Buster. Camille & Caleb like to create stra...moreI really enjoyed this book. It is about a family - Camille and Caleb Fang and their children Annie and Buster. Camille & Caleb like to create strange performance art pieces that involve their children as collaborators. The children eventually rebel against their parents and Annie goes off to become an actress and Buster becomes a writer. Both end up having personal difficulties that result in them moving back home with their parents. Then their parents disappear under mysterious circumstances. Annie and Buster don't know whether to believe they are dead or perhaps an elaborate perfomance art scheme. They are determined to find the truth. I enjoyed the characters in this novel - they are quirky and strange but fun to read about. And I was very interested in finding out what happened to Camille and Caleb so the book was a quick read for me. It is well written and their are some unexpected twists. I highly recommend it.(less)
I read this book after reading Midnight in Austenland (which is a sequel of sorts - different main character), and I really enjoyed Midnight in Austen...moreI read this book after reading Midnight in Austenland (which is a sequel of sorts - different main character), and I really enjoyed Midnight in Austenland. Both books are set at a vacation spot called Pembrook Park where modern day women can dress up & act like it is the time of Jane Austen. There are actors that play different parts to set up romances, etc. This book, Austenland, is fun and I enjoyed reading it, but it was a bit short. It is about 200 pages, and I felt it could have been a bit longer and have more description, etc. nevertheless, it is a solid romance story with the added benefit of having elements of Jane Austen mixed in. However, I would highly highly recommend reading Midnight at Austenland. The main character is much more fleshed out and the plot is much more in depth (elements of a murder mystery!). I am looking forward to Shannon Hale writing more Austenland books!(less)
This novel was very entertaining. The story is told from various characters view point - different family members and from the view point of the main...moreThis novel was very entertaining. The story is told from various characters view point - different family members and from the view point of the main character - the radioactive lady. She wants to kill the grandfather of this family because he was the lead doctor of a study that she was involved in was a young woman in which she unknowingly ingested radioactive substance while pregnant. Her daughter then died at the age of 8 from cancer. However, Marylou discovers that killing an old man who also has alzheimer's is more difficult than she imagines so she gets close to the family to try to figure out a way to do this. As she tries to create problems with the family, she also discovers that she likes the family members more and more. Though the novel ends up tying everything together a little too neatly, I enjoyed the book. It was humorous to get the different view points of the characters, and to have the story develop in this way. (less)
Loading...
