This was a very good book but I couldn't give it 5 stars because somehow it left me longing at a few points, including the ending. I loved the story i...moreThis was a very good book but I couldn't give it 5 stars because somehow it left me longing at a few points, including the ending. I loved the story idea and the overwhelming theme that you need to listen to your heart and the world around you to find your personal legend. The book goes beyond religion to the idea that we need to look into ourselves to find our own happiness.
Bookclub has been reading a lot of books lately about finding your personal legend, so obviously this is a theme we're really into. I'd recommend reading this book.(less)
The premise of this book was great, but it really seemed to fall flat. She didn't completely immerse herself in the situation and that made her advent...moreThe premise of this book was great, but it really seemed to fall flat. She didn't completely immerse herself in the situation and that made her adventure seem less realistic.(less)
I first read this book when it came out in 2006. It had been a gift from my husband and I knew nothing of what it was about. I quickly came to underst...moreI first read this book when it came out in 2006. It had been a gift from my husband and I knew nothing of what it was about. I quickly came to understand that this is one of those books that everyone should read, especially anyone who had been touched by the power of books.
As the narrator explains in the beginning, this is a small story "about, among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist fighter and quite a lot of thievery." The girl is Liesel Memminger who is 9 years old when we first meet her on a train to Munich to be delivered into the hands of foster parents by her mother. She is the protagonist of this story, which is interestingly narrated by death. Death is not supposed to get attached to living people, but something about Liesel captures his attention early on and he hovers over her life throughout the years. The story begins in 1939 so WWII is an underlying character in the story as well.
Liesel first steals a book at the grave of her younger brother, who died en route to Munich. The book she steals is The Grave Diggers Handbook, but she doesn't know this as she cannot read. But words are a huge part of who Liesel is to become and this book is the beginning, her entry into the meaning and power of words. Her foster father, Hans, finds this book later in the story and so begins her reading lessons.
Throughout the twists and turns of this elegant book, Liesel learns about how powerful words are. She continues to steal books, although there is a long break between the first book and the second, and they feed her soul. When her foster family hides a Jewish man in the basement, she begins to learn about a different facet to the power of words - she sees how writing words down can bring joy to people and from one special book, she understands how words can move people to do things. Since Hitler is also a fringe character in this book, towards the end Liesel makes a powerful statement about words -
"Why did they have to exist? Without them, there wouldn't be any of this. Without words, the Fuhrer was nothing....What good are words." (p. 521)
In this statement she acknowledges how the Fuhrer convinced people to believe in his vision with words. But she unknowingly also makes a statement about the power that we all hold with our own words. In the end, she writes her own story and it saves her life.
This is one of the truly special books of our time. It is a story of Nazi Germany from a non-Jewish perspective. It is a story showing how WWII impacted everyone - the fear in people's hearts, the hatred, the good deeds, the heroes, the death. Although this is published as a YA book, it is a book for everyone.(less)
Absolutely loved this book. It's been a long time since a book has moved me to underline, write exclamation points and fold down pages. The journey th...moreAbsolutely loved this book. It's been a long time since a book has moved me to underline, write exclamation points and fold down pages. The journey that Liz Gilbert took is one filled with passion and bravery.(less)
I really enjoyed this book. What kept me from giving it a 5 star rating is that it was very convoluted at times due to narrator changes, flash backs a...moreI really enjoyed this book. What kept me from giving it a 5 star rating is that it was very convoluted at times due to narrator changes, flash backs and changing use of personal pronouns. I thought that the story itself was truly engaging and riveting, there were just many instances where I had to look back to earlier pages to understand certain things.(less)
LOVED this book. I can't believe it took me so long to pick up this book and finally read it. If you haven't read it yet, I highly suggest running out...moreLOVED this book. I can't believe it took me so long to pick up this book and finally read it. If you haven't read it yet, I highly suggest running out and getting a copy.
Sara Gruen tells the story of Jacob Jankowski and his life in the circus with a moving prose that makes it nearly impossible to put it down. In her colorful cast of characters you not only have Jacob, the suddenly orphaned young man who was on a final exam away from officially being a vet, but Marlena, the beautiful star of the equestrian team and her slightly insane husband August who is the equestrian director and will become Jacob's boss. Rounding out the cast of characters is: Kinko, a dwarf performer who is less than thrilled about having to bunk with Jacob; Camel, an old worker who is an alcoholic in the middle of prohibition; Uncle Al, the show's ringmaster and leader who got to where he was by stealing and backstabbing and has no qualms about having people redlighted (aka thrown off the train in the middle of the night); and Rosie, the elephant that didn't seem to know how to do anything but eat huge amounts of food until Jacob discovered the secret to her success.
All of these characters truly came to life and Jacob Jankowski remembered his days in Uncle Al's circus and a tragedy that happened there 70 years after the fact. There is a love story and a history lesson of the circus in the years of the depression. A book not to be missed!(less)
There were a lot of negative reviews about this book, but I think it's because many people are not quite ready to read a book with an opening sentence...moreThere were a lot of negative reviews about this book, but I think it's because many people are not quite ready to read a book with an opening sentence of “When all is said and done, killing my mother came easily.” I found this book to be incredibly gripping. It was very well written, and you were drawn in to actually feel something for the daughter.
The story is told by Helen, a 50 something woman who is worn out from looking after her elderly mother. Her father passed away some 20 years earlier and her mother is suffering from dementia and has long been agoraphobic and basically mentally unstable. We slowly learn more about Helen and her family through flashbacks and memories.
What Helen has done is shocking; the act of killing her mother is definitely not the last thing to shock you though. And yet, you somehow understand what she has done and feel for her. She has gone through so many things that have led her to the act of killing her own mother.
Alice Sebold has a way with difficult materials. She takes tragic and painful stories and somehow infuses them with great depth and feeling. This is well worth reading.(less)
I didn't finish this one. There are too many good books out there and not enough time. The sad part is that I recommended this to my book club. Oh wel...moreI didn't finish this one. There are too many good books out there and not enough time. The sad part is that I recommended this to my book club. Oh well.
My beef with the book is that it reads like someone's college thesis - way too dry. The premise of the book was truly interesting, but she just couldn't capture my attention enough to care.(less)
I don't think I would have finished this book if it wasn't for the fact that it is a bookclub read. That being said, I actually did enjoy it once I go...moreI don't think I would have finished this book if it wasn't for the fact that it is a bookclub read. That being said, I actually did enjoy it once I got back a horribly boring beginning. The book was an odd cross between sci-fci, chick-lit and young adult fiction. It didn't quite know what it was which is why parts of it didn't work, but once I got nearly half way through, I actually started to care about some of the characters. (less)
This was an amazing book that I don't believe got much press at all. This was a work of fiction by an actual professor of Neuropsychology about Alzhei...moreThis was an amazing book that I don't believe got much press at all. This was a work of fiction by an actual professor of Neuropsychology about Alzheimers. Told through the eyes of Dr. Alice Howland, a cognitive psychology professor at Harvard, it is a beautiful yet disturbing portrait of a woman dealing with Early Onset Alzheimers Disease. This might have been the best illustration that I have ever seen of what someone with AD must go through and, to a lesser extent, how their family deals with it. Alice comes to grips with her diagnosis and struggles to maintain her identity in light of the fact that she must give up being a Harvard professor, limit her daily runs to when her husband can accompany her and has difficulties recognizing her own children. The writing was done in such a way that the reader is able to experience Alice's memory slipping away. It was such a wise move to organize the books by month so that there was a steady progression of loss.
I personally have not had a great deal of exposure to anyone with Alzheimers, even though I volunteered for years for a run that raised money for a local assisted living facility and adult day care for AD patients. This book made Alzheimers more real and more frightening then any factual news article might have. It also made me truly appreciate all that care givers go through. My husband's uncle suffers from AD and this book made me want to call his aunt and talk to her about all she has been through. It also just made me want to give her a big hug and let her know how amazed I am by her. My own grandmother had dementia, but she was older and had lived a full life and by the time she was suffering, I lived across the country and didn't truly have to confront it. Still, I find it so hard to be around someone who is lost in their own world. On many levels, I think that reading this book gave me a new appreciation for aging adults and those that care for them. I know that I will make more of an effort in the future. It isn't a light and easy read, but I would highly recommend this book.(less)
This book is hugely popular with bookclubs, has gotten rave reviews and there are people who "gush" over this book. Why?!? If it wasn't for the fact t...moreThis book is hugely popular with bookclubs, has gotten rave reviews and there are people who "gush" over this book. Why?!? If it wasn't for the fact that my bookclub picked it and I was curious to see why so many people loved it, I highly doubt I would have finished it. The characters were flat and the story highly predictable.
The story is written in letter format primarily between the characters of Juliet, Sidney, Sophie, Dawsey and Amelia. Juliet is a writer looking for a new book to write after WWII, Sidney is her best friend Sophie's brother and also her publisher, and Dawsey and Amelia are two of the characters who make up the Literary Society.
There are some charming moments, but overall, it was just another mediocre book that has gotten way too much attention.(less)
This is actually more of a 3 1/2 star rating. I really enjoyed this book and the characters, but I wish that there had been no reference to Laura Bush...moreThis is actually more of a 3 1/2 star rating. I really enjoyed this book and the characters, but I wish that there had been no reference to Laura Bush or the Bush presidency. The book really had my attention until the White House years when I got increasingly annoyed by it. It could have been a great book if it was just about a woman. Her husband could have been a politician at any level, but specifically referencing things that happened (like the 2000 election issues) in a book that was a work of fiction was an unfortunate mistake.(less)
This is the first, and possibly only, book I've ever read by Patricia Cornwell. I've heard that Body Of Evidence is a great book but this book was pre...moreThis is the first, and possibly only, book I've ever read by Patricia Cornwell. I've heard that Body Of Evidence is a great book but this book was pretty much awful. It was a bookclub read that they decided to change the day I fished it. Don't waste your time.(less)
I think you have to be more of a dog lover and/or fan of NASCAR to truly enjoy this book. It was an interesting story and premise (told in the dog's v...moreI think you have to be more of a dog lover and/or fan of NASCAR to truly enjoy this book. It was an interesting story and premise (told in the dog's voice), but didn't wow me.(less)
Reading "Little Bee" was a waste of my time. I wanted to like it, I kept hoping that it would get better, but it actually got progressively worse. The...moreReading "Little Bee" was a waste of my time. I wanted to like it, I kept hoping that it would get better, but it actually got progressively worse. The characters managed to become more annoying as the pages got higher.
This was a book club selection and one of the frustrating things is that when you pick up the book, you don't have any idea what it is about because of the marketing ploy to not tell you what happens in this "truly special story." All you know is that something happens on a beach thing brings two women together. You learn what happened on the beach about 130 pages into the story, but by that point, I already was frustrated with the characters. Had this story been told from one point of view with less skirting of the issue, it might have been better, but probably not.
I think another reviewer got it right when they wrote that this book was a mediocre white guilt novel.(less)
The Girl Who Played with Fire is the second installment in what was supposed to be a 12 book series but ultimately only is going to be three since the...moreThe Girl Who Played with Fire is the second installment in what was supposed to be a 12 book series but ultimately only is going to be three since the author passed away while writing them. As with the first book, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, I devoured this one and had a hard time putting it down in order to do important things like pick up my child from daycare.
Whereas the first installment took a good 40-50 pages to get into, this one started off with a bang, although it still took a decent portion for the drama to start happening. This book focuses more on Lisbeth Salander who we knew from the first book had a mysterious past that caused her to distrust most poeple.
This book takes off a year after the mystery in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo ends and Lisbeth Salander has spent most of the time away from Sweden and out of contact with any of her friends. Back in Sweden, as the synopsis says, Mikael Blomkvist has decided to run a story that will expose an extensive sex trafficking operation between Eastern Europe and Sweden, implicating well-known and highly placed members of Swedish society, business, and government. When the two researchers of the piece are murdered, a gun with Salander's fingerprints is found at the scene and she is immediately a suspect. With her history of violence and a stint in a child psychiatric unit, the police believe she is guilty and don't search for other suspects. Blomkvist can't imagine that Salander has committed the crime and leads his own private investigation.
This is a fast paced engaging read. Larsson spins numerous stories into one strong piece. He takes strong social commentary and weaves it into his stories. His main point of view is that he hates men who hate women and that is the basis for the character of Lisbeth Salander as well as a big part of the plots of both books.
The end of this book left me longing to pick up the next one. Too bad I'm going to have to wait until March to do that.(less)
I enjoyed this book, but it was no where nearly as good as The Time Traveler's Wife. This is a story about relationships, love, loss, identity, indepe...moreI enjoyed this book, but it was no where nearly as good as The Time Traveler's Wife. This is a story about relationships, love, loss, identity, independence and secrets.
The main characters are Julia and Valentina, American twins who inherit a flat in London after their aunt passes away from cancer. They have never met her and there is a stipulation in her will that they must live in the flat together for a year and that their parents must not step foot in the flat. Julia & Valentina's mother and aunt are also twins, Elspeth and Edie. Elspeth and Edie have not seen each other since Edie ran off with Elspeth's fiance twenty years earlier. The twins also meet Robert, Elspeth's lover who lives in the flat beneath hers and who has been given the few of her possessions that she doesn't want the twins to have, namely, her diaries. However, he takes a long time to meet them once they have moved in. Their other neighbor in the building is Martin, a man who is severely OCD (to the point of not being able to leave his flat) and whose wife Marijke has recently left him.
Obviously, there are a lot of stories going on in this book. One big leap of reading faith that you have to take with this book, is that Elspeth comes back as a ghost. I didn't have a problem with accepting that, it's literary license. I think my problem is that other than the relationships themselves, there wasn't a focused plot until half-way through the book and towards the end of the book there was a moment where I literally said "WTF?" because it just got a little too crazy for me.
I enjoy Audrey Niffenegger's writing style and that kept me going through the book. She writes about topics in a very unconventional way and I did devour this book. I'm not sure I can completely put my finger on why it didn't move me, but there was something just a little too ridiculous about the story. Perhaps it was just that everyone was truly lonely, even with people around them and that none of the relationships were healthy.(less)
A number of my book club friends really enjoyed this book, one even called it laugh out loud funny, but I just kept waiting for it to get better.
The...moreA number of my book club friends really enjoyed this book, one even called it laugh out loud funny, but I just kept waiting for it to get better.
The story is of Judd Foxman and his dysfunctional family sitting shiva for his recently deceased father. Their father wasn't highly religious, and yet his dying wish was for his children to sit a full week-long shiva when they haven't been able to spend more than a day or so together in years. Each of them also has other issues going on that bring in additional layers of dysfunction. Judd is the narrator and his "issue" is the one we get to know the most - his marriage has just fallen apart because on his wife's birthday he walks in to find her having sex with his boss, only to find that the affair has been going on for a year and that she is pregnant.
Maybe I've hit the age where I'm just too old for this book, but I just didn't find it funny and on a lot of levels it felt like it was trying too hard. (less)
I really enjoyed the portions of this book that focused on Mary Sutter, however, I was less interested in the civil war details. The notion of a woman...moreI really enjoyed the portions of this book that focused on Mary Sutter, however, I was less interested in the civil war details. The notion of a woman in the late 1800s wanting to be a surgeon was fascinating and her drive was compelling, I just wish more of the book had stayed with her. (less)
The topic was interesting and somewhat valuable - woman who loses freedom when the Taliban take over Kabul creates her own business and not only suppo...moreThe topic was interesting and somewhat valuable - woman who loses freedom when the Taliban take over Kabul creates her own business and not only supports her family but her community as well. My problem with the book is that after a bit, it felt incredibly repetitive and then it abruptly ends. There were also times that I found some of it hard to follow, but that might be because I hit a point where I started skimming. I'm interested to hear what other people in my book club think.(less)
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