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January 07
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Aprille
gave  to:
Under the Banner of Heaven (Paperback)
by
Jon Krakauer
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my rating:
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Aprille said:
"Book #29 of 2008. Fascinating. Depth in areas of Mormon history I had not known - Krakauer even visited Palmyra for the Pageant! I found his style very straightforward. He admits when he is baffled by it all, but still lays it out as the various fund...more
Book #29 of 2008. Fascinating. Depth in areas of Mormon history I had not known - Krakauer even visited Palmyra for the Pageant! I found his style very straightforward. He admits when he is baffled by it all, but still lays it out as the various fundamentalists see it. His analysis of how a faith could spawn such splinter sects was very insightful. I would love to see a postscript that continues the story given recent stories, or just an ongoing commentary.(less)
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Aprille
gave  to:
The Haunting of Hill House (Penguin Classics)
by
Shirley Jackson
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my rating:
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Aprille said:
"Book #28 of 2008. A horror classic and I can see that. But I want MORE. I wanted more details on the sordid history of the house - maybe somebody should have found a journal or something. I love big old houses - so I wanted more on the house. As it w...more
Book #28 of 2008. A horror classic and I can see that. But I want MORE. I wanted more details on the sordid history of the house - maybe somebody should have found a journal or something. I love big old houses - so I wanted more on the house. As it was, I almost drew it because the description of how the house gets you turned around - well, it really turned me around and I was baffled. What were the outbuildings like? *sigh* Still, pretty good.(less)
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Aprille
gave to:
Einstein's Dreams (Paperback)
by
Alan Lightman
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my rating:
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Aprille said:
"Book #27 of 2008. Nice, light, and simple. A series of 30 vignettes, with interludes, that could totally have occupied Einstein's thoughts as he was honing the theory of relativity. Each vignette looks at one way of relating to time and envisions wha...more
Book #27 of 2008. Nice, light, and simple. A series of 30 vignettes, with interludes, that could totally have occupied Einstein's thoughts as he was honing the theory of relativity. Each vignette looks at one way of relating to time and envisions what life would be like.(less)
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January 06
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Aprille
is currently reading:
Weird U.S.: Your Travel Guide to America's Local Legends and Best Kept Secrets (Weird)
by
Mark Moran
bookshelves:
currently-reading
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my rating:
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Aprille
is currently reading:
White Teeth (Paperback)
by
Zadie Smith
bookshelves:
currently-reading
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my rating:
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Aprille
is currently reading:
Fragile Things: Short Fictions and Wonders (Hardcover)
by
Neil Gaiman (Goodreads author)
bookshelves:
currently-reading
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my rating:
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Aprille
gave to:
Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die (Hardcover)
by
Chip Heath
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my rating:
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Aprille said:
"Book #26 0f 2008. I was hooked on this book from the first time I read the prologue online. Dealing with ideas that are able to burrow into our subconscious and influence our behaviors, the brothers approach this from the standpoints of business and ...more
Book #26 0f 2008. I was hooked on this book from the first time I read the prologue online. Dealing with ideas that are able to burrow into our subconscious and influence our behaviors, the brothers approach this from the standpoints of business and academia. In researching sticky ideas, urban legends are an obvious place to start. What really sticks with me is the research into tainted Halloween candy - which shows that there NEVER WAS any apples w/ razor blades reported to police!!! Only two incidents showed in records from WWII to the 80s - one was a kid who got into his uncle's coke stash and they sprinkled it on his candy to throw off the cops, and one was a kid whose father put cyanide on his candy to get life insurance. Think about how much this has changed our behaviours! Incredible. The brothers have a sound approach to making ideas sticky that hopefully will be useful for me in the future.(less)
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Aprille
gave to:
Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch (Mass Market Paperback)
by
Terry Pratchett
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my rating:
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Aprille said:
"Book #25 of 2008. My spirits lift thinking of this. It was refreshing - a blast of cool, fresh air on a hot and sticky day. And a lot of fun. Not laugh out loud funny, but smirks and sideways grins, definitely. The end of the world has come to pass, ...more
Book #25 of 2008. My spirits lift thinking of this. It was refreshing - a blast of cool, fresh air on a hot and sticky day. And a lot of fun. Not laugh out loud funny, but smirks and sideways grins, definitely. The end of the world has come to pass, or is supposed to, anyway, and all sorts of different folk - people, witches, demons, angels, dogs, have roles to play. A great piece that seemlessly blends the styles of Gaiman and Pratchett into something very entertaining.(less)
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Aprille
gave  to:
A Sorcerer's Treason (Isavalta, Book 1)
by
Sarah Zettel
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my rating:
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Aprille said:
"Book #24 of 2008. I found this a bit dull at first, but got swept into the stories a few chapters in. I found some elements stiff and predictable at times. The dialogue,intended to be late 19th century, seems forced at times. But the story is good. M...more
Book #24 of 2008. I found this a bit dull at first, but got swept into the stories a few chapters in. I found some elements stiff and predictable at times. The dialogue,intended to be late 19th century, seems forced at times. But the story is good. My favorite is when Bridget weaves spells through the air via dance. I love the idea and the image. I will most likely pick up the second book.(less)
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Aprille
gave to:
Abyssinian Chronicles: A Novel (Paperback)
by
Moses Isegawa
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my rating:
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read in January, 2009
Aprille said:
"Book #23 of 2008. Traces the chaotic life of Mugezi, a guy growing up in Uganda, from the end of colonialism through the reign of Idi Amin and rebel government after rebel government, into the era of AIDS. I was struck by the ways in which the variou...more
Book #23 of 2008. Traces the chaotic life of Mugezi, a guy growing up in Uganda, from the end of colonialism through the reign of Idi Amin and rebel government after rebel government, into the era of AIDS. I was struck by the ways in which the various elements of Ugandan society needed to transform themselves, and how often, in order to survive the latest crisis. Powerful, if a bit dry and dull in spots.(less)
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