false 14 114 112 true 5759311 read 2 true 2395083 currently-reading 0 true 2395082 to-read http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/78164112 Blonde (Paperback) by Joyce Carol Oates
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]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/77623672 to: The Help (Hardcover) by Kathryn Stockett
This was a book club read for me so I am never sure if I will enjoy the book or not. But this was pretty good. I have some mixed things to say on it though.

The premise of the book is about a young white woman in Jackson, Mississippi who writes a book about maids in her southern town and their relationships with their white employers during the civil right era.

My favorite parts were the relationships between the main characters, two of the maids, and members of their households. Aibileen and young Mae Mobley have an amazing relationship. I rarely like how young children are written into books but Mae Mobley was written as a curious, little girl who loved Aibileen more than her own mother. Aibileen essentially showed her more love and truly did love her. Children being raised by black maids who then in their futures had black maids of their own at some point was an interesting cycle to ponder.

But Minnie's white lady loved her and was a white trash girl who married well. They were quite the duo and cracked me up to no end! But the reality is she was not accepted in the Junior League Society of white ladies and iwa looked down upon and not associated with. I loved her in her low-cut dresses and make-up caked on in conservative Jackson!

Yes, this a book about race and it does display racism with certainly did exist and always will. But the reality is I view this work more as a depiction of society of the old south where people have values based on old money and your family's name. It is about following the rules that your parents passed on to you without too much thought and a lot of blind contentment.

There are great depictions of employee/employer relations both good and bad. I am certain the bad ones existed and exist currently between members of the same race, like whites in America who have white servants. Some of the expectations like Constantine the maid's daughter being allowed to act the way she did would not be tolerated today so to call that racism was to me crazy. If I employed white "help", I would not tolerate that behavior. So I did see a bit of bias in the book but not much.

]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/76866174 to: Cutting for Stone (Hardcover) by Abraham Verghese
This was certainly a great story. It is essentially the tale of two identical twin boys born out of surprise wedlock to a nun and doctor in a mission hospital in Ethiopia. The nun dies in childbirth and the doctor flees out of shame and guilt. So two staff physicians adopt the two boys and they end up as an unusual family. But the story has lots of twists and turns to it.

Marion is the protagonist and tells the story in his voice. His brother Shiva is extremely different than him. I would describe him as someone who appears like a pretty bad Asperger syndrome person, but what do I know about that kind of stuff? We attribute his strange ways to his head trauma in childbirth. But I always found it extremely odd in a book full of explanations of so many medical procedures that no one ever mentioned what was up with Shiva!

The book overall is very well written. There is so much to the story! But a few of the characters didn't seem real to me like Shiva and Genet. Lord, her character just seemed ridiculous at times too. Also, it was needlessly long. The author needs a good editor who has the guts to say shorten it here and here!

But for some of the negatives, there were amazing positives! The story truly is unique and surprised me many times! This is a slow read so it is for the person that likes this type of book. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/76553056 to: Half Broke Horses: A True-Life Novel (Hardcover) by Jeannette Walls
This was a fun, fast-moving book about a no-nonsense woman who was a rancher and teacher back in the day in the Southwest. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/76189175 to: The Lemon Tree: An Arab, a Jew, and the Heart of the Middle East (Paperback) by Sandy Tolan
This is the story of Dalia and Bashir. Dalia lives in the house where the lemon tree grows in the backyard. Back in the day when Israel was just formed, Bashir's family was kicked to the curb and thrown out of their house, since they were no longer allowed to live in the new Israel. They all lived in tents and stuff. Their lives sucked.

Dalia and the Jewish people of the new Israel just walked through the streets and got to claim whatever house they wanted back in the day. Dahlia's family really liked Bashir's house and best of all they didn't have to pay a dime. Bashir and his family was not so happy about that. One day Bashir decides to go back and visit Dalia in the house and they become friends of sorts.

Now Bashir and the Palestinians bomb the crap out of the Israelies because they are pissed off. And the people of Israel start bombing back. We as Americans take the Jews side because, lets face it, they have good delis.

I think this book has boring dialog. Do people really talk that way? Maybe Dalia and Bashir should just chill out and become a bit more fun. The history in this book was so dry and boring! But history presented in a textbook format has always bored me to tears.

I did learn more about the whole situation and honestly think both sides are ridiculous. Life is unfair. Why do they both seem to think they will find some justice? It is about compromise at this point.

But I have always been surprised at how OK most people are that the Palestinians were just thrown out of their houses and country for some new country to essentially start up. That situation was pretty damn disgraceful to me but they need to move on at this point. Bashir needs to accept things and have peace. Hello, Native Americans are opening casinos laughing at white Americans as they hand over their money. Do something creative like that Bashir and stop your crazy terrorism!

What a wreck of a situation...the book will do some explaining. If you can tolerate lots of straightforward history, this may be the book for you. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/75909710 to: SuperFreakonomics: Tales of Altruism, Terrorism, and Poorly Paid Prostitutes (Hardcover) by Steven D. Levitt
All I can say is Levitt and Dubner have outdone themselves. SuperFreakonomics is better than their first book. This duo has tackled more important issues this time around and has taken their time to do the research, which quite frankly I respect.

Once again the theme of their book is people respond to incentives. Their book is based on data and statistics and not influenced by emotions. It is refreshing to read information from these economists who simply research data for a living and have no personal emotional attachment to the issues at hand.

Their tales are interesting, well-researched and usually have a bit of humor tossed in. Read it!

I have to officially say Levitt and Dubner are now on my celeb crush list, along with John Stossel and Larry David. I don't know if they all count as celebrities but they are all mine, baby, all mine... ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/75651723 to: What Would Susie Say?: Bullsh*t Wisdom About Love, Life and Comedy (Audio CD) by Susie Essman
Susie Essman is a character actress and an improvisational comedian. These two things do not make for a decent book. Considering Curb Your Enthusiasm is notorious because it has an outline of a story but not a script, she does well there.

This book is really random tidbits about her thoughts that quite frankly are rarely very funny. And she does not have significant enough thoughts to make it worth your time in my opinion. Read someone like Chelsea Handler who has more talent and can truly write, deliver and improv jokes. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/74992840 to: Shanghai Girls: A Novel (Hardcover) by Lisa See
This is my first Lisa See and wow I loved it! She writes a heck of a story. I mean it is good! And everyone who I know who has read her other books say the others are better than this one. I am excited to read those.

I would give her kudos for such a solid and unique story with some interesting characters. The writing is OK. Very enjoyable! ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/74425447 to: The Forever War (Hardcover) by Dexter Filkins
Dexter Filkins, the New York Times reporter, does great work telling his personal accounts of his time living in Iraq. He presents it in a factual manner, without giving us the normal media one-sided view.

After reading it, you realize the complexities of the situation over there. The people over though don't feel safe among each other. One tribe is out to get another. And then you throw the U.S. and Brit soldiers into the mix.

Dexter had some balls living there. I respect him! And god, everytime he mentioned those kabob houses I would get hungry. Of course, there would be a murder plot or bomb involved but still I bet they were damn good kabobs!

The book is decent work but the stories kind of start to sound the same after a while. This really is not my genre or interest at all. I am trying to be fair and give it a three. Maybe it deserves a four...I have no idea. But for my enjoyment, I would have given it a two. So there. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/74425447 Christine's review of The Forever War
by Dexter Filkins

book club read ]]>