false 23 321 220 true 5663380 read 0 true 2941578 currently-reading 101 true 2941577 to-read http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/78667613 The Hunger Games (Hunger Games, #1) by Suzanne Collins
bookshelves: to-read
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/78498701 to: I Don't Know How She Does It (Paperback) by Allison Pearson
This British novel about a working mother started out very promising. The writing was very funny (I loved the lists of things to remember) and there were many work/family themes that resonated with me. However the book soon turned bitter, sad, and painful as I watched the main character spiral out of control and get torn apart in her toxic environment. Reading this book makes it sound like it's impossible to combine motherhood and a fulfilling career and that everyone around you in both spheres is just waiting to pounce all over your mistakes. I certainly grant that there may be time periods, places, or jobs where this is the case, but it is certainly not the case for me. I generally have a more optimistic outlook so although there were some interesting ideas in the book and I liked the writing style, it was a little too depressing to actually enjoy. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/78261972 to: The Mysterious Benedict Society (Hardcover) by Trenton Lee Stewart
If I could I would rate this book 3 1/2 stars. It feels quite similar in tone to A Series of Unfortunate Events of which I am not a big fan. I liked the first half of the book better than the second because it had me intrigued as to where it was headed. Overall the book is creative, clever, and has a good pace. The downsides are that while the characters and themes are pretty sophisticated for a children's book, they are still pretty simplistic and I think this led to me not getting very emotionally invested in the story. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/77812120 to: Those Who Save Us (Paperback) by Jenna Blum
I have mixed feelings about this novel. It's incredibly depressing on several levels and throws in some horrible stories on peripheral characters that will most likely give me nightmares. The fact that the author interviewed holocaust survivors for four years and that the stories are likely based on real experiences only makes them that much more chilling. The story of the main characters is depressing in a more subtle and morally gray way. One of my main problems with the book is that although it may be realistic, I was frustrated by the fact that there was no resolution or reconciliation in either of the two timelines. So did I "enjoy" this book? Definitely not. Was it memorable and thoughtful? Yes. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/77720235 to: Ramona and Her Mother (Ramona Quimby (Paperback)) by Beverly Cleary
This is purportedly a children's book but some of the themes would only be understood by an adult. It basically discusses the complexities of mother/daughter relationships, nostalgia for earlier and simpler stages of childhood, resolving arguments, and sibling rivalry. There are also some humorous episodes included along the way. I am curious whether my kids would like this book or not but there are certain parts of it that I am a little hesitant to read to them for fear of giving them bad ideas (the joys of squeezing out all the toothpaste from the tube, threatening to run away from home, etc). ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/77501474 to: Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (Paperback) by John Berendt
I read this book thinking it was fiction and I thought was okay, but somewhat meandering. It felt like a series of character studies but without any cohesive plot or character growth. Then in the acknowledgments section at the end of the book I discovered that this was non-fiction. That made it somewhat more interesting but still not great. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/63459902 to: The Sugar Queen (Hardcover) by Sarah Addison Allen
This was a fluffy read. I liked the first half better than the second because it still felt fresh and original and I wasn't sure what to expect. By the second half it felt a little more cliched and over-the-top in parts. Overall it was pleasant but nothing special. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/77218656 A Gesture Life: A Novel (Paperback) by Chang-Rae Lee
bookshelves: to-read
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/77218600 Montana 1948: A Novel (Paperback) by Larry Watson
bookshelves: to-read
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/77192679 to: Adam's Task: Calling Animals by Name (Paperback) by Vicki Hearne
I despised the writing in this book. I was tempted to stop many times when the inane, incomprehensible, philosophical babbling got too much but then there would be an actual animal training story that would catch my interest and I would labor on. Hearne had some interesting things to say but would always write it in the most academic and confusing way possible. She also constantly throws in random literary references in a way that made me feel like she was “showing off” rather than actually trying to make her message clearer or more compelling.

I wanted to show an example of what I mean so I flipped the book open to a random page and found a sample paragraph:
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In the case of dictatorships, Auden might want to remind us that there is also this consideration: “Of a community it may be said that its love is more or less good.” Perfect love doesn’t exist; perhaps our sense of uneasiness in the presence of what we call fanaticism may be expressed, not only, as Wallace Stevens had it, by talking about the “logical lunatic,” the “lunatic of one idea / In a world of ideas,” but also by saying that fanatics don’t seem to have noticed that the world really is fallen, and that acknowledgment of this is as essential to our lives as that acknowledgment of human separation is to the prevention of tragedies in human love. Political tragedy, perhaps, comes about through failing to acknowledge imperfections in our apprehension of the sacred, what Cavell calls “the separation from God.” (pg 66)
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Hearne’s philosophy of training is somewhat controversial but it’s hard to argue with the results she describes. She believes in respect rather than kindness and has a revulsion for owners who say things like “what a good doggy”. She talks a lot about “corrections” which sound harsh to me, such as pinching a dogs ears or pushing its head into a hole filled with water. However she does clearly love working with animals and she wants them to reach their potential. It made me think about whether the same logic applies to people. It all left me kind of confused and vaguely uncomfortable.

Overall it’s a good thing I got this for free or I would want my money back. ]]>