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July 24
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Leila
is currently reading:
A Short History of Nearly Everything (Paperback)
by Bill Bryson
bookshelves:
currently-reading
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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recommended to Leila by:
Steve
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Leila
gave
to:
Tweak: Growing Up on Methamphetamines (Hardcover)
by Nic Sheff
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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read in June, 2008
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June 20
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Leila
gave
to:
Beautiful Boy: A Father's Journey Through His Son's Meth Addiction (Hardcover)
by David Sheff
bookshelves:
thought_provoking
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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read in June, 2008
Leila said:
"The beginning of the book was mildly annoying with the more than picture perfect everything. There is a divorcee, but even it is glossed over as if it is just what happens. This portion of the book definitely gave the impression that the author eithe...more
The beginning of the book was mildly annoying with the more than picture perfect everything. There is a divorcee, but even it is glossed over as if it is just what happens. This portion of the book definitely gave the impression that the author either didn’t want to be completely honest about himself and his life or he was oblivious to the problems he had.
That being said, once you get past the first couple of chapters the book is captivating. The author did an amazing job of telling the story real-time rather than letting the known outcome creep into the writing. You actually ride the rollercoaster of not knowing what is happening with his drug addict son as if you were watching it happen. It is absolutely gut wrenching. The most amazing thing for me was the entire time I was reading I felt sick to my stomach; I wanted to put the book down and forget about it but at the same time I wanted to see if the next page was the page where it would turn around.
I also loved the author’s use of symbolism and imagery throughout the book. Everything from flashbacks of Nic as a young boy to describing the way the trees look in the fall as the leaves are dying while he is waiting for the next call from Nic. The Author does an amazing job of taking you on this horrible journey with him. Describing the internal conflicts from trying to decide what choices will save his son and which will force him further and further away.
I would recommend reading this book when you don’t have to be very social for a while afterward.
...less
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June 17
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Leila
is currently reading:
Training Plans for Multisport Athletes: Your Essential Guide to Triathlon, Duathlon, XTERRA, Ironman, and Endurance Racing (Paperback)
by Gale Bernhardt
bookshelves:
currently-reading
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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Leila
gave
to:
Transformed by Triathlon: The Making of an Improbable Athlete (Paperback)
by Jane Booth
bookshelves:
training
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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read in June, 2008
Leila said:
"Halfway through the book I wasn't sure what to think. I expected a how-to, or a cheerlead-triathlon book. What I got was the story of a woman compelled to conquer a challenge she didn't quite understand. I expected everything to go wonderfully and th...more
Halfway through the book I wasn't sure what to think. I expected a how-to, or a cheerlead-triathlon book. What I got was the story of a woman compelled to conquer a challenge she didn't quite understand. I expected everything to go wonderfully and that triathlon would be represented as the most amazing experience ever. Surprisingly this was not the case. Jane shares every grueling struggle including a bad leg injury resulting in bouts of physical therapy and multiple brutal falls from her bike. What I loved was that the story was so real. In the end, she was not transformed into a world class athlete. Instead she found new friends, new confidence, and a new sense of self that gave her strength. Triathlon is not about how you place or your time, its about the accomplishment, and the camaraderie.
This book helped answer the question many of us ask ourselves; why am I doing this? Jane makes the answer so clear. ...less
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June 14
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Leila
marked as to-read:
The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic and Madness and the Fair that Changed America (Audio Cassette)
by Erik Larson
bookshelves:
to-read
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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Leila
marked as to-read:
Fitness Cycling (Paperback)
by Dede Demet Barry, Michael Barry
bookshelves:
to-read
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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Leila
gave
to:
The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible (Hardcover)
by A.J. Jacobs
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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read in May, 2008
Leila said:
"I found the topics discussed in this book very interesting but didn't care for the Author. AJ Jacobs documents a year of his life as he attempts to live according to every law, ideal, and suggestion laid out in the Bible. 3/4 of the book is spent on ...more
I found the topics discussed in this book very interesting but didn't care for the Author. AJ Jacobs documents a year of his life as he attempts to live according to every law, ideal, and suggestion laid out in the Bible. 3/4 of the book is spent on the Old Testament. He has a spiritual council that he consults when the Bible is not clear or when the law is not applicable in present times. He attempts to interview many of the religious fringe groups (Jehovah's witnesses, Snake charmers, etc) in an attempt to...
This is really where my problem with the book begins. I would like to end that statement with "broaden his own spirituality", or "Show how the spiritual beliefs of the less accepted religious groups were founded". After finishing the book I feel like the only way to finish the statement is "make a joke". In the end I felt the Author was just trying to make buck and didn't every expect to grow spiritually at all....less
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Leila
gave
to:
Funny in Farsi: A Memoir of Growing Up Iranian in America (Paperback)
by Firoozeh Dumas
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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read in May, 2008
Leila said:
"The book was very interesting but I felt it was written like it wanted to be "My Big, Fat, Greek Wedding". Everything sounded like a punchline. I thought the characters were well described and endearing. I did not like that there was no chr...more
The book was very interesting but I felt it was written like it wanted to be "My Big, Fat, Greek Wedding". Everything sounded like a punchline. I thought the characters were well described and endearing. I did not like that there was no chronology though. It was difficult to understand the motivations in the stories because the time line jumped around so much. ...less
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Leila
gave
to:
Sarah: Women of Genesis (Mass Market Paperback)
by Orson Scott Card
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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read in June, 2008
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