false 32 671 613 true 5635994 read 1 true 3888807 currently-reading 57 true 3888806 to-read 50 false 4196668 2009-books 34 false 3914944 2008-books 31 false 3914938 classics 27 false 4230164 never-mind 26 false 3914969 5-star-highly-recommend 22 false 3914936 french-writers 19 false 3915006 george-sand 17 false 3917872 2007-reads 13 false 3914979 ayn-rand 5 false 3914937 russian-writers 1 false 4251272 on-hold 0 false 4027781 my-favorite-books <![CDATA[new comment from Brenda]]> http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/231972-nanowrimo-2009 Brenda made a comment in the Chicks On Lit group:

Christy wrote: "I just hit 40,000. I just had to kill off a very lovely character. I am too sad to write more tonight."

that's amazing, Christy! Only 10 more and you have done it! You can do it. ]]> <![CDATA[new comment from Brenda]]> http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/60471-what-are-you-reading Brenda made a comment in the Chicks On Lit group:

Cindy wrote: "Did you read it already Brenda?? Hope you liked it. It's kinda weird or different starting out, but think it will be a good change from what I've been reading!"

It was weird. I didn't like that much. It was well written, but the characters I didn't relate to them. I liked it better after I read someone else's review because she pointed out things that I didn't notice.
]]> <![CDATA[new comment from Brenda]]> http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/225467-her-fearful-symmetry Brenda made a comment in the Chicks On Lit group:

Anyone interested in discussing this book in more detail?

If yes, here's question #1

Who did you sympathize with more, Julia or Valentina? Did your sympathies change as the story moved on? ]]> <![CDATA[new comment from Brenda]]> http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/242691-nicholas-and-alexandra-spoilers-probable Brenda made a comment in the Chicks On Lit group:

The Tsarina's Daughter

Here's another good one on the topic. ]]> <![CDATA[Brenda added 'The Truth About Love']]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/77903724 to: The Truth About Love (Hardcover) by Josephine Hart
bookshelves: 2009-books
This is book #50 for the year, and I am proud that I was able to accomplish my goal. I started three books before I finished one to make #50. For some reason, every one I picked up disappointed me, however, I really like the beginning of this one and before long I was up to page 100.

It started very strong. It began with an accident, and was told by three voices, but the last 70 pages just rambled on, and I think the author was trying to make the point that true love is not without test and challenges but well worth it, but some of the message may gotten bogged down in the lyrical writing.

I am not a big fan of modern English and Irish writers, but I may be out running to read a few more of Ms. Hart's other books. Although Northern Ireland and Ireland have been at "odds" since and before my childhood, I really never read very much on the subject, so when a book takes it on 2/3 of the way through, I was somewhat turned off, and wished that she had weaved some of it into the beginning of the novel rather than wait to the end.

The book had an incredible amount of potential, and the prose was lovely to read. She has a cutsie little trick of combining words to make a double descriptive adjective, for example jumping-crashing sound of the rocket. That was not a quote from the book just an example of it. It made it seem more poetical while reading. As I was explaining this to my husband, he told me that she probably got it from Gerard Manley Hopkins, and now I don't feel so guilty for wanting to borrow it for my own writing.

If you like books that tend to ramble and you have to think about what they are saying to get to the point, then by all means read this book! ]]> <![CDATA[Brenda added 'The Madonnas of Leningrad: A Novel']]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/67477411 The Madonnas of Leningrad: A Novel (P.S.) by Debra Dean
bookshelves: currently-reading
]]> <![CDATA[new comment from Brenda]]> http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/197229-what-did-you-just-finish Brenda made a comment in the Chicks On Lit group:

The Truth About Love

Read my review. ;-) ]]> <![CDATA[Brenda voted on a poll]]> http://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/26167-vote-for-january-s-group-read Brenda voted on the poll: Vote for January's Group Read ]]> <![CDATA[Brenda is on page 137 of The Truth About Love ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/77903724 Brenda is on page 137 of 256 of The Truth About Love ]]> <![CDATA[Brenda added 'The Story of a Marriage: A Novel']]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/78153384 The Story of a Marriage: A Novel (Paperback) by Andrew Sean Greer
bookshelves: to-read
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