false 4 273 249 true 6727362 read 6 true 6727499 currently-reading 18 true 6727498 to-read 140 false 6786378 fiction 33 false 6786331 non-fiction 32 false 6842930 2009 31 false 6842774 mystery 27 false 6842853 2008 27 false 6842695 kids- 19 false 6893131 memoir 16 false 6842867 2007 15 false 6901520 2006 14 false 6893207 2005 12 false 6928668 1996 10 false 6928591 1990 10 false 6901536 1991 9 false 6842878 2001 8 false 6893229 2002 8 false 6842934 2003 8 false 6842897 1992 8 false 6893269 1994 8 false 6893143 mostly-true 7 false 6865395 2000 7 false 6928608 1997 7 false 6901486 1993 7 false 6893181 2004 7 false 6893184 short-stories 6 false 6914664 1995 6 false 6842835 1998 5 false 6865391 1999 5 false 6842719 history 5 false 6961676 1989 4 false 6786371 travel 3 false 6928623 1986 3 false 6901468 1985 3 false 6914672 1988 2 false 6786437 polish 2 false 6786319 childhood--polish- 2 false 6842646 social-commentary 2 false 6842921 1981 1 false 7145267 did-not-finish <![CDATA[Beata added 'The Guardians: A Novel']]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/78886619 The Guardians: A Novel (Hardcover) by Ana Castillo
bookshelves: to-read
]]> <![CDATA[new comment from Beata]]> http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/219298-beata-s-25-challenge-2009 Beata made a comment in the 100+ Book Challenge group:

11. On Writing by Stephen King ]]> <![CDATA[Beata is on page 70 of Inked ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/78819294 Beata is on page 70 of 220 of Inked ]]> <![CDATA[Beata added 'Inked']]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/78819294 Inked (Paperback) by Renda Dodge
bookshelves: currently-reading
]]> <![CDATA[Beata added 'On Writing']]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/76551787 to: On Writing (Mass Market Paperback) by Stephen King
bookshelves: 2009, non-fiction
Some good advice and distinctly s.king read. Few things I would argue with though.... His advice to cut a 350,000 word novel to 315,000 just made me ROFL. Who in the world would even read a novel over 300,000 in the publishing world these days? I mean, sure, if you're Stephen King and you're used to write this phone book sized books and you are guaranteed to sell... but an average novel hovers around 70,000. For a beginning writer this kind of advice is kind of laughable... As is a suggestion to write 2000 words a day. Again, writing would have to be your full time profession if you set that kind of goal for yourself. A little intimidating for us mortals. ]]> <![CDATA[Beata added 'I Am America: And So Can You!']]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/78574343 I Am America: And So Can You! (Hardcover) by Stephen Colbert
bookshelves: currently-reading
]]> <![CDATA[Beata added 'The Help']]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/76967863 to: The Help (Hardcover) by Kathryn Stockett
bookshelves: 2009, fiction
A white woman from a wealthy southern family (who herself had a black maid growing up) writes a book that's two thirds written from the black maids' perspective. That's just asking for it. But because it was a courageous move to go there and assume what it was like for the black maids in the south right around the civil rights movement, I think the author deserves some slack. She really did try to understand that perspective, and this is America, you're allowed to do that.

However, there is also something naive and idealistic in the portrayal of the love between (some of) the white women who employed these black maids and the maids themselves. So it's not so much that the book is racist, but it's this mainstream fiction with the "good" guys vs. the "bad" guys (or, in this case, girls). So that part got annoying. Implying that the "evil" character, Hilly, somehow forces feelings of racism and methods of oppression on her peers... well, that's just naive. I don't know... I could go on and on about this.

It is worth a read though. ]]> <![CDATA[Beata added 'Blue Shoes and Happiness']]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/76551730 to: Blue Shoes and Happiness (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, #7) by Alexander McCall Smith
bookshelves: 2009, fiction, mystery
The more I read the books in this series, the more I love them. The people in the story grow more familiar and complex, and Africa becomes more and more a fleshed out character. ]]> <![CDATA[new comment from Beata]]> http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/232762-featured-book-troll Beata made a comment in the Armchair Globetrotters Virtual Book Group group:

SPOILER ALERT

Quite a bit of suspense, which I definitely enjoyed. "News" sources did detract a bit from the overall rhythm of the novel, but I see their relevance to the story. Although I've actually minored in Finnish in college and spend a semester in Finland, I have to admit that I had no idea just how important troll mythology is to the Finnish culture.

There is a lot more here than just troll myths. The matter-of-factness approach to homosexuality was refreshing and the Filipino woman brought a lot into the story with her (unwilling) immigrant/mail-order bride story. I did, however, feel uncomfortable with what I perceived as bestiality... Beyond weird. ]]> <![CDATA[Beata added 'No Plot? No Problem!: A Low-Stress, High-Velocity Guide to Writing a Novel in 30 Days']]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/75786309 No Plot? No Problem!: A Low-Stress, High-Velocity Guide to Writing a Novel in 30 Days (Paperback) by Chris Baty
bookshelves: currently-reading
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