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May 07
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Zoe
is currently reading:
A Prayer for Owen Meany (Ballantine Reader's Circle)
by John Irving
bookshelves:
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my rating:
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Zoe said:
"A borrow from a friend, so far I am touched by these characters and enjoying this read. My sister can't stand John Irving's style, but who didn't like The World According to Garp?
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Zoe
gave
to:
The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down (Paperback)
by Anne Fadiman
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my rating:
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Zoe said:
"Unbelievable. I loved this book. Non-fiction, I would say the story tells itself except that the author's style is so reader-friendly she brings you in close, wraps you up and seems to tell you this tale while you snuggle on her lap. But this is ...more
Unbelievable. I loved this book. Non-fiction, I would say the story tells itself except that the author's style is so reader-friendly she brings you in close, wraps you up and seems to tell you this tale while you snuggle on her lap. But this is no bedtime story. This is a tale of cross-cultural mis-understanding, mis-communication, and an attempt to find the humanity in two very different worlds. I cannot say enough great things about this book. Forget everything I've ever reviewed and READ THIS BOOK. The Hmong sound fascinating as a people and I'm so glad for the work of this author and for all those who trusted her with their story....less
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April 09
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Zoe
gave
to:
Here on Earth (Oprah's Book Club)
by Alice Hoffman
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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Zoe said:
"Loved, loved, loved, LOVED it!!!! Ok so if this book was food, it would be a hot fudge brownie with caramel sauce - really, really good, at first comforting, but then it makes you kind of sick. Now this isn't a book for everyone, not everyone can s...more
Loved, loved, loved, LOVED it!!!! Ok so if this book was food, it would be a hot fudge brownie with caramel sauce - really, really good, at first comforting, but then it makes you kind of sick. Now this isn't a book for everyone, not everyone can stomach so much passion and long lost love. I, on the other hand, could ingest this stuff until the cows come home - and no sweet has ever been too much for me (cotton candy - bring it on! Candy apples - bring em on!).
I was immediately whisked away and transported by this book - devouring the pages in three days - which is quite a feat with a 15 month old, let me tell you. It is about long lost love and passion, but it's also about parent-child relationships, the role of parent as exemplar for our children and the expectations we have of our parents. It also wrestles with the classic theme of shades of gray, no one being only evil or only good.
I hope you are as enraptured by this book as I was. If not, put it on your pancakes and call it a day....less
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March 20
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Zoe
gave
to:
Straight Man: A Novel (Paperback)
by Richard Russo
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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Zoe said:
"I read this for my reading group... they picked it. After a long day at work in academia, cuddling up with a book on the same subject is less like hot-cocoa than acid indegestion in my opinion. It was, however, an amusing read - nothing deep, no ra...more
I read this for my reading group... they picked it. After a long day at work in academia, cuddling up with a book on the same subject is less like hot-cocoa than acid indegestion in my opinion. It was, however, an amusing read - nothing deep, no rape, no beatings (always a plus). But it's always hard for me to truly enjoy a book with an unsympathetic main character. The character is always referencing his reputation as a lucky jerk - not someone I hold in high regard. I never could figure out why he deserved his wife. I couldn't figure out at all what we were supposed to see in his children (only one of which we learn much about). I would definitely recommend this book to my entire faculty and to my father-in-law the Professor, but for myself, I could have passed on this one....less
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January 04
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Zoe
gave
to:
The Kite Runner (Paperback)
by Khaled Hosseini
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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Zoe said:
"I'm already pissed. Another completely devastating and depressing book. But of course I have to know how it turns out. If you want a wrist-slasher, this is the book for you.
ok, now I finished the book and it's definitely 4 stars - 5 if you wan...more
I'm already pissed. Another completely devastating and depressing book. But of course I have to know how it turns out. If you want a wrist-slasher, this is the book for you.
ok, now I finished the book and it's definitely 4 stars - 5 if you want to kill yourself....less
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Zoe
gave
to:
The Stone Diaries (Paperback)
by Carol Shields
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my rating:
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Zoe said:
"Nobody was raped, molested or sexually abused. That's what i have to say for this Pulitzer prize Winner. It was a good read, but my favorite character - spoiler alerts- is killed off in the first 10 pages. Maybe it's me, but when I tried reading ...more
Nobody was raped, molested or sexually abused. That's what i have to say for this Pulitzer prize Winner. It was a good read, but my favorite character - spoiler alerts- is killed off in the first 10 pages. Maybe it's me, but when I tried reading another PP Winner, the Shipping News, I thought I would rather stick a fork in my eye... so I'm not so wowed by this award anymore. I'd like to know what someone else thought of this book. Again, I liked it - but I also like vanilla pudding sometimes....less
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November 13
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Zoe
gave
to:
Vinegar Hill (P.S.)
by A. Manette Ansay
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my rating:
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Zoe said:
"Another book about abuse. The unique perspective here is the cycle of abuse and the gray between being abused and becoming the abuser.
In stark contrast to this novel is Prodigal Summer - which I loved! I've decided I want to read about strong wo...more
Another book about abuse. The unique perspective here is the cycle of abuse and the gray between being abused and becoming the abuser.
In stark contrast to this novel is Prodigal Summer - which I loved! I've decided I want to read about strong women making strong decisions and NOT because they are overcoming oppression or oppressors.
But if you're still reading about surviving and survivors, feel free to check this one out....less
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Zoe
gave
to:
The Namesake (Paperback)
by Jhumpa Lahiri
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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Zoe said:
"Although I enjoyed this book, I never felt close to any of the characters. And then I realized... it's a novel about immigrants and their children, strangers in a strange land, and maybe I was never supposed to get close to the characters. I'd like...more
Although I enjoyed this book, I never felt close to any of the characters. And then I realized... it's a novel about immigrants and their children, strangers in a strange land, and maybe I was never supposed to get close to the characters. I'd like to think that the author is very talented for keeping this distance between reader and subject in order for us to feel the estrangement, and not that it is an accident.
I would have liked a book told completely from the mother's point of view. She's not the Namesake, but she's the one I most wanted to hear from....less
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October 17
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Zoe
gave
to:
The Poisonwood Bible (Paperback)
by Barbara Kingsolver
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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September 21
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Zoe
gave
to:
The Secret Life of Bees (Paperback)
by Sue Monk Kidd
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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Zoe said:
"I want to live with these women and make honey!!!!!!!!!!
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