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March 30
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Josh
gave
 
to:
Bag of Bones (Mass Market Paperback)
by Stephen King
bookshelves:
horror
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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read in March, 2008
Josh said:
"This was an interesting book. It involves the spiritual world and sends the message that ghosts are not always to be feared. There are in fact spirits that appear to assist a loved one left behind.
King's revelation of a plot twist happens so late...more
This was an interesting book. It involves the spiritual world and sends the message that ghosts are not always to be feared. There are in fact spirits that appear to assist a loved one left behind.
King's revelation of a plot twist happens so late in the story that the events leading up to that point are filled with tremendous foreshadowing and anticipation. I thought that that element of the story was the most effective.
Previous to the twist (and I won't give it away) the reader is exposed to a heroine with whom most can identify, especially aspiring writers. The protagonist is a writer that has fallen on hard times. Not only does he tragically lose his wife, but he is suffering through the worst case of writer's block of his career.
Stricken with the grief of facing an existence without the love of his life and without a passion and a career to keep him occupied, he falls into great despair only to be saved by a freak occurrence as he is is walking into town one day.
What unfolds is a twisted tale of love, love loss and the world that a love one leaves behind for her lover to mourn and cope with the pain death causes.
I thought the ending was a little drawn out but for a 500+ page novel, Bag of Bones moves pretty well. The most compelling aspect of the novel was the main character's inner struggle to overcome the demons which haunt his home.
The haunting becomes so palpable, that his every move becomes altered, almost irreparably, by a ghost that wishes to take someone else he cares about with all his heart, little Kyra....less
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February 21
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Josh
gave
to:
The Kite Runner (Paperback)
by Khaled Hosseini
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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recommended for: anyone who enjoys reading
read in February, 2008
Josh said:
"This was definitely one of the best books I have ever read. There were so many themes explored and such rich character development. I truly could not put this book down. I read it in a few days and it opened my mind up to the suffering that has ta...more
This was definitely one of the best books I have ever read. There were so many themes explored and such rich character development. I truly could not put this book down. I read it in a few days and it opened my mind up to the suffering that has taken place under the Taliban's rule in Afghanistan.
I always knew that there were Muslims and then Muslim extremists that are responsible for the attacks on 9/11, but never before had I been exposed to the lives of native Afghans trying to overcome the persecution in thier country. This book was as much educational as it was entertaining. One can learn history through fiction and this is a case where the reader can become enlightened about a different culture even though the story is made up.
This work has a lot to do with innocence. The main character loses his childhood innocence at a young age. He is forced to grow up perhaps more quickly than he is comfortable. He spends most of his adult life searching for and trying to regain his lost innocence, and in the end, he finds it in an ironic place. He finds it in the son he never had.
This is full of deep relationships between father and son, between best friends, between husband and wife and ultimately, between brothers. It is moving and captivating and if you don't pick up another book this year, read this one....less
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February 12
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Josh
gave
to:
Blood Memory (Paperback)
by Greg Iles
bookshelves:
mystery-crime
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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read in August, 2007
Josh said:
"This was a compelling novel with more twists and turns than a an elaborate maze. The book is extremely unpredictable with outstanding character development.
I enjoyed getting to know Cat Ferry, the protagonist because she has an interesting job an...more
This was a compelling novel with more twists and turns than a an elaborate maze. The book is extremely unpredictable with outstanding character development.
I enjoyed getting to know Cat Ferry, the protagonist because she has an interesting job and possibly more so because she is tragically flawed.
Her job and her endless search for the truth requires her to be clear headed and lucid, yet her addiction to alcohol causes her to become disoriented and blackout.
She wants desperately to solve her father's murder and uncover the culprit of a recent string of murders plaguing her home town in Mississippi, but she can't seem to fight her addiction or remain sober long enough to crack the case.
This ongoing struggle has the reader pulling for Cat to overcome her flaws and reconcile her father's death with the truth.
Iles seems to be a masterful storyteller, weaving finite detail into his enthralling depiction of the deep south in the wake of a string of horrible murders.
This book is unpredictable until the end and the reader winds up pulling for Cat to find the killer and to put the pieces of her youth together so she can get some peace of mind. ...less
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Josh
gave
to:
Turning Angel (Paperback)
by Greg Iles
bookshelves:
mystery-crime
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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read in February, 2008
Josh said:
"This was a waste of time, for the most part. I have to admit that I was originally captivated by the first few chapters but as I read further and realized how unrealistic the characters were, I grew increasingly skeptical of the book and its message....more
This was a waste of time, for the most part. I have to admit that I was originally captivated by the first few chapters but as I read further and realized how unrealistic the characters were, I grew increasingly skeptical of the book and its message.
I don't think it's realistic to take a disturbing adult male who is guilty of sexual battery and then immerse him back into society like the crimes he committed were excusable. I know we are a forgiving society but middle-aged men forging sexual relationships with high school girls is beyond immoral, it is reprehensible and disgusting.
Iles creation of characters who excuse their immoral relationships with teenage girls is both sick and twisted. Even if a man in an authority position is attracted to a juvenile, he should never act on his impulses and the creation of characters who do just that is disturbing. There wasn't a single character in this story with whom I could identify.
I would not recommend this book to anyone, especially those who are easily disturbed by callous and unconscionable acts....less
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New comment on Chris's review of
Turning Angel
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January 24
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Josh
gave
to:
The Firm (Paperback)
by John Grisham
bookshelves:
thriller
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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read in January, 2008
Josh said:
"This was an action-packed thriller. I don't remember the climax of another book rivaling the excitement of this work.
When the conclusion unfolds, with the FBI, Morolto's thugs, and the Bendini, Locke and Lambert's lawyers all chasing Mitch, Abby ...more
This was an action-packed thriller. I don't remember the climax of another book rivaling the excitement of this work.
When the conclusion unfolds, with the FBI, Morolto's thugs, and the Bendini, Locke and Lambert's lawyers all chasing Mitch, Abby and Ray, it makes for thrilling, page turning anticipatory excitement.
This book is a classic for a reason. The evolution of Mitch's character is both shocking and interesting as he goes from a young lawyer yearning to earn his first paycheck to a fugitive on the run.
I thought that Abby's transformation in the end was a bit unrealistic as she was forced to drop her life which included separating from a family with whom she was very close to Mitch's new existence on the run. She seems like too moral a character to accept such a life, but that was the only issue I had with this page-turner.
Every Grisham fan should read this book. It was like a rollercoaster ride full of breath-taking twists and turns....less
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December 21
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Josh
gave
to:
I Am Legend (Mass Market Paperback)
by Richard Matheson
bookshelves:
horror
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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recommended for: No, I wouldn't
read in December, 2007
Josh said:
"This book definitely did not live up to the hype. I was introduced to this supposed classic tale of horror after learning that it would be made into a movie staring Will Smith. What further sparked my interest in Matheson's novel was when I learned...more
This book definitely did not live up to the hype. I was introduced to this supposed classic tale of horror after learning that it would be made into a movie staring Will Smith. What further sparked my interest in Matheson's novel was when I learned that it served as inspiration for a young Stephen King after he read it as a boy.
The idea to make the transformation of humans into vampires scientifically explained is a good one. In fact, I think that was the most compelling aspect of the work. But the repetitive portrayal of the lone human survivor of the plague as he trudges through a painful and lonely existence becomes trivial after a while.
I think Robert Neville would have been a more fascinating character if he did not have so many negative qualities. It's apparent that his drinking gets him through the monotony of his life, but I would have been more inclined to believe in him, root for his endurance, and identify in his strong will and determination to persevere had he had qualities that made him more likable as a person.
I heard that the movie now in theaters is much different than the novel and I think that is a good thing. It makes me want to see it more. Maybe the filmmakers found ways to improve what I thought to be a bland and boring storyline....less
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December 10
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Josh
gave
to:
The Shining (Paperback)
by Stephen King
bookshelves:
horror
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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recommended for: Thrill seekers
read in December, 2007
Josh said:
"This was an excellent book. In Stephen King greats it ranks behind The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile. In my mind, it's next to the Dead Zone among King masterpieces.
The character development was fantastic. In fact, King himself has sai...more
This was an excellent book. In Stephen King greats it ranks behind The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile. In my mind, it's next to the Dead Zone among King masterpieces.
The character development was fantastic. In fact, King himself has said that the movie did not live up to the esteemed billing that the book received because in Kubrick's interpretation, you never really feel anything for the characters. No attachment, no sympathy, no nothing.
In the novel, you develop a connection with even the villainous Jack Torrence because you feel for the loving father who is trying to provide his son with a better life than his own father provided him. You sympathize with the trials and tribulations of a recovering addict and hope against hope that he will not fall into the same torment and despair of his alcoholic days.
The fascinating aspect of the book is that Torrance's downfall and tragic undoing seems plausible. He seems like another writer with a troubled past who falls victim to an unraveling mind which loses the ability to distinguish fact from fiction.
Danny, to me, is the most complex character in the story, having the ignorance and carefree nature of a young boy with the maturity to fend for himself in the face of danger and to discern between right and wrong, good and evil while his father tries to destroy his family in his psychotic craziness.
The book is filled with tragedy and heartwarming, human connections among characters that have the ability to feel deeply for one another. What Danny and Wendy end up feeling for their surprising hero, Dick, is something to behold and cherish.
The work is a study in the paradox of a talented writer and a delusional psychotic, of a young child and a decision-making adult, of a destructive villain and a good-natured and loyal friend....less
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November 11
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Josh
gave
to:
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (Paperback)
by Ken Kesey
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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recommended for: people who enjoy a fine American classic
read in November, 2007
Josh said:
"This was an outstanding work of fiction. Kesey inserted himself into American classic literary lore with this work. The character development was superb. The way Kesey captures the essence of a mental ward is unique and special. It was as if I wa...more
This was an outstanding work of fiction. Kesey inserted himself into American classic literary lore with this work. The character development was superb. The way Kesey captures the essence of a mental ward is unique and special. It was as if I was living on the ward right along with the characters.
The most developed character was Chief Bromdem. His transformation from an individual who was frightened by his surroundings and everything about the ward, to an independent, free spirit who sets out to explore a new existence outside of the the barriers of the ward.
McMurphy obviously helps this transformation occur with his outspoken, buck the system attitude. In my mind, McMurphy is the utlimate martyr. His hope when he entered the ward was not only to get the best of Nurse Ratched but to bring life to the ward's residents and allow them to realize their sanity in the wake of a staff that tried to inhibit their development in every way.
McMurphy succeeds but it ends up costing him his own existence. In the end, the nurse takes away the most powerful aspect of McMurphy's being, his independent and infectious voice. It was McMurpy's voice that rounded up the residents and made them realize that there was in fact something beyond the ward's walls. In doing so, he gave Chief Bromden what he was missing for so long, a part of his existence that he forgot was even there, his ability to communicate with others.
In fact, McMurphy traded his voice, and his life for that matter, with the Chief's. The Chief gained the confidence to explore a life that he had longed for for a very long time, and that is the encouraging and happy aspect of a very dark and sinister American classic....less
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October 27
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Josh
gave
to:
A Separate Peace (Paperback)
by John Knowles
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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recommended for: to readers who appreciate colorful language
Josh said:
"This was my favorite book in high school until I read To Kill a Mockingbird. Though I like a simplistic style more than colorful language, I really appreciated Knowles' style and liked how he painted a picture.
Knowles writes about young men duri...more
This was my favorite book in high school until I read To Kill a Mockingbird. Though I like a simplistic style more than colorful language, I really appreciated Knowles' style and liked how he painted a picture.
Knowles writes about young men during a time when they were more or less stripped of their youth and forced to grow up a lot faster than high school kids have to today.
Not only were Gene and Phineas, two high school students, faced with the daunting task of fitting into a prep school culture away from home, but they had to face the reality of being sent off to war in the coming year.
Gene and Phineas were antithetical characters. Gene was an intellectual for whom academics came extremely easy. Phineas was a gifted athlete who struggled with his studies. Ironically, Gene wished only to be a better athlete whereas Phineas aspired to be a better student.
Though Gene was more jealous of Phineas, I believe each character was jealous of the other. Gene was the one who let his jealousy color his actions, though, when he jounced the limb Phineas was balancing on, causing him to have a terrible accident.
Though it is tragic that Phineas could not do what he loved after the accident (compete in sports) more tragic was that Gene had to live with the guilt of permanantly altering Phineas' life just because he was jealous of his talents and easy going nature.
The book is full of symbolism and figurative language. It depicts characters that are faced with the realities of war and death before they are emotionally capable of doing so....less
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