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July 06
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Helen
gave
to:
Flight: A Novel (Paperback)
by Sherman Alexie
bookshelves:
read-in-2008
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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read in July, 2008
Helen said:
"I don't think I would have picked up this one on my own if Jenna hadn't raved about it so much. It was as good as she said it was.
The author really made me feel what it is like to be another person and I think it will help me to have more compassi...more
I don't think I would have picked up this one on my own if Jenna hadn't raved about it so much. It was as good as she said it was.
The author really made me feel what it is like to be another person and I think it will help me to have more compassion on people I may otherwise overlook. The beginning pulled me in right away, it was a fast read and the ending was really powerful. I love a book that makes me cry.
Read this book. Even if you don't love it, (but chances are you will) it will only take a couple of days to read so you have nothing to lose. ...less
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April 12
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Helen
marked as to-read:
The Principles of Uncertainty (Hardcover)
by Maira Kalman
bookshelves:
to-read
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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March 24
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Helen
is currently reading:
The Manticore (Penguin Classics)
by Robertson Davies
bookshelves:
currently-reading
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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Helen
marked as to-read:
What Is the What (Hardcover)
by Dave Eggers
bookshelves:
to-read
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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Helen
marked as to-read:
The Tortilla Curtain (Paperback)
by T.C. Boyle
bookshelves:
to-read
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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March 22
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Helen
gave
to:
World Made by Hand: A Novel (Hardcover)
by James Howard Kunstler
bookshelves:
read-in-2008
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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read in March, 2008
Helen said:
"Wow! I'm still digesting this book in my mind a day after I finished it and it still might take awhile to process. It is set about fifteen years from the present, but it's not a future that most of us want to envision. While this is a work of specula...more
Wow! I'm still digesting this book in my mind a day after I finished it and it still might take awhile to process. It is set about fifteen years from the present, but it's not a future that most of us want to envision. While this is a work of speculative fiction, I've read Kunstler's nonfiction book, "The Long Emergency: Converging catastrophes of the 21st Century", and I know that he is serious about getting people to imagine a world in which declining oil production, global warming, economic collapse, terrorism and disease pandemics can change life as we know it.
Dire conditions have brought out the best and the worst of human behavior in the characters and community in this novel. While some of their actions were a little too ugly for my taste, the author's attempt to shock was effective in getting me to realize what we stand to lose if civilization were to fall apart.
Even though some may find this book far-fetched, nothing that happens in this story is impossible. Reading and reflecting on this book may be depressing, but I think it's a worthwhile mental exercise for all of us to go through. I also highly recommend Kunstler's "The Long Emergency", as well as Richard Heinberg's "Powerdown".
...less
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March 19
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Helen
gave
to:
Fifth Business (Penguin Modern Classics)
by Robertson Davies
bookshelves:
read-in-2008
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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read in March, 2008
Helen said:
"I discovered Fifth Business in a pile of books at my parents house and it had an interesting cover so I picked it up. What a find! Apparently, Robertson Davies was an important Canadian writer I haven't heard of until a few days ago. If you don't kno...more
I discovered Fifth Business in a pile of books at my parents house and it had an interesting cover so I picked it up. What a find! Apparently, Robertson Davies was an important Canadian writer I haven't heard of until a few days ago. If you don't know about him, you should. Put this on your list and read it. You won't be disappointed. I can't really say much about the plot or characters without giving too much away, but it follows the narrator over a span of fifty years along with some other characters from the same small Canadian town who are significantly linked to his life by coincidence. The way the author weaves their lives together is masterfully done. It's just a thrilling read from start to finish, full of surprises until the very end. While the plot grounded in reality, there is a hint of something mystical beneath the surface which gives the book a very cool magical feeling. It's the first in the author's Deptford trilogy, so there's more great reading to come. If you want to be told a great story, get your hands on this! ...less
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Helen
marked as to-read:
Sahara Special (Paperback)
by Esmé Raji Codell
bookshelves:
to-read
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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March 17
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Helen
gave
to:
Swallow the Ocean: A Memoir (Hardcover)
by Laura Flynn
bookshelves:
read-in-2008
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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read in February, 2008
Helen said:
"I read this in about three days and couldn't put it down even though when I saw it at the library and read the back flap I knew it would be sad and wasn't sure if I wanted to go there. It was terribly heartbreaking, but the writing sucked me in on th...more
I read this in about three days and couldn't put it down even though when I saw it at the library and read the back flap I knew it would be sad and wasn't sure if I wanted to go there. It was terribly heartbreaking, but the writing sucked me in on the first page. If you enjoy books about people suffering from mental illness, this is up there with the best of them. ...less
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March 11
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Helen
gave
to:
Magical Thinking: True Stories (Paperback)
by Augusten Burroughs
bookshelves:
read-in-2008
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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read in March, 2008
Helen said:
"This book, along with "Possible Side Effects" represent the odd leftover stories of Augusten Burrough's crazy life that don't fit into his two longer memoirs. Both books are good reading, but I recommend that people read "Running with ...more
This book, along with "Possible Side Effects" represent the odd leftover stories of Augusten Burrough's crazy life that don't fit into his two longer memoirs. Both books are good reading, but I recommend that people read "Running with Scissors" and "Dry" first to get some background. "Magical Thinking" was some good reading though. Burroughs is a funny guy who can be pretty cynical at times in a Jerry Seinfeld sort of way. His harsh judgments would be off-putting except that Burroughs spares no one, including himself. ...less
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