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July 22
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Jennifer
gave
 
to:
I Was a Really Good Mom Before I Had Kids: Reinventing Modern Motherhood (Paperback)
by Trisha Ashworth, Amy Nobile
bookshelves:
non-fiction
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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read in July, 2008
Jennifer said:
"I often look around and wonder how all of the other moms do it --- they seem to handle everything with such grace. Too often, I simply feel overwhelmed and frustrated. This book was a quick read, but a much needed one for me right now. Although th...more
I often look around and wonder how all of the other moms do it --- they seem to handle everything with such grace. Too often, I simply feel overwhelmed and frustrated. This book was a quick read, but a much needed one for me right now. Although the book didn't really tell me anything I didn't know, it provided a reassuring perspective that other mothers/parents have the same struggles (loss of identity, unrealistic expectations, decisions vs guilt, and so on). The authors also suggest practical strategies for handling these situations... though they are often easier said than done. The book didn't change my life, but it helped me to better understand it....less
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May 19
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Jennifer
marked as to-read:
The Mommy Myth: The Idealization of Motherhood and How It Has Undermined All Women (Paperback)
by Susan Douglas, Meredith Michaels
bookshelves:
library-book,
non-fiction,
to-read
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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May 16
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Jennifer
gave
to:
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (Paperback)
by Jonathan Safran Foer
bookshelves:
book-club
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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read in May, 2008
Jennifer said:
"My initial reaction was that this book reminded me of "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time", but more intense and personal. The plot centers around a precocious young boy, Oskar Schell, whose father died in the World Trade Ce...more
My initial reaction was that this book reminded me of "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time", but more intense and personal. The plot centers around a precocious young boy, Oskar Schell, whose father died in the World Trade Center on September 11. As Oskar works through his grief, he embarks on a journey to try to make sense of the tragedy. By the time the novel is complete, Oskar (and the readers) have come to understand many truths about the Schell family. Parts of the novel made my heart ache for Oskar's family, some made me laugh, and others inspired personal reflection.
I enjoyed the unconventional writing style --- combining multiple narratives, photographs, and other "primary source" documents --- and the ways that the characters' struggles and experiences often paralleled one another. Near the end, though, I thought it became a bit contrived; however, I cannot decide if I wanted more resolution (in order to answer some questions I had about how everything came to be), or if I wish that the story had remained more focused on Oskar and his father (and the stories about his grandparents had been less integrated).
All in all, I enjoyed the book. ...less
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April 22
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Jennifer
gave
to:
A Thousand Splendid Suns (Hardcover)
by Khaled Hosseini
bookshelves:
book-club,
library-book
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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read in March, 2008
Jennifer said:
"I really liked this book. I felt as if I could sympathize with the characters and I learned a bit about the history of Afghanistan. In some ways, though, I felt as if I'd read this book before... the relationship between the two female leads was ve...more
I really liked this book. I felt as if I could sympathize with the characters and I learned a bit about the history of Afghanistan. In some ways, though, I felt as if I'd read this book before... the relationship between the two female leads was very familiar. I can't remember which book it reminds me of, though.
Incidentally, I read this shortly after re-reading The Book Thief (Zusak) and it was interesting to compare the experiences and choices of the female protagonists. Had I not read them in a such close succession, I would not have thought of them as similar in any way. ...less
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Jennifer
marked as to-read:
Love In A World Of Sorrow: A Teenage Girl's Holocaust Memoirs (Paperback)
by Fanya Gottesfeld Heller
bookshelves:
non-fiction,
to-read
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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May 18
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Jennifer
gave
to:
The Ten-Year Nap (Hardcover)
by Meg Wolitzer
bookshelves:
library-book
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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read in May, 2008
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April 03
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Jennifer
gave
to:
The Cat in the Hat (Hardcover)
by Dr. Seuss
bookshelves:
children-s-books
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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December 27
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Jennifer
gave
to:
Flowers for Algernon (Mass Market Paperback)
by Daniel Keyes
bookshelves:
have-taught,
read-multiple-times,
young-adult-lit
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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read in January, 1986
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Jennifer
gave
to:
Stargirl (Paperback)
by Jerry Spinelli
bookshelves:
young-adult-lit
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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read in March, 2005
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