Amy's profile

334 ratings | 88 reviews
avg rating: 3.48
Goodreads librarian

Amy's bookshelves

read (336)
currently-reading (3)
to-read (34)
general-fiction (136)
2008 (63)
08f (49)
2007 (43)
mystery-and-suspense (38)
worldly (37)
non-fiction (31)
2006 (27)
memoir (25)
classics (23)

humor (19)
comics (17)
cackalacky-connection (15)
audio (13)
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graphic-novel (11)
asia (10)
i-vant-to-suck-yr-blood (9)
08nf (9)
magical (9)
mother-india (9)
top-10 (9)
essays (8)

then-i-saw-the-movie (7)
i-ran (6)
abandoned (6)
2005 (5)
top-11-to-20 (5)
crafty (4)
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2004 (4)
horror (4)
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true-crime (3)

bio (3)
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2002 (2)
2001 (2)
scifi--fantasy (2)
the-future (2)
cookin- (1)
poetry (1)
2003 (1)
08ab (1)

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Amy is currently reading

	10/14 Amy is currently reading: Cold Comfort Farm (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition) by Stella Gibbons bookshelves: currently-reading	my rating:
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	10/11 Amy is currently reading: Dracula: The Connoisseur's Guide (Paperback) by Leonard Wolf bookshelves: currently-reading	my rating:
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	10/11 Amy is currently reading: What's A Ghoul to Do? (Ghost Hunter Mystery, Book 1) by Victoria Laurie bookshelves: currently-reading	my rating:
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Amy's recent updates (rss)

October 11

Amy is currently reading:
What's A Ghoul to Do? (Ghost Hunter Mystery, Book 1)
by Victoria Laurie
bookshelves: currently-reading

my rating:

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Amy read and liked Zack's review of Revolutionary Road:

"What a wise book. Many rate it as depressing, and yes, it tells a very tragic story. But at the same time, it's also a tremendously funny book. It's just that its humor stings because it's based in the most human of weaknesses: Self-rationalizatio...more What a wise book. Many rate it as depressing, and yes, it tells a very tragic story. But at the same time, it's also a tremendously funny book. It's just that its humor stings because it's based in the most human of weaknesses: Self-rationalization.

Frank and April Wheeler are the prototypical post-WWII suburban couple -- happy on the outside, endlessly frustrated on the inside. But author Richard Yates isn't interested in just dissecting the suburbs. Frank and April are painfully aware of their shallow surroundings, but they've always tried to convince themselves that they're better than this life.

Their frustration -- mainfested in arguments that are painfully realistic and bitter -- comes from a sense that they should be doing more, that they should accomplish something with themselves. But, as the failed local theater production that opens the story points out, they're also haunted by the fact that perhaps not only were they not meant to be great, but they were never on the road to greatness in the first place.

Scene after scene crackles with familiarity. There's the conversation with another couple that leads to awkward silence until the neighbors' troubles provide a desperately-needed topic of discussion. There's the description of how Frank came to get his job, a dead-on commentary on college graduates looking for financial stablity with little output. And there's April's heartbreaking lament about the validation she hoped to find for herself in the real world, and what she's found instead.

It's not that the Wheelers are unjustified in their decisions -- their backstories flesh out Frank's need not to be his blue-collar father, and April's desperate desire for a loving family. But their attitudes toward facing the world are hopelessly compromised by their insecurity. Neither is truly happy with themself, and April's harebrained idea about moving to Paris is just an excuse to avoid the real issue: It's not the suburbs that's draining the life from their marriage, it's them. In the end, April realizes they were never really in love with each other, just the idealized images they created for each other.

REVOLUTIONARY ROAD has enjoyed a cult reputation for decades, but has often had a hard time gaining widespread acceptance. I think the reason for this is because it's filled with truth -- the kind that makes people nod in recognition and wince in embarassment. It achieves one of the highest goals of fiction: It makes you question yourself and the world you live in. It's not without hope -- even after the climactic tragedy, life goes on. It's just up to you to try and understand the book's lessons, and figure out if there's anything you've learned....less "

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Amy gave

to:
Revolutionary Road (Paperback)
by Richard Yates
bookshelves: 08f, 2008, classics, top-10

my rating:

recommended for: people who like the show mad men
read in October, 2008

Amy said: "I loved this book so much.A while ago I read a quote by an author who said that good writing basically brings to light things the readers already know (that is not exact and of course I cannot remember the author). This is definitely true with Revolu...more "

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October 08

New comment on Stephanie's review of Jesus Rode a Donkey: Why Republicans Don't Have the Corner on Christ

Amy wrote: "I like the title.
Jerry's email signature is:
Jesus was a community organizer, Pontius Pilate was a ...more "

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October 06

Amy is on page 30 of Revolutionary Road

October 05

New comment on Cynthia's review of On Beauty

Amy wrote: "she also seemed to have a great grasp of the politics (and absurdity) of academia.
"

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October 04

Amy read and liked Sarah's review of Gossip of the Starlings:

"This is just another example of how I get sucked in by covers alone, despite the fact that I shouldn't. Just look at that cover though: understated, elegant, stark. It's beautiful. Unfortunately, I should have looked a little more at what the book...more "

1 comment

Amy gave

to:
Gossip of the Starlings (Hardcover)
by Nina de Gramont (Goodreads author!)
bookshelves: 08f, 2008, chick-lit

my rating:

recommended for: people who like YA lit and/or cocaine
read in October, 2008

Amy said: "This was disappointing. The characters were predictable and pretty boring. The 80's setting was interesting but the novelty wore off after a while. Honestly I skimmed the last 15 pages or so. Some of my dismay may have been because one of the charact...more "

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September 30

Amy read and liked Meg's review of The Writing Class:

"I really like Jincy Willett, and I also really liked reading this book. Here's the thing, though. It's a mystery, right. A sort of Ten Little American Indians thing, set amidst a writing class. So she's playing in a genre sandbox, which is great, but...more "

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September 28

Amy gave

to:
The Writing Class (Hardcover)
by Jincy Willett
bookshelves: 08f, 2008, mystery-and-suspense

my rating:

read in September, 2008

Amy said: "I am not sure why this book is not considered a mystery since a mystery consumes the entire book. This book is also kind of a meta novel since it is a book about writing.Willet is a great writer who injects humor into a prickly but loveable protagoni...more "

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see all 336 of Amy's books »

Amy's groups (recent posts)

The Book Challenge — 341 members — last activity 1 hour, 18 min ago
What is The Book Challenge?
The Book Challenge is a place where everyone can join in and share their yearly book reading goals.

Do I have to read...more

Greater Wake County Ladies Auxillary Guild — 3 members — last activity 12/31/2007 09:31PM
we make things official!

Public Librarians — 129 members — last activity 30 days ago, 03:46PM
Yet another way to connect and work on our Readers' Advisory.

Amy's friend comments

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from Flea

01/04/2008 06:55AM

wow, dont I feel like a goodreads slacker.

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Amy's friends (39)

	Neil 11 books 1553 friends
	Jade 137 books 4 friends
	Jnfr 11 books 23 friends
	Jason 198 books 11 friends
	Mary 102 books 9 friends
	Jedidiah 288 books 136 friends
	Allison 50 books 18 friends
	laura 127 books 18 friends
	Stephanie 72 books 3 friends
	Keith 78 books 4 friends
	Cynthia 72 books 7 friends
	Scott 219 books 11 friends
	Stacy 17 books 20 friends
	Jonathan 0 books 1 friend
	Amy 381 books 28 friends

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