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July 09
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Consuela
gave
 
to:
The No Complaining Rule: Positive Ways to Deal with Negativity at Work (Hardcover)
by Jon Gordon
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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Consuela said:
"I read this in a couple of hours. It's somewhat simplistic, but it also has some very good ideas—mainly, that we all do a lot of mindless complaining which means we're not looking for any solutions to the problems we are complaining about, and ther...more
I read this in a couple of hours. It's somewhat simplistic, but it also has some very good ideas—mainly, that we all do a lot of mindless complaining which means we're not looking for any solutions to the problems we are complaining about, and therefore we're making things worse. A lot of complaining is just a bad habit. ...less
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Consuela
is currently reading:
George Washington on Leadership (Hardcover)
by Richard Brookhiser
bookshelves:
currently-reading
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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April 18
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Consuela
gave
to:
Pride and Prejudice (Paperback)
by Jane Austen
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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Consuela said:
"I'm rereading this and it's more delightful the second time. This is my favorite Jane Austen book.
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March 28
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Consuela
gave
to:
The Meaning of Sunglasses: And a Guide to Almost All Things Fashionable (Hardcover)
by Hadley Freeman
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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read in March, 2008
Consuela said:
"I needed some light reading for a break so I picked this up after reading a review. While I don't think I learned anything from it, I did laugh a great deal, many times out loud, which was a lot of fun. The author definitely can turn a phrase and wr...more
I needed some light reading for a break so I picked this up after reading a review. While I don't think I learned anything from it, I did laugh a great deal, many times out loud, which was a lot of fun. The author definitely can turn a phrase and writes very well. I was laughing through the whole thing. The book is divided into "subjects" which really are just rather stream of consciousness, but supposedly alphabetical. Here's some from her heading "Sizing: the nonexistent myth": "...billions of women bow down to its altar daily, basing their mood, day, and general sense of self on what this false god tells them that morning. Able to fit into the size 10 trousers today? Hurrah, life is sweet; you shall skip on down the street to the bus stop, patting small children on the head, and waving jauntily to the newsstand guy, as if you were starring in a Judy Garland musical. Can't even get them over your lower thighs? A cloud as dark as pitch swamps your horizon, you are filled with self-loathing, you slump miserably into that weird muumuu your great-aunt left you, and cancel that lunch with your best friend you'd been looking forward to all week because you have decided never to eat again for the rest of your life (until later that afternoon, when you eat two packets of cookies, because what's the point, you'll never be thin, may as well embrace the fatness, and at least Pepperidge Farm loves you, etc., and so on.)" Under her heading of "Fashionspeak" she writes: "'Homage' is probably the most well known bit of fashionspeak. A conveniently trussed-up word for 'blantant copy,' it can be used without the niggling fear of litigation, and it has a soothing sheen of intellectualism, suggesting that the designer spent long, noble hours in some dusty library, studying the technique of his forebears and then respectfully weaving it into his own work. Closely related is 'inspiration,' used to denote the desperate recourse of a designer who has still not come up with any ideas two weeks before the collection is due. Off they hie hence to their teenage music obsession, a cinematic hero of old currently enjoying a bit of a renaissance or a painting in some heavily publicized exhibition at their local museum and then copy the bejessus out of it. As in 'Golly, Gucci really got a lot of inspiration from David Bowie this season.'" There are many more laughs. I had a good time reading this book!...less
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March 14
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Consuela
gave
to:
Emma (Penguin Classics)
by Jane Austen
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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read in January, 2008
Consuela said:
"I was really disappointed in this -- that goodness it wasn't my first Austen book! It got a little better towards the end, but the main problem was that I didn't like the title character at all. There are so few characters and the dialog was very bor...more
I was really disappointed in this -- that goodness it wasn't my first Austen book! It got a little better towards the end, but the main problem was that I didn't like the title character at all. There are so few characters and the dialog was very boring. There were a few interesting parts so that's why I didn't give it one star. But it can't compare, in my opinion, to Persuasion or Pride and Prejudice....less
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March 02
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Consuela
read and liked
Simone's
review of Emma (Oxford World's Classics):
"This one I love because Jane Austen is the hardest on her protagonist in this book...she gives her more character flaws than any of her other heroines, and in so doing, makes her more like most of us than any of her other heroines. Much as most of u...more
This one I love because Jane Austen is the hardest on her protagonist in this book...she gives her more character flaws than any of her other heroines, and in so doing, makes her more like most of us than any of her other heroines. Much as most of us would like to believe we are Elizabeths, it's likely that most of us have a lot more in common with Emma than we would like to admit. For all the outer action in this story, most of the change and discovery comes from within Emma herself, which is why it ranks as one of my top 3 Austens. ...less
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Consuela
read and liked
Kate's
review of Emma (Penguin Classics):
"An unexpected pleasure to read. I enjoyed it much more than I expected. Now reading it for a second time, I feel compelled to write some thoughts.
Emma is portrayed as such a character I would normally be quite annoyed with: she presumes to arra...more
An unexpected pleasure to read. I enjoyed it much more than I expected. Now reading it for a second time, I feel compelled to write some thoughts.
Emma is portrayed as such a character I would normally be quite annoyed with: she presumes to arrange the lives of others and the results inevitably hurt everyone more than herself. But she is so very human and flawed; she gets a gnawing feeling in the night that reminds her she is not quite as wonderful as she (and others) would like to believe. And then there is Mr. Knightley...there is nothing like an upstanding, wise, and affectionate male character!...less
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Consuela
read and liked
Jenice's
review of Emma (Penguin Classics):
"I have seen and enjoyed all the movie adaptations of Jane Austins books so I expected to enjoy the book. While I really would not consider Emma a page turner(maybe because you need to think more while reading it)I did enjoy it very much. Mr. Knightl...more
I have seen and enjoyed all the movie adaptations of Jane Austins books so I expected to enjoy the book. While I really would not consider Emma a page turner(maybe because you need to think more while reading it)I did enjoy it very much. Mr. Knightly is a terrific hero. A mans man while remaining the perfect gentleman for the ladies. I especially love the way Miss Austin pokes fun at the middle and upper class of her day. Emma, being one of Austins most flawed female characters is a delight to watch grow and learn and finally find her own true love right under her nose. This was the first Jane Austin novel I read but it won't be the last....less
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Consuela
read and liked
Elli's
review of Emma (Penguin Classics):
"i have to agree with the description of this book. i love jane (just look at my reviews of P&P, persuasion), but i have trouble not throwing emma across the room. she aggravates me. in fact, almost everyone in the book angers me (the one ex...more
i have to agree with the description of this book. i love jane (just look at my reviews of P&P, persuasion), but i have trouble not throwing emma across the room. she aggravates me. in fact, almost everyone in the book angers me (the one exception being knightbridge), so though i've read every other jane austen book several times a year, i have to push myself to actually finish emma. i find it amazing that an author i love so much was so multi-faceted that she could write books so very different from each other like P&P vs. emma... if emma annoyed you, try jane's other books. if you loved emma, don't be surprised if P&P drives you insane....less
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