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September 30
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Kate
gave
 
to:
What Was Lost (Paperback)
by Catherine O'Flynn
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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read in September, 2008
Kate said:
"I think this book is more like a 4.5 out of 5. It was totally haunting and beautifully written. The author shifted between storytellers throughout the book and did so effortlessly.
I don't want to give too much of the plot away but the story open...more
I think this book is more like a 4.5 out of 5. It was totally haunting and beautifully written. The author shifted between storytellers throughout the book and did so effortlessly.
I don't want to give too much of the plot away but the story opens with a 10 year old (I think...somewhere around there) who spends her time watching people at a local shopping mall (all in the name of her own detective work). The story progresses and introduces more characters, all with their own ties to the shopping mall (and their own secrets!)
There were just a few moments were I felt a little rushed by how the author pushed characters into situations but those were far and few between. I highly recommend this book!...less
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September 12
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Kate
gave
to:
The Line of Beauty (Paperback)
by Alan Hollinghurst
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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read in August, 2008
Kate said:
"I get the feeling if I knew more about Margaret Thatcher, I would have liked this book even more.
Set in 80s London, the story follows a twentysomething named Nick Guest over a few years. He lives with his friends parents' for a few years (and th...more
I get the feeling if I knew more about Margaret Thatcher, I would have liked this book even more.
Set in 80s London, the story follows a twentysomething named Nick Guest over a few years. He lives with his friends parents' for a few years (and they happen to be rich and members of parliament), shacks up with various men and develops some nasty habits.
The author's portrayal of the family, their friends and their parties reminded me a Robert Altman movie. Scenes were dense - so dense I skimmed a few paragraphs. I really liked the author's writing style and character development but kept feeling like I just didn't quite get the joke. ...less
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Kate
is currently reading:
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life (Hardcover)
by Barbara Kingsolver
bookshelves:
currently-reading
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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August 22
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Kate
gave
to:
Bright Shiny Morning (Hardcover)
by James Frey
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my rating:
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Kate said:
"James Frey paints a mostly grim picture of life in L.A. through a various characters. He breaks up the stories with crazy and mostly interesting facts about the city of L.A., its history and the people that live there.
I didn't really have too mu...more
James Frey paints a mostly grim picture of life in L.A. through a various characters. He breaks up the stories with crazy and mostly interesting facts about the city of L.A., its history and the people that live there.
I didn't really have too much issue with James Frey after "Million Little Pieces" because I really enjoyed that story. Okay, he lied about it being a memoir but he wound up looking like a total ass. Anyway, the guy definitely has some writing chops and can tell a good tale.
Some parts of the book felt a little over-the-top and self-indulgent. But, he does manage to introdue a handful of interesting and diverse characters and develops them nicely without always having a lot of room to do so. ...less
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Kate
gave
to:
Love the One You're With (Hardcover)
by Emily Giffin
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my rating:
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Kate said:
"Easy-to-read in a fluff book kind of way. The story has been done a million different ways before...girl has a tortured romance with brooding guy...they break up...girl marries mr. wonderful...girl runs into brooding guy again and wonders what it wou...more
Easy-to-read in a fluff book kind of way. The story has been done a million different ways before...girl has a tortured romance with brooding guy...they break up...girl marries mr. wonderful...girl runs into brooding guy again and wonders what it would be like if brooding guy wasn't so brooding. Good book to read when you want something fast and mindless....less
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Kate
gave
to:
Change of Heart (Hardcover)
by Jodi Picoult
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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Kate said:
"This was my ignoral Jodi Picoult read. I found it totally predictable. I really expected more, given all the hype there is around here and the number of books she's sold. She reminded me of John Grisham - something about the templated format of her s...more
This was my ignoral Jodi Picoult read. I found it totally predictable. I really expected more, given all the hype there is around here and the number of books she's sold. She reminded me of John Grisham - something about the templated format of her story. (And I say that even though I've only read one of her books so maybe it's not accurate). And I really hated the fact that she threw in the ugly duckling character that finally gets a man plot line. It seemed like a total afterthought. And I also think I'm about a foot shorter after being hit over the head with her
"moral of the story" over and over again.
I'd give it only 1 star but since it wasn't so bad I stopped reading, I guess it deserves 2....less
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Kate
is currently reading:
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao (Hardcover)
by Junot Díaz
bookshelves:
currently-reading
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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June 24
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Kate
gave
to:
Crossing California (Paperback)
by Adam Langer
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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Kate said:
"I wish I could give this book 3.5 stars, as I'm somewhere between like it and really liked it.
"Crossing California" is set in Chicago, Rogers Park and West Rogers Park (very close to the neighborhood I live in!) It chronicles the angst...more
I wish I could give this book 3.5 stars, as I'm somewhere between like it and really liked it.
"Crossing California" is set in Chicago, Rogers Park and West Rogers Park (very close to the neighborhood I live in!) It chronicles the angsty lives of a group of pre-teens and teens that live on both the east and west sides of California Avenue (hence the title!). The older crowd experiments with drugs, alcohol and sex. The younger set gets Bat Mizvahed, learns to make out (well, some of them) and worries about going into high school. It all takes place between 1979 to 1981 so there are some great pop culture reference that reflect the times.
I dig any book set in Chicago. The story was cute and it was written well. If it had any faults, it seems to drag on about 50 pages too long. Overall, a good read though....less
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April 15
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Kate
gave
to:
Skinny Bitch: A No-Nonsense, Tough-Love Guide for Savvy Girls Who Want to Stop Eating Crap and Start Looking Fabulous (Paperback)
by Rory Freedman
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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Kate
gave
to:
The Omnivore's Dilemma
by Michael Pollan
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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