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May 30
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Maria
gave
 
to:
Peace Like a River (Paperback)
by Leif Enger
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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read in May, 2008
Maria said:
"The reviews I read of this book compared it to A River Runs Through It, one of my favorite of all novels, so I was interested to see how it stacked up. In the first 2/3s of the book I failed to draw many parallels. But by the end I was happy to say...more
The reviews I read of this book compared it to A River Runs Through It, one of my favorite of all novels, so I was interested to see how it stacked up. In the first 2/3s of the book I failed to draw many parallels. But by the end I was happy to say that I did, in fact, agree with the reviewers. Both novels downplay the drama of the story and let the characters speak for themselves. I enjoyed Peace Like a River because it wasn't thrilling and I could put it down and go do other things--while at the same time it was compelling, satisfying, unique and I would call it endearing. I loved the father in the story and I really appreciated the author's understated and rather pure-ish views of religion. (Not that "pure-ish" means anything to anyone but myself, but it was the best word I could come up with.) I would recommend this book to anyone. ...less
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New comment on Hillary's review of
New Moon (Twilight Series, Book 2)
(see all 2 comments)
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May 13
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Maria
gave
to:
Waterland (Paperback)
by Graham Swift
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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recommended to Maria by:
a professor @ BYU
Maria said:
"So, I'm interested in stories about people who live near water...(don't ask; I have my theories). Hence, I read Waterland. It is not a light read. It is dark, damp (very puny of me, I know, but the word DOES accurately describe the tone of the nov...more
So, I'm interested in stories about people who live near water...(don't ask; I have my theories). Hence, I read Waterland. It is not a light read. It is dark, damp (very puny of me, I know, but the word DOES accurately describe the tone of the novel), disturbing, and often downright disgusting, but it is very interesting. There is a light at the end of the tunnel-redemption of sorts. It might not be worth it to many, but it was to me. Although I thought this book was amazing in many respects--most notably for the writing style and depth of ideas conveyed--I would not necessarily recommend it. If one had a previous or specific interest in the book though, I would recommend it wholeheartedly. But I wouldn't just pick it up for leisure. It is for this reason that I only rated the book 3 stars instead of 4. ...less
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Maria
gave
to:
Ender's Game (Ender's Saga, Book 1)
by Orson Scott Card
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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May 11
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Maria
read and liked
Hillary's
review of Walk Two Moons (Summer Reading Edition):
" This was a delightful read with even more delightful characters. The story line was engaging, the characters were perfectly flawed, and the ending offered closure without confusion or making up your mind for you. It was a quick read, completely wo...more
This was a delightful read with even more delightful characters. The story line was engaging, the characters were perfectly flawed, and the ending offered closure without confusion or making up your mind for you. It was a quick read, completely worthy of the Newberry Medal and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a good summer read. ...less
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Maria
read and liked
Hillary's
review of The Chosen:
"I dare say the book was beautiful (not a word you would use to describe a book about men and boys). I loved the relationships the fathers and sons, I loved how they wove in the beginning of WWII as a backdrop, I loved the relationship between friend...more
I dare say the book was beautiful (not a word you would use to describe a book about men and boys). I loved the relationships the fathers and sons, I loved how they wove in the beginning of WWII as a backdrop, I loved the relationship between friends. Most of all I loved the explanations of the Hasidic father and how he related to and taught his son. I loved the many meanings of the title “The Chosen”. This was such a good book. I wish I had not read it just so I could read it again for the first time. ...less
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Maria
gave
to:
The Fountainhead (Paperback)
by Ayn Rand, Leonard Peikoff
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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Maria said:
"I read this book before Atlas Shrugged, though there really isn't any order to her works. Although the book, in its entirety, is slightly inferior to the scope of Atlas Shrugged, there are a few things I preferred in this earlier book. I liked the ...more
I read this book before Atlas Shrugged, though there really isn't any order to her works. Although the book, in its entirety, is slightly inferior to the scope of Atlas Shrugged, there are a few things I preferred in this earlier book. I liked the characters better in the Fountainhead. I connected to the themes of art, beauty, design, and self more than the economic and political focus of Atlas Shrugged. The main problem with Fountainhead is that it raises more questions than it answers. Rand is often vague and inconsistent. Atlas Shrugged is a more solid piece that answers the questions one has after reading Fountainhead. I believe it is wise to read both works--one for yourself (Fountainhead), and the other (Atlas) for Rand. ...less
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Maria
gave
to:
Atlas Shrugged (Paperback)
by Ayn Rand
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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Maria said:
"This is a good book to make you think. Even after reading it, I still don't know how much I either agree or disagree with all of Rand's ideas. Because of this, in my opinion it was a great book. Rand's writing is captivating and forceful. She off...more
This is a good book to make you think. Even after reading it, I still don't know how much I either agree or disagree with all of Rand's ideas. Because of this, in my opinion it was a great book. Rand's writing is captivating and forceful. She offers no excuses and poses no exceptions to her theories and beliefs, which I found refreshing. It is dense though, so expect to spend some time processing. Overall, I loved it. But I will add one note: sexuality is a common theme throughout Rand's writing; it's probably best to expect it going into the book instead of being rather surprised, as I was.
...less
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Maria
read and liked
Heidi's
review of Twilight (Twilight Series, Book 1):
"I'm hesitant to give this only 2 stars b/c women I REALLY love and admire are completely smitten by this book series. Hopefully they won't disown me. I definitely started the book with high expectations and I'm sure that's part of the problem. I als...more
I'm hesitant to give this only 2 stars b/c women I REALLY love and admire are completely smitten by this book series. Hopefully they won't disown me. I definitely started the book with high expectations and I'm sure that's part of the problem. I also have to remind myself it's teen fiction. Anyway...the book wasn't bad enough NOT to finish, but I never became interested in any of the characters other than Edward (and that was only after we got past how gorgeous, strong and mysterious he is...)and I kept reading only to see what Meyer would do with the endless plot possibilities. I thought the book's premise was really creative and at the beginning I was optimistic; but by the middle I was puzzled by Edward's fascination with Bella, and by the end I was disappointed with the simplicity of the plot and most of the characters. ...less
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May 07
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New comment on Maria's review of
Peace Like a River
(see all 2 comments)
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