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July 03
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Catherine
gave
 
to:
One Hundred Years of Solitude (Hardcover)
by Gabriel García Márquez
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my rating:
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Catherine said:
"One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez follows the Buendia family. It takes place over about one hundred years. It was translated and I think there were some things lost in translation b/c there were passages that were vague and conf...more
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez follows the Buendia family. It takes place over about one hundred years. It was translated and I think there were some things lost in translation b/c there were passages that were vague and confusing. Almost everyone is crazy in that family. There are lots of intra-family relationships which only furthers the craziness. That part got to be a little weird after a while. The author tells things in such a matter of fact way that everything seems like it could really happen and did really happen and it did help lessen the shock of some of the shocking things. I guess the cultures in South America are very loose by American puritanical standards, so it was strange how open marriage relationships were. It was an interesting story, to follow the founding, rise and fall of the town of Macondo and the Buendia family. I think it could have been better if things were a little less alluded to. The most interesting thing to me was that the spirits of the dead stayed around and helped to teach the younger generations and that some could see the spirits and some could not.
I don't think I would ever read this again or even recommend it, but I am not sorry to have read it. Interestingly enough, this was the book that exploded him on the literary scene. It took him 18 months to write it and didn't do anything else while his wife raised their 2 sons and become completely impoverished. Maybe his other stuff is better. I'll have to find out....less
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Catherine
gave
to:
Twilight (Twilight Series, Book 1)
by Stephenie Meyer
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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Catherine said:
"I think I have read Twilight by Stephenie Meyer about 11 or 12 times now. The last time I read it, about 7 months ago, the magic had dimmed for me. Probably b/c I read it way to much. We are reading it this month as an unofficial book for J'aime Lire...more
I think I have read Twilight by Stephenie Meyer about 11 or 12 times now. The last time I read it, about 7 months ago, the magic had dimmed for me. Probably b/c I read it way to much. We are reading it this month as an unofficial book for J'aime Lire and I'm so glad b/c the magic was back.
I still love this series, but you can tell that this is her first novel. The writing is good and basic, but the endless goings-on about the beauty of the vampires is annoying. She improves over the next two novels.
I think Bella got on my nerves even more with this reading though. She can be so fatalistic it's exasperating. And what does Edward see in her? I guess b/c he can't read her thoughts like everyone else, she's the natural choice. And she is somewhat interesting to a point....less
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Catherine
gave
to:
New Moon (Twilight Series, Book 2)
by Stephenie Meyer
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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Catherine said:
"New Moon by Stephenie Meyer is the 2nd in the Twilight series. This made my 2nd time reading it. The first time I read it, it was in the Border's a few miles down from my parent's house in Raleigh. I had just finished Twilight and was dying for more....more
New Moon by Stephenie Meyer is the 2nd in the Twilight series. This made my 2nd time reading it. The first time I read it, it was in the Border's a few miles down from my parent's house in Raleigh. I had just finished Twilight and was dying for more. I didn't want to buy it b/c I bought Twilight in paperback and New Moon only just now became available in paperback. I was only a few months pregnant and still riding the crazy hormone train. I was crying, in Border's, reading about Edward leaving Bella. I went back 3 times to finish it. I cried, in Border's, when Edward came back.
Now this reading was very different. I was still upset when Edward left. I thought it was a pretty extreme reaction. And Bella's reaction is just as unreasonably extreme. It was pretty wrong for Bella to use Jacob the way she did. I think he might feel a little different about her if he knew she used him just to hear Edward's voice. And why can't he just be her friend? Maybe realize that she needs some more time to get over things, but no, he pushes and pushes and pushes. It's annoying. And Bella could have been more forceful in her 'rejection' of his overtures, but she did tell him. How could he get all crazy and mad when they came back and she went back to Edward. She warned him. ...less
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Catherine
gave
to:
Anne of Green Gables (Anne of Green Gables no.1)
by Lucy Maud Montgomery
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my rating:
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read in July, 2008
Catherine said:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
I don't know how anyone can't help but love Anne. She is so tender and innocent and optimistic about everything. And how can you not help but laugh when she is wicked and knows it and bears up under the consequences cheerfully b/c she was intentionally wicked. I love how Marilla softens little by little so that by the end of the book she is able to tell Anne how she really feels about her.
The local Savannah based book club here read it last year and Melissa told us that Ms. Montgomery never had any intentions of writing more than 1 book. And like Melissa said then, it makes you look at the ending a little bit differently. Would the bank have failed and Matthew died still? Would Anne and Gil have made up? Would these and others be held off til the next book? No, I can see where she had thought the story was done. Unfortunately for her and YaY! for us, the book became wildly popular and everyone wanted more. And More we got. ...less
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June 28
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Catherine
gave
to:
The Host: A Novel (Hardcover)
by Stephenie Meyer
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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Catherine said:
"
It started a little slow for me. I had a hard time relating to the main character and I was really really confused the first couple of chapters. After the first 100 pages or so, it got more and more interesting. I think she tells good stories, so...more
It started a little slow for me. I had a hard time relating to the main character and I was really really confused the first couple of chapters. After the first 100 pages or so, it got more and more interesting. I think she tells good stories, something a little different than what is usually out there. It always seems that I like the stuff in books that others find boring or tedious or whatever it is they find them. Like in Deathly Hallows, so many reviews griped about Harry wandering around the English countryside, whereas, I really enjoyed that part. In The Host, I enjoyed reading about the day to day life of the people and how they adapted to survive and all the different things they had to do to take care of the basic necessities of life. And I liked that she explained how they used the bathroom. I don't need gory details, but I hate not knowing b/c it can be a very bothersome thing without all the modern conveniences that I enjoy so much. And while there was a lot of detail, it helped me feel like it was a real place, real story, etc within the bounds of my imagination. ...less
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Catherine
is currently reading:
Super Baby Food (Paperback)
by Ruth Yaron
bookshelves:
currently-reading
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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Catherine
is currently reading:
The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ (Official Edition)
by Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Joseph Smith, Jr.
bookshelves:
currently-reading
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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Catherine
is currently reading:
Anna Karenina (Paperback)
by Leo Tolstoy
bookshelves:
currently-reading
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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June 11
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Catherine
gave
to:
Book of a Thousand Days (Hardcover)
by Shannon Hale
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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Catherine said:
"Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale is a retelling of a Grimm Brother's fairytale. It is told through a young mucker maid's journal. Her and her mistress Lady Saren are locked in a tower for 7 years when she refuses to marry a creepy dark man. It...more
Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale is a retelling of a Grimm Brother's fairytale. It is told through a young mucker maid's journal. Her and her mistress Lady Saren are locked in a tower for 7 years when she refuses to marry a creepy dark man. It tells about their struggles with rats in their food, visits from the unwanted suitor and a wanted suitor, changes in the seasons, and the struggle to be free.
It drew me in. You can almost guess the ending, but it is still fun getting there. I liked the little drawings that were included and the mucker healing songs. It was a fun read....less
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Catherine
gave
to:
The Jane Austen Handbook: A Sensible Yet Elegant Guide to Her World (Hardcover)
by Margaret C. Sullivan
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my rating:
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Catherine said:
"It makes me want to take tea and pay a morning call. Or go spend the Season in London, having fashionable clothes made up, and playing cards at balls. Too bad that I am pretty sure I would end up a Spinster like Jane, with neither beauty nor accompli...more
It makes me want to take tea and pay a morning call. Or go spend the Season in London, having fashionable clothes made up, and playing cards at balls. Too bad that I am pretty sure I would end up a Spinster like Jane, with neither beauty nor accomplishments to aid my search for a husband. And family fortune or connections, none to speak of.
It was fun to learn about life in her time. The social constraints and freedons they enjoyed. See what the fashions were, illustrations were provided for the clothes. It detailed how a lady spends her day and when meals ae served. It was a fun and enjoyable read....less
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OOOO AND YOU SHOULD GET A PICTURE YOU LOOK REALLY BAD IN THE ONE YOU HAVE HAHAHAH
