75 Books...More or Less! discussion
Archive (2015 Completed)
>
Jan B's 2015 Challenge
date
newest »
newest »
message 151:
by
JanB
(new)
Nov 06, 2015 10:10AM
Karol, thank you for your kind words! I hope you like the 4 you added to the tbr list :)
reply
|
flag
Mod
Andrea, yes, it was cute but I think I would have liked it more had I not read it straight through on a travel day. It would be a good book to pick up and read a chapter now and then
66. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel2 stars. I was tempted to give it one but that felt harsh
ugh, I finished this last Saturday and have been delaying coming here and adding a review. SO MANY people have loved this book, including more than a few GR friends whose opinions I respect. I WANTED to love it too. But I didn't like it. There I said it.
It had a strong start...what's not to like about a pandemic? But then the story took a turn into the past, delving deep into Arthur's celebrity life. Ad nauseam. We know what happens to Arthur from the beginning but it didn't happen soon enough for me. The traveling symphony? I didn't buy it. There were a couple interesting characters (not Arthur!) but they weren't fully developed. The writing itself was good, but stereotypes abound. I could go on about what I didn't like but I'll stop here.
I "got" the message, it was the journey I didn't like. It was a book club book so I didn't follow through on my impulse to abandon it, but it when I got to the end, I wish I had.
Mod
2 stars. I was tempted to give it one but that felt harsh
ugh, I finished this last Saturday and have been delaying coming here and adding a review. SO ..."
Oh that's too bad! Well, everyone's got different opinions and tastes! :)
Elyse, yes what a boring world it would be if everyone was the same, right? Did you read it and enjoy it? If so you're in the majority. I'm the outlier ;)
Mod
Right! We'd have no conversations if everyone agreed! I haven't read it yet. I bought it when it was $2.99 e-book so if I don't like it, I didn't pay the full price! And if I do like it, I got a bargain!
Elyse, I was grateful I got it on Overdrive audio so I'mnot out anything but my time. Which is precious!
67. The Woman Who Walked in Sunshine: (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, #16) This is a favorite series. I read them for a quiet gentle read filled with wisdom, compassion and a bit of humor, not for the mystery, which is sometimes pretty thin. But I loved being back in Botswana with Mma Ramotswe and the cast of quirky characters.
If you're a fan, you'll enjoy this latest installment.
68. Slade House by David Mitchell2.5 stars
Slade House mysteriously appears every 9 years on Halloween and the people who visit are never seen again. Sounds deliciously creepy, right? But I didn’t find it creepy or suspenseful. Instead, midway through this short book, I was bored.
There are 5 chapters, each devoted to a different character and each set 9 years apart, starting in 1979. I can’t say more without spoilers but while the writing was good, I thought the plotting was lacking and the characters weren’t developed enough for me to care what happened to them. I understand the first chapter was released some time ago on Twitter.
I love a good horror story but this one was just not my cup of tea.
Mod
2.5 stars
2.5 stars
Slade House mysteriously appears every 9 years on Halloween and the people who visit are never seen again. Sounds deliciously creepy, right? B..."
Have you read Cloud Atlas? I got Slade House for free so I'll read it at some point but I'm in no rush.
Elyse, a lot of people enjoyed it so maybe you will too. No, I haven't read Cloud Atlas. I'm not sure this author is for me
Mod
Elyse, The Bone Clocks is a chunkster so more of an investment in time. Slade House, is only 238 pages (but felt much longer) and I read that while it's not a sequel, some elements are the same.
Mod
Jan, I read one book by David Mitchell, Ghostwritten, back in 2010. I just re-read my review of it, and that author is definitely not for me!
Alecia, I guess he's a hate it/love it kind of author. I'm glad I didn't start with the Bone Clocks ;)
Mod
69. Concussion by Jeanne Marie Laskas5 stars
I have a confession: I don’t like football. Never have and never will. But I am interested in medical issues, so this book and the upcoming movie starring Will Smith intrigued me. Luckily there is very little football talk and the science is easy for laymen to understand so this book will appeal to anyone who likes an immigrant story along with a medical mystery.
When Nigerian born Dr Bennet Omalu discovered a connection between dementia and NFL players, little did he know he’d set off a campaign by the NFL to suppress the information and discredit his character and findings. Dr Omalu didn’t understand American football, nor did he understand why his discovery wasn’t met with accolades and gratitude. As the story unfolds, his personality and Nigerian background are important for the reader to know.
It was Omalu's autopsy of former Pittsburgh Steelers center Mike Webster in 2002 that led to his research and eventual discovery of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE. His brilliant mind and scientific curiosity led him to research and study the brains of other NFL players who suffered from depression and/or increasingly bizarre and sometimes violent behavior before their untimely deaths, usually at an early age. These chapters are a highlight of the book. That the NFL reacted much the same way as Big Tobacco did when the connection between smoking and lung cancer was made shouldn’t come as a surprise but I was still shocked at the lengths they went to. Now that the discovery is getting national attention the NFL is busy with a damage control PR campaign: they are making the game safer, they donate money to research, and they set up a fund to assist players who suffer from CTE. The real story is here in this book.
I think this book should be read by everyone and there needs to be a national discussion on how our country’s obsession with football is sacrificing the lives of too many men who play the sport. Even worse, new research is being reported that the damage starts in boys who play at young ages, as it’s the repeated “minor” traumas (is any brain trauma minor?) that causes the worst damage, and not just the “major” collisions that result in concussions. Linemen are at a higher risk. Helmets don’t offer protection as it’s the acceleration/deceleration phenomenon that’s the problem.
I wasn’t always a fan of the author's writing style but the story itself is an important one that needs to be told so I'm giving it 5 stars. A FYI: the italics are Dr. Omalu’s own words or writings.
**I received a copy of the e-book from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Mod
5 stars
I have a confession: I don’t like football. Never have and never will. But I am interested in medical issues, so this book and the upcoming movie sta..."
Movie looks good but I probably won't read the book. lol
70. Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey4.5 stars
Written in 1968, this book stands the test of time. I loved it! Written in a non-linear way, this is a compilation of Abbey's adventures, anecdotes, and philosophical musings from the time he spent as a park ranger in Utah's Arches National Park. Abbey is a grumpy old man but he’s so amusing as he waxes poetic on the dangers of civilization and tourists encroaching on the natural wonders in the American Southwest that he’s easily forgiven. It’s unclear how many of his more radical views he truly held but many (it seemed to me) bordered on sarcasm and “feelings of the moment”.
Abbey was a man full of contradictions, but there’s no question of his love for the outdoors and natural wonders. It came shining through in his eloquent prose, with descriptions that were thoughtful and poetic. This is a book that will make you feel, that will make you laugh on one page and feel wistful and pensive on the next. But always in awe at his command of the written word. This book can change the way you view nature, especially the SW.
Highly recommended. This is no boring travelogue….love him or hate him, there’s no denying Abbey is entertaining. He’s a curmudgeonly John Muir and much more fun to read than Muir.
This sounds very interesting...something different.
Alecia, honestly I wasn't too excited about this book so it was a complete surprise to me how much I enjoyed it after a slow start
71. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? By Mindy Kaling 4 stars
I love Mindy's work on tv and despite being of a different demographic (I'm old enough to be her mother), I enjoyed this book a lot. She's smart, funny and self-deprecating.
I always thought Mindy didn't get enough air time on The Office and it was news to me that the reason was she was busy writing, producing, and directing the show. Impressive. This book gives her fans a chance to get to know her and her humor better.
My only complaint is I wish it had been longer :)
Mod
4 stars
I love Mindy's work on tv and despite being of a different demographic (I'm old enough to be her mother), I enjoyed this book a lot...."
Loved this one! I didn't enjoy her second one, Why Not Me?, quite as much as this one.
72. What Comes Next and How To Like It: A Memoir by Abigail Thomas4 stars
Memoirs are tough. Too often they seem like a vehicle for self-promotion and bragging, which can backfire and make the author unlikable. Not so with Abigail Thomas. She gives only a brief mention of her career and many accomplishments. Ms. Thomas takes a different path in writing this memoir.
The book is arranged as a series of chapters (essays) on varying topics. At the core is her decades-long platonic friendship with Chuck and a betrayal that threatened their bond, the life-threatening illness of a daughter, and her life after her husband’s death (written about in more detail in Three Dog Life, a book I also loved). But mostly she writes about her wry observations and thoughts as she goes about her everyday life: about aging, memory, her love for her dogs, death, friendship, forgiveness, failures as a parent…and much more. It’s beautifully written, refreshingly honest, and would be most likely to appeal to a reader of a certain age.
73. The Christmas Pearl by Dorothea Benton Frank 2 stars
This was a lighthearted novel where the ghost of their deceased housekeeper, Pearl, makes a surprise visitation to the family to spread a little cheer, bring back long-forgotten family rituals, and teach the family the true meaning of Christmas. Unfortunately the family was so obnoxious it took away from my enjoyment of the book.
74. The Marriage of Opposites by Alice Hoffman4 stars
This book takes a look into the life of Camille Pissarro, the Father of Impressionism, who grew up on the island of St. Thomas. The family escaped the Inquisition and, along with a community of Jewish immigrants, settled into life on St. Thomas.
Set in St. Thomas and later in Paris, with beautiful prose and vivid descriptions, the author tells the tale of arranged marriages, forbidden love, long-buried secrets, and loss. Local folklore and superstition is woven in with a deft hand. Magical realism is not my cup of tea, but it wasn’t overdone to the point where I was drawn out of the story.
The story mostly follows the lives of the strong women who shaped Pissarro, from his stern grandmother and headstrong mother, Rachel, to the housekeeper’s daughter, Jestine, his mother’s best friend. As strong as they were, they were still constrained by the social and religious conventions of the times, as well as by racial and religious prejudice. Rachel longs to go to Paris but must stay in St. Thomas, a decision made for her by her parents. Much later, watching history repeat itself...like mother, like daughter... was probably realistic but baffling.
Rachel’s story was a more interesting and compelling one and the story lagged when the narrative turned to other characters. Pissarro doesn’t make an appearance until the middle of the book, and I ended up knowing more about the women that shaped his life than about Pissaro himself, but the background story shed light on his later life and the controversial actions he took. The afterward by the author filled in the gaps.
The constraints imposed on these women, along with their long-range ramifications, left me with a heavy heart. I appreciated this look into one of the greatest artists of the 20th century, and learning about the Jewish settlement in St. Thomas, neither of which I knew much about before reading this book. Like I do with all good historical fiction, when I turned the last page, I turned to the internet to learn more.
This one sounds good, Jan. Maybe I will give it a try.
Alecia, I'd definitely recommend it....it wasn't perfect, got a little wordy and flowery at times, but overall, I'm really glad I read it. I do like a book where I learn something about a history I knew nothing about, so that automatically bumps up my rating :)
75. Trigger Point Self-Care Manual: For Pain-Free Movement by Donna Finando
4 stars
Excellent book that explains in detail the stretches for post-trigger point therapy. I bought this one as a companion to the Clair Davie's Trigger Point manual and using it to stretch after I have dry needling done.
I always feel a little strange adding this type of book since it's not pleasure reading for enjoyment, buy hey, I did actually read it.
And I'll be adding another novel finished before the year's end! :-)
Mod
Thanks Elyse! I'm just squeaking by ;)By the way, was a "completed challenge" thread eliminated?
Mod
Mod
Mod
Andrea, I didn't see one and looking at the archives I only see completed challenges for 2009 through 2014
Mod
I know that I never made one. Usually it gets created a few months before the end of the year when people are getting close to their goals.
Oh, and Andrea, this was my first Alice Hoffman book. I've always been afraid of the magical realism because it's not a favorite of mine. I understand there's more of it in her previous books. But she writes beautifully. Do you have a particular one you recommend?
Mod
I've only read one Alice Hoffman, Skylight Confessions, and I really enjoyed it.
Mod
