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46.
2 stars
Taken from the back of the book. "From boyhood, Tim Winton's relationship with the world around him-rock ponds, sea caves, scrub, and swamp has been profoundly vital. Camping in hidden inlets, walking in high rocky desert, bobbing in the sea between sets, Winton has learned to see landscape as a living process."
Tim Winton takes you through the changes that he saw as he was growing up to his adulthood.
Some in the beginning looked like good changes but as he got older sees them as not good changes. The book has some interesting parts but overall, a dull read. What is happening in Australia is happening all over the world. The need to cover the world with concrete and development is going to make us miserable in the end. We will become unfulfilled because we will have lost nature.
47.
3 stars
Taken from the Goodreads synoptics. "A no-holds-barred look into the remarkable life and career of the prolific musician, songwriter, and producer behind Eurythmics and dozens of pop hits.
Dave Stewart's life has been a wild ride-one filled with music, constant reinvention, and the never-ending drive to create. Growing up in industrial northern England, he left home for the gritty London streets of the seventies, where he began collaborating and performing with various musicians, including a young waitress named Annie Lennox."
I am all over the place on how I feel about this book. I am a fan, but this book was a little underwhelming. Either the stories were so drawn out that it did not get to the point fast enough and I lost interest, or they did not develop enough. I did learn some things about Dave that I had not heard but overall, it was an ok read. I wish I could have given it more than three stars, but the book needed editing.
48.
1 star
Taken from the Goodreads synopsis. ". When the Nazi’s invade his home in Salonika, Greece, the trustworthy boy is discovered by a German officer, who offers him a chance to save his family. All Nico has to do is convince his fellow Jewish residents to board trains heading to “new homes” where they are promised jobs and safety. Unaware that this is all a cruel ruse, the innocent boy goes to the station platform every day and reassures the passengers that the journey is safe. But when the final train is at the station, Nico sees his family being loaded into a large boxcar crowded with other neighbors. Only after it is too late does Nico discover that he helped send the people he loved—and all the others—to their doom at Auschwitz. Nico never tells the truth again."
The book is centered around Eleven-year-old Nico Krispis, his brother Sebastian, and their schoolmate Fanni but has other characters that come and go in the story lines.
The story line is somewhat ordinary as far as Nazi survival stories go. I just could not get into the book, too many details or it did not have enough believable story line. At times it drew me in but not enough to give it more than one star. The ending it foreseeable but yet complicated.
49.
4 stars
Taken from the Goodreads synopsis. "Tue Tales of the American Southwest by Howard Bryan offers a treasury of stories, anecdotes, and personal histories published here for the first time. Drawn from his personal archives, Bryan’s book is based on the recollections of pioneering “oldtimers” who lived in the Southwest in the 1800s and early decades of this century as the frontier era was drawing to a close. In extended informal interviews during the 1950s, Bryan gathered authentic accounts of the West that reflect the determination, humor, and courage of men and women surviving in dangerous and violent times. The stories yield a variety of adventures and anecdotes about frontier life. Bryan presents new information on famous characters such as Pancho Villa, Geronimo, Victorio, Billy the Kid, Pat Garrett, and Black Jack Ketchum, many of whom the oldtimers knew personally. A pioneer woman remembers almost being “rescued” by Geronimo- who believed she was an Indian child held captive by whites. "
A collection of sixteen people's stories. Some of the stories are very interesting and shows the ugly and good in people. Other stories are not put together very well, seem like things are missing. Overall a good book about long gone people living their lives as best they could, some are good people and others not so much.
50.
1 star
I stopped reading a little halfway through and that was enough, not my type of book. I am not going to write a synopsis about this book nor am I going to write a review. It has wasted enough of my time.
51.
5 stars and added to favorites
This is a beautiful, weaved story about a Dog who remembers his past lives and tries to find purpose for his life. The story will send you on an emotional roller coaster ride. It has humor, deep sadness, touch of horror, companionship and friendship. The ending made me cry and leaves the reader to finish it, I hated this and liked it.
I have seen the movie and loved it, but the book is outstanding. I am adding it to my favorites.
52.
1 star
Taken from the Goodreads synopsis page.
"Coming off the most successful book of a decorated career— Say Her Name — The Interior Circuit is Francisco Goldman’s timely and provocative journey into the heart of Mexico City.
The Interior Circuit is Goldman’s story of his emergence from grief five years after his wife’s death, symbolized by his attempt to overcome his fear of driving in the city. Embracing the DF (Mexico City) as his home, Goldman explores and celebrates the city, which stands defiantly apart from so many of the social ills and violence wracking Mexico. This is the chronicle of an awakening, both personal and political, “interior” and “exterior,” to the meaning and responsibilities of home. Mexico’s narco war rages on and, with the restoration of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (the PRI) to power in the summer’s 2012 elections, the DF’s special apartness seems threatened. In the summer of 2013, when Mexican organized crime violence and death erupts in the city in an unprecedented way, Goldman sets out to try to understand the menacing challenges the city now faces. By turns exuberant, poetic, reportorial, philosophic, and urgent, The Interior Circuit fuses a personal journey to an account of one of the world’s most remarkable and often misunderstood cities."
My first mistake was not reading Say Her Name first, it would have prepared me for some of this book. My second mistake was not fully understanding the book it is not just about a person living in Mexico it is overwhelming about much more.
I could not get into the book; it is too much bread and not enough meat. I understand heated political issues discussions need to happen but with all the other things discussed in the book it just made it way too heavy for me to give it more than one star.
53.
4 stars
Taken from the Goodreads synopsis
"Buddy is a good dog.
After searching for his purpose through several eventful lives, Buddy is sure that he has found and fulfilled it. Yet as he watches curious baby Clarity get into dangerous mischief, he is certain that this little girl is very much in need of a dog of her own.
When Buddy is reborn, he realizes that he has a new destiny. He's overjoyed when he is adopted by Clarity, now a vibrant but troubled teenager. When they are suddenly separated, Buddy despairs―who will take care of his girl?"
This book continues the A Dog's Purpose story. I enjoyed the first book and knew this book was going to test me and it did. I had trouble with the troubled teenager story line. It is both realistic and far-fetched. Much of it made me want to stop reading but I kept going and just overlooked the typical teenager cliches. I loved that the Author kept that dog's loveable energy, eagerness to help and please his people helped me finish the book. It is sad story so have tissue ready.
54.
4 stars
Taken from the Goodreads synopsis. ""It happened on a Sunday night, even though I'd been a good girl and gone to church that morning." One brisk November evening during her senior year at a small Midwestern Christian college, two armed intruders broke into the house Ruth Everhart shared with her roommates, held all five girl's hostage, and took turns raping them at gunpoint. Reeling with fear, insecurity, and guilt, Ruth believed she was ruined, both physically and in the eyes of God. In the days and weeks that followed, Ruth struggled to come to grips with not only what happened that night but why. The same questions raced through her mind in an unrelenting loop--questions that would continue to haunt her for years to come: "Why me? Where was God? Why did God allow this to happen? What am I being punished for?" Told with candor and unflinching honesty, Ruined is an extraordinary emotional and spiritual journey that begins with an unspeakable act of violence but ends with tremendous healing and profound spiritual insights about faith, forgiveness, and the will of God."
This is not an easy read due to the subject. The writing was at times repetitive and lacked structure but overall, well written. I liked the open and honest telling of her story even the cuss words. Using the cuss words shows real life, not a sugar-coated survival story.
55.
2 stars
Interesting stories but not enough to give it more than two stars. Story telling was dry and boring and had too much information that could have cared less about. I also disliked the speculation used to fill in the evidence of events, dates, feeling, etc. here and there.
I picked up the book because of the cover. I was highly disappointed there was nothing about her or the horse.
56.
1 star
From the Goodreads synopsis "For the Posts, a two-week trip to the Balearic Island of Mallorca with their extended family and friends is a celebration: Franny and Jim are observing their thirty-fifth wedding anniversary, and their daughter, Sylvia, has graduated from high school. The sunlit island, its mountains and beaches, its tapas and tennis courts, also promise an escape from the tensions simmering at home in Manhattan.
But all does not go according to plan: over the course of the vacation, secrets come to light, old and new humiliations are experienced, childhood rivalries resurface, and ancient wounds are exacerbated."
I did not like any of the characters. Dialog was all over the place, either long winded, unrealistic or lacked depth of emotion for the moment. The story line has been done to death. Man cheats, people go on vacation together and can't get along and put in other things happening or not happening. Even with that going on and more, it is still boring to read.
57.
2 stars
This book was published in 1962, and it feels like Stainbeck was reaching for a nonfiction bestseller by writing about his take on seeing America. I did not buy half of what he wrote about, stories felt pushed, half-truths, or made up, to use a few words. The French Poodle was used effectively as a cute travel companion. I enjoyed the dog parts the most so for that I am giving it two stars. Otherwise, there are better travel books that have held up the test of time than this one has.
58.
1 star
I had never heard of Justin Alexander Shetler before I picked up this book, so I had no clue what to expect.
I just can't put into words everything I disliked about this book so I will give you just a few reasons. Most of the book was a setup. It is filled with reasons why he was a wonderful free spirit that just could not deal with life/people and always looking for the next fix, rather it be drugs, spiritual awareness, or for adventure. His childhood was filled with bad influences, his father by introducing him to drugs and alcohol at a young age and his mother for giving in to his every whim. He comes across as spoiled and never satisfied with his life. It is a sad story, and I do hope one day his family has closure by finding him or his body.
The writing is good and pulls you into the story but is a bit repetitive and long winded.
59.
1 star
I made it to page 72 and stopped. I found it to be boring and lacked real travel dialog. It is more of a, site seeing as we tip toe though the memories while plugging books, story.
60.
2 stars
Taken from the Goodreads synopsis. "In the predawn hours of July 10, 2014, twenty-seven-year-old Cody Roman Dial, the son of preeminent Alaskan scientist and National Geographic Explorer Roman Dial, walked alone into Corcovado National Park, an untracked rainforest along Costa Rica’s remote Pacific Coast that shelters miners, poachers, and drug smugglers. He carried a light backpack and machete. Before he left, he emailed his father: "I am not sure how long it will take me, but I’m planning on doing 4 days in the jungle and a day to walk out. I’ll be bounded by a trail to the west and the coast everywhere else, so it should be difficult to get lost forever."
They were the last words Dial received from his son."
I wish I enjoyed all of the book, but I struggled to comprehend what all I was reading. Book is full of Cody Dial's plans, adventures, and his disappearance but it lacks something I just can't put my finger on. Could be the lack of everyone's urgency to find Cody when it was first realized he was missing or that Father focused on everyone he knows, a lot. Ok read but will not stay with me.
61.
2 stars
I am not going to try and write up a synopsis, I feel I can't write a better one than Goodreads or the others in the reviews.
I would have liked this book when I was younger but reading it as an adult, I found it to be a tedious and dull read. Meg is the main character, and I liked and disliked her. She is a bold free spirit but why does she need to be disrespectful to adults, especially your parents. This type of character development is cliche. I get and like the message that the book revealed but not enough to continue the series.
62.
1 star
I stopped reading, made it to page 165. I don't know if this is a fiction or nonfiction book. Presented as a nonfiction, reads like a fiction and all over the place while trying to present the story.
63.
1 star
Taken from the Goodreads synopsis. "1996 was the year that changed everything for Maggie Dawes. Sent away at sixteen to live with an aunt she barely knew in Ocracoke, a remote village on North Carolina’s Outer Banks, she could think only of the friends and family she left behind . . . until she met Bryce Trickett, one of the few teenagers on the island. Handsome, genuine, and newly admitted to West Point, Bryce showed her how much there was to love about the wind-swept beach town—and introduced her to photography, a passion that would define the rest of her life.
By 2019, Maggie is a renowned travel photographer. She splits her time between running a successful gallery in New York and photographing remote locations around the world. But this year she is unexpectedly grounded over Christmas, struggling to come to terms with a sobering medical diagnosis. Increasingly dependent on a young assistant, she finds herself becoming close to him.
As they count down the last days of the season together, she begins to tell him the story of another Christmas, decades earlier—and the love that set her on a course she never could have imagined."
There was a lot to process in this book but overall, it is one cliche after another of teenage girl's life. All the cliche boxes checked. rebel teenage, Daughter is tossed away to live with another family, boy comes into her life, life changing decision made, now a woman has regrets, just to name a few. I found the story to be slow moving and predictable, yes, I had the ending figured out a chapter before the reveal. I did not find anything relatable to me and sorry I read it.
64.
1 star
Taken from the Goodreads synopsis. "Lyra is rushing to the cold, far North, where witch clans and armored bears rule. North, where the Gobblers take the children they steal--including her friend Roger. North, where her fearsome uncle Asriel is trying to build a bridge to a parallel world.
Can one small girl make a difference in such great and terrible endeavors? This is Lyra: a savage, a schemer, a liar, and as fierce and true a champion as Roger or Asriel could want--but what Lyra doesn't know is that to help one of them will be to betray the other."
I could not get into this book. I found the story to be slow moving and blah. I did find some interesting parts (one of two reasons I finished the book), and I liked the overall story line of the quest of Lyra trying to find her Friend Roger but not enough to give it more than one star. I don't even think I would have liked this book when I was younger. Not going to finish the series nor watch the movie.
65.
4 stars
Taken from the Goodreads write up. "Aerial combat brings a thrilling new dimension to the Napoleonic Wars as valiant warriors ride mighty fighting dragons, bred for size or speed. When HMS Reliant captures a French frigate and seizes the precious cargo, an unhatched dragon egg, fate sweeps Captain Will Laurence from his seafaring life into an uncertain future – and an unexpected kinship with a most extraordinary creature. Thrust into the rarified world of the Aerial Corps as master of the dragon Temeraire, he will face a crash course in the daring tactics of airborne battle. For as France’s own dragon-borne forces rally to breach British soil in Bonaparte’s boldest gambit, Laurence and Temeraire must soar into their own baptism of fire."
I found the story line to be inviting and well put together, but I did find myself lost here and there on what was going on. It is not an easy to pick up where you stopped reading, I found myself having to go back and reread in a few spots. I would have liked more set up here and there to help with future events to have a background on what is going on but overall, good read.
Without giving away too much, I truly enjoyed reading the dragons music scene. This is what puts some authors above the rest when they can convey a beautiful image. Well done.
66. Deadly Mission5 stars
Taken from the Goodreads synopsis.
"In her sixth mystery, Julie Erickson meets Naomi, who informs her of the recent unexpected death of a family member Julie was once close to. She learns that Aunt Margot lived in a small town only ten miles from Summerville, which makes Julie wonder why the woman never contacted her. Even more disturbing is Naomi’s belief that the death was no accident, and she reveals Margot’s final that Julie investigate a personal case she was trying to solve on her own.
Julie’s daughter Kate is spending part of her summer break at home, and she eagerly offers to help her mom on this mission. Together they hear the rumors, conflicting stories, and suspicions that often exist in small towns. But when another death occurs, Julie realizes that she and Kate are now uncovering secrets that someone has already killed twice to protect."
I enjoyed this relaxing mystery book.
67.
5 stars
Wonderful collection of poetry. The book includes both religion and secular poems. I have heard/read a few from other books but I was presently surprised finding new poems. I am adding this book to my Christmas book collection. I wish I could give it more than five stars.
68.
2 stars
A dog, a goat, and their flock follow the sight and scent of a star in a beautifully illustrated, keenly observed Nativity story.
This is not the worst story involving the birth of Jesus, but it is far from the best. I just don't understand some of the actions of the animals or Angels.
I am still giving it two stars because it is thought provoking. The book is about the animal's thoughts and views on the events their masters(humans) were observing and following while doing the same.
69.
2 stars
Taken from the Amazon write up. "Chicken Soup for the Soul books are 100% made in the USA and each book includes stories from as diverse a group of writers as possible. Chicken Soup for the Soul solicits and publishes stories from the LGBTQ community and from people of all ethnicities, nationalities, and religions."
A diverse collection of true short stories collected by Amy Newmark ranging from great to ok.
Sadly, only a couple of stories will stay with me.
70.
2 stars
Ok collection with Bible quotes and secular stories and poems.
71.
3 stars
Taken from Goodreads synopsis, "Kelley Quinn is the owner of Nantucket's Winter Street Inn and the proud father of four, all of them grown and living in varying states of disarray. Patrick, the eldest, is a hedge fund manager with a guilty conscience. Kevin, a bartender, is secretly sleeping with a French housekeeper named Isabelle. Ava, a school teacher, is finally dating the perfect guy but can't get him to commit. And Bart, the youngest and only child of Kelley's second marriage to Mitzi, has recently shocked everyone by joining the Marines.
As Christmas approaches, Kelley is looking forward to getting the family together for some quality time at the inn. But when he walks in on Mitzi kissing Santa Claus (or the guy who's playing Santa at the inn's annual party), utter chaos descends. With the three older children each reeling in their own dramas and Bart unreachable in Afghanistan, it might be up to Kelley's ex-wife, nightly news anchor Margaret Quinn, to save Christmas at the Winter Street Inn.
Before the mulled cider is gone, the delightfully dysfunctional Quinn family will survive a love triangle, an unplanned pregnancy, a federal crime, a small house fire, many shots of whiskey, and endless rounds of Christmas caroling, in this heart-warming novel about coming home for the holidays."
Predictable but interesting family dynamics story. I usually don't care for a book that is set up by Characters thoughts/actions by giving them their own narration, but this one worked. Hard to keep up with story line here and there but overall, I liked the book, even it is not my normal style of book.
72.
1 star
** spoiler alert **
Taken from the Goodreads synopsis, "When Madison McDowell returns from several years teaching overseas, she has high hopes of picking up where she left off at her family's Christmas tree farm in Oregon. But between damage from a recent wildfire and the neglect due to her sister Addie's unwillingness to invest, the farm is in sad shape. In fact, Addie is intent on selling the property. And to top it off, her former high school flame, the now-widowed Gavin Thompson, has plans to break Madison's heart again by turning his neighboring property into a dusty, noisy dirt bike track for his daughter.
With the odds stacked against her, Madison decides there's only one thing to double down on her dreams. It will take a ton of hard work--and some help from an unlikely ally--to save the farm she so dearly loves. But it may take a miracle to restore her relationship with her sister."
Sorry but I found this book to be a bit depressing and the story just never fully developed for me, found it boring. The end was predictable, and I hate it when a large amount of money makes things better and fall into place fixes, so cliche. The family interactions made my eyes rolls, a lot.
Play Book Tag
Books mentioned in this topic
The Christmas Tree Farm (other topics)Winter Street (other topics)
The Joy of Christmas: An Illustrated Treasury (other topics)
Chicken Soup for the Soul: Tales of Christmas: 101 Stories of Holiday Joy, Love and Gratitude (other topics)
Certain Poor Shepherds: A Christmas Tale (other topics)
More...
1 star
Taken from the Goodreads synopsis. "Karen Grassle, the beloved actress who played Ma on Little House on the Prairie, grew up at the edge of the Pacific Ocean in a family where love was plentiful but alcohol wreaked havoc. In this candid memoir, Grassle reveals her journey to succeed as an actress even as she struggles to overcome depression, combat her own dependence on alcohol, and find true love."
If I had known what the book was going to be about, I would have skipped the book. She was not a happy person. Her life choices could have had a lot to do with that. That is all I am willing to say about the book.