NATUI's 50 in a year

[NATUI]

2012:07

In the Land of Invisible Women: A Female Doctor's Journey in the Saudi Kingdom

This book was a mixed bag for me. I loved reading about the aspects of her job--the interactions between her colleagues and navigating in such a foreign cultural environment. Where she lost me was the focus on the aspects of Islam. I felt as if she were giving me a Sunday School lesson (no pun intended) every single chapter. A kind of a "sit back and listen to THIS!!" each time a new aspect of the religion revealed itself. I am all for learning about her own personal experiences and hearing her own personal insights; however, I don't want to feel as if the author is trying to convince me. I wouldn't enjoy this writing style if it were written by a Lutheran, Shinto, or Pagan. Just state your experience and let me connect with you. Three stars for the heavy-handed proselytizing and my *SIGH* here we go again reaction.

[NATUI]

2012:08

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

I read this for book club and enjoyed it. There are many uncomfortable points made, and the topics addressed lend themselves to good discussion. I'm glad I read it.

[NATUI]

2012:09

My Sunshine

I brought this book with me on vacation thinking it would be a light read. I actually enjoyed it way more than I thought I would. The storyline, though predictable, was very sweet. My main disappointment was to find out it was a part of a series rather than a stand- alone novel. I may read another in the series, but I am more interested in the characters of this book than the peripheral characters.

[NATUI]

2012:10

Confessions of a Shopaholic

I know I am not a very good shopper, but the character in this book annoyed me to the point I wanted to throw the book across the room. I give Kinsella huge credit for this--you should either create a character everyone loves, hates or can relate to. I cannot relate to this woman AT ALL. The stupidity with which she lives her life was astounding. Apparently, there must be thousands of people out there who are just like her because of this books popularity and the subsequent movie made. I could never, ever in real life be friends like the main character, Rebecca. Therefore, it was impossible for me to feel the least shred of sympathy for her at any point in the story. The premise for the story--awesome. The main character--hideous. Three stars because I love this author's other books, and one star to the main character. It's nice to read a book that can twist a person viscerally like this. It appalls me that so many people found her character likable.

[NATUI]

2012:11

Shopaholic Takes Manhattan

After having finished the first in this series, I realized I had the second book in my bookshelf as well. As much as I couldn't stand the character of Rebecca, I was interested to see how the author would handle the character after she'd payed off her debt. After all, paying a bill does not cure one of stupidity. Sure enough, Kinsella did a brilliant job making Rebecca as idiotic, neurotic and unlikable as before. What struck me in the first book was hammered home in the second--Rebecca is a compulsive liar. Every single word that comes out of her mouth is a complete and utter lie. She lies to her friends. She lies to her parents, her coworkers,and especially to her boyfriend. What redeeming quality is there at all in this person? I've read reviews talking about how "beloved" this character is. Why? If you had a friend who treated you as she treats her friends, would you respect her? Would you admire someone who goes on a job interview and gets drunk? If your grown children did nothing but lie so much that you questioned whether or not they actually had a boyfriend, wouldn't that send up HUGE red flags?

I have to admit, I have developed a horrid fascination with these books. Kind of like rubber-necking at a traffic accident. If I come across the third book, I'll probably read it if for no other reason than to reiterate to myself how important it is to stay away from people like Rebecca. Again, props to Kinsella for creating a character so phenomenally weak and pathetic that it actually interests me to see what lows she will stoop to in the next book.

[NATUI]

2012:12

Shopaholic Ties the Knot

[NATUI]

2012:13

Tension City: Inside the Presidential Debates, from Kennedy-Nixon to Obama-McCain

I read this for my upcoming book club meeting. It was interesting to hear Lehrer's experiences behind the scenes. I think enjoyment of this book is definitely based on how much of the debates one has experienced in their lifetime. It becomes much more relevant when you can remember having watched or listened to the debate and then reading Lehrer's description as he saw it at the time. My favorite part was his acceptance and embrace of his past mistakes. It takes a well-grounded person to be able to put that in print for all to see.

[NATUI]

2012:14

Maybe a Miracle: A Novel

I don't remember where I picked this book up, but I am so glad I did. It was a complete surprise to see how well-written it was. It was at times, funny, painful, and an insightful point-of-view on how a teenager can deal with a crisis of faith during a crisis of family. I can't wait to read it again now that I know the outcome of the book.

[NATUI]

2012:15

Time Bomb

Back to Kellerman! I friend and I had a quick chat in a parking lot and she told me how much she has been enjoying reading his books lately. It made me miss them, so here I am again. It was easy to slip back into the characters, and I enjoyed the quirkiness of the victim's father. I was very relieved at many of the twists and turns, and it was nice to see how the plot developed. This one didn't turn into a one-man show, and I appreciated that.

[NATUI]

2012:16

Farewell, My Subaru: An Epic Adventure in Local Living

This was a book club pick, and I have to confess I liked it better than I thought I would. I actually laughed aloud several times, and since I currently live in New Mexico it was interesting to read his take on his new home. For people who question his decision to try to grow things in the desert, look up agriculture for deserts like California and you have your answer. I read an electronic copy from the library, but I am buying a used copy off of Amazon because I would like to read it again. It was a fast, light read, and while he could have laid a bit off of the Wal-Mart spiel (he makes the point early and often), I understand what he is trying to say, and I appreciate that he points out the hypocrisy of it all.

[NATUI]

2012:17

Private Eyes

This was a great read. It had just enough psychology and detective work to make me a happy girl. It was an interesting premise, for him to revisit an old client, and the story and characters were all well-developed. The only thing that irked me was how the daughter was made out to be the bad guy in the mother's treatment. It was a very true-to-life example of turning family on each other, and I know that is why hit resonated so hard with me.

[NATUI]

2012:18

Bad Love

This one was hit and miss for me. The introduction of the dog surprised me, and the entire novel I was so distracted with the thought that they would find the dog maimed or killed in some awful way that it was hard to focus on the main plot.

The main miss, besides the dog distraction, was this was another Delaware the Detective story rather than Delaware the Doctor. I prefer when the story is more balanced, but I get irritated with Alex running around in Rogue-Cop Rambo mode. I am a huge fan of suspension of disbelief, but his antics stretch me to my breaking point. Overall, it was a good story, just not my favorite.