Kristin Hannah
4.5 stars
I thought this was a great book! I wish I had read it for book club so I could discuss it with friends. I think as always Hannah does a great job creating real characters and has them struggle with real issues! If only there were a manual for parenting...
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Friday, May 25, 2012
Friday, April 20, 2012
Before The Storm
Diane Chamberlain
5 stars
A very good read! I loved the reality of the characters & the content. I loved that a flawed woman became strong & brave for her child! I also love that she still wasn't perfect and could admit it. I thought this was a good, interesting story with a plot that wasn't so predictable.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
5 stars
A very good read! I loved the reality of the characters & the content. I loved that a flawed woman became strong & brave for her child! I also love that she still wasn't perfect and could admit it. I thought this was a good, interesting story with a plot that wasn't so predictable.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Catch Up Time
I am trying to get my good reads and book blog updated before the baby comes. Here are the books I hadn't archived off my kindle yet.
The Peach Keeper
Sarah Addison Allen
4 stars
A fun chick flick/mystery. I liked that there were some strong women characters and unlikely friends. I like that the author could poke fun at some of the ridiculous "southern" ways we treat each other. This would be a good summer read for sure
Boomsday
Christopher Buckley
4 stars
Without getting overly political I have to say I really enjoyed how this book made me think, and laugh. It was nice to take a satirical view of things to make it less uncomfortable. The reality is our system is broken and we are going to have to fix it. I think the book also pointed out some of the ugly realities of our political system and how hard it is for it to work, and then work well enough to fix problems. A fun, though provoking read, especially in an election year.
Like Water for Chocolate
Laura Esquivel
1 star
Yuck, not my favorite book at all. I will admit it very well could be my lack of understanding of the Mexican culture that caused me not to like the book. I thought that it would be fun to read recipes and a story to go with them. But, I am not brave enough to try these recipes and didn't like the story. I thought it was way too far fetched to even be entertaining and the mother in the story was AWFUL.
The Sharper the Knife, the Less You Cry: Love, Laughter and Tears at the World's Most Famous Cooking School
Kathleen Flinn
5 stars
I loved this book! Maybe I was just hungry, but I thought it was a very fun, good read. I wanted to be in Paris again. I wanted to be a brave enough eater to really be a foodie and not just wish I was one. I wanted to quit my job, go to culinary and school and live a very adventurous life!
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
Jonathan Safran Foer
3 stars
I still can't decide how I feel about this book. I didn't want to read it because I thought it would be way too sad dealing with 9/11. Part of me thinks it wasn't very good, because it didn't make me very sad at all. I initially thought I didn't like it and wasn't well written because I wasn't sad. However, when we met for book club I realized I had grown to care a lot about the character as we discussed him. I thought the family was bizarre and there were probably too many characters, but they did add to the story. I did HATE the sentence structure used. I know my grammar is awful and I love a good run on sentence. But, there were whole pages of my kindle that didn't have a period on them and I keep the font small. It wears me out, I need a break, I am not that smart! So, read if you want to. I don't know what to tell you. I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it either.
GCB
Kim Gatlin
4 stars
It definitely says bad things about me that I just gave 3 stars to a smart person book and 4 to this one. But, what can I say, I like to be entertained. I can laugh at myself and my culture. Women are horrible to each other and Christian Women can be the worst. Wolves in sheep's clothing will get you every time. This book doesn't tell you anything you didn't already know and won't change your life. But, it is an entertaining way to pass a couple of hours when you should be getting ready for a new baby to come, but instead are propping up what used to be your ankles to see if they might reemerge!
Still Alice
Lisa Genova
5 stars
I thought this was a very well written portrayal of an awful disease. I'll be honest I am now terrified I have early onset Alzhemier's. I love that the author didn't portray every family member as coping well and perfectly. I love how hard it was for Alice to give up her life and accept her reality. I was heart broken for her and her children, and her husband even if he was unable to cope. You will be on web md googling your symptoms and you will cry, but you won't be sorry you read this!
Home Front
Kristin Hannah
5 stars
I just like Kristin Hannah, so I liked this book. It was interesting to think of soldiers and veterans from her perspective. I liked the strong female characters as always. I think my favorite part was that the author pointed out that it is not helpful to always pretend everything is sunshine and roses with your spouse. I fully believe that there are times in life where you must decide to be happy and make the best of bad situations, but I do not think that is at all the same as refusing to let your spouse in and deal with reality. I was so glad the main character had a husband and circumstances that forced her to do that so she could realize she was using some pretty great ingredients to make it even though she was forced to make lemonade with her lemons.
The Queen of New Beginnings
Erica James
3 stars
I couldn't remember this book very well, so I guess it wasn't that great. But, once I read the recap I did remember and like it. Cute, fun, easy!
11/22/63
Stephen King
4 stars
I had a very hard time getting into the book because it wasn't at all what I expected. In my opinion the book is a lot about time travel and wishing you could change the past and a little about JFK's assassination. But, I thought it was challenging and interesting and made great points about playing the shoulda coulda woulda game. Could we really go back and only change one thing with no ramifications?
All I Want For Christmas Is You
Lisa Mondello
4 stars
The book equivalent of a Hallmark Channel Original Christmas movie, so of course I loved it! It was ridiculous, not life changing but perfect for reading for a few minutes in the bath tub while you try to knock the chill off.
The Peach Keeper
Sarah Addison Allen
4 stars
A fun chick flick/mystery. I liked that there were some strong women characters and unlikely friends. I like that the author could poke fun at some of the ridiculous "southern" ways we treat each other. This would be a good summer read for sure
Boomsday
Christopher Buckley
4 stars
Without getting overly political I have to say I really enjoyed how this book made me think, and laugh. It was nice to take a satirical view of things to make it less uncomfortable. The reality is our system is broken and we are going to have to fix it. I think the book also pointed out some of the ugly realities of our political system and how hard it is for it to work, and then work well enough to fix problems. A fun, though provoking read, especially in an election year.
Like Water for Chocolate
Laura Esquivel
1 star
Yuck, not my favorite book at all. I will admit it very well could be my lack of understanding of the Mexican culture that caused me not to like the book. I thought that it would be fun to read recipes and a story to go with them. But, I am not brave enough to try these recipes and didn't like the story. I thought it was way too far fetched to even be entertaining and the mother in the story was AWFUL.
The Sharper the Knife, the Less You Cry: Love, Laughter and Tears at the World's Most Famous Cooking School
Kathleen Flinn
5 stars
I loved this book! Maybe I was just hungry, but I thought it was a very fun, good read. I wanted to be in Paris again. I wanted to be a brave enough eater to really be a foodie and not just wish I was one. I wanted to quit my job, go to culinary and school and live a very adventurous life!
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
Jonathan Safran Foer
3 stars
I still can't decide how I feel about this book. I didn't want to read it because I thought it would be way too sad dealing with 9/11. Part of me thinks it wasn't very good, because it didn't make me very sad at all. I initially thought I didn't like it and wasn't well written because I wasn't sad. However, when we met for book club I realized I had grown to care a lot about the character as we discussed him. I thought the family was bizarre and there were probably too many characters, but they did add to the story. I did HATE the sentence structure used. I know my grammar is awful and I love a good run on sentence. But, there were whole pages of my kindle that didn't have a period on them and I keep the font small. It wears me out, I need a break, I am not that smart! So, read if you want to. I don't know what to tell you. I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it either.
GCB
Kim Gatlin
4 stars
It definitely says bad things about me that I just gave 3 stars to a smart person book and 4 to this one. But, what can I say, I like to be entertained. I can laugh at myself and my culture. Women are horrible to each other and Christian Women can be the worst. Wolves in sheep's clothing will get you every time. This book doesn't tell you anything you didn't already know and won't change your life. But, it is an entertaining way to pass a couple of hours when you should be getting ready for a new baby to come, but instead are propping up what used to be your ankles to see if they might reemerge!
Still Alice
Lisa Genova
5 stars
I thought this was a very well written portrayal of an awful disease. I'll be honest I am now terrified I have early onset Alzhemier's. I love that the author didn't portray every family member as coping well and perfectly. I love how hard it was for Alice to give up her life and accept her reality. I was heart broken for her and her children, and her husband even if he was unable to cope. You will be on web md googling your symptoms and you will cry, but you won't be sorry you read this!
Home Front
Kristin Hannah
5 stars
I just like Kristin Hannah, so I liked this book. It was interesting to think of soldiers and veterans from her perspective. I liked the strong female characters as always. I think my favorite part was that the author pointed out that it is not helpful to always pretend everything is sunshine and roses with your spouse. I fully believe that there are times in life where you must decide to be happy and make the best of bad situations, but I do not think that is at all the same as refusing to let your spouse in and deal with reality. I was so glad the main character had a husband and circumstances that forced her to do that so she could realize she was using some pretty great ingredients to make it even though she was forced to make lemonade with her lemons.
The Queen of New Beginnings
Erica James
3 stars
I couldn't remember this book very well, so I guess it wasn't that great. But, once I read the recap I did remember and like it. Cute, fun, easy!
11/22/63
Stephen King
4 stars
I had a very hard time getting into the book because it wasn't at all what I expected. In my opinion the book is a lot about time travel and wishing you could change the past and a little about JFK's assassination. But, I thought it was challenging and interesting and made great points about playing the shoulda coulda woulda game. Could we really go back and only change one thing with no ramifications?
All I Want For Christmas Is You
Lisa Mondello
4 stars
The book equivalent of a Hallmark Channel Original Christmas movie, so of course I loved it! It was ridiculous, not life changing but perfect for reading for a few minutes in the bath tub while you try to knock the chill off.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
The Language of Flowers: A Novel
Vanessa Diffenbaugh
*spoiler, I discuss the ending
I really liked this book. It was interesting to think of the meaning of flowers and how important those meanings used to be. I also like how the book reminds us that in every language there is room for interpretation. I thought the story was really interesting as well. I think it was probably a pretty accurate representation of a troubled young girl. It is interesting to me to hear how others in my book clubs perceived her character as unrealistic, but as I deal with young, inexperienced moms sometimes I don't really think it was that far off. I have to admit I thought the end was a bit cheesy. While I always say I love things tied up in a neat bow, and a huge part of my loved that neat bow, it was in my opinion incredibly unrealistic.
*spoiler, I discuss the ending
I really liked this book. It was interesting to think of the meaning of flowers and how important those meanings used to be. I also like how the book reminds us that in every language there is room for interpretation. I thought the story was really interesting as well. I think it was probably a pretty accurate representation of a troubled young girl. It is interesting to me to hear how others in my book clubs perceived her character as unrealistic, but as I deal with young, inexperienced moms sometimes I don't really think it was that far off. I have to admit I thought the end was a bit cheesy. While I always say I love things tied up in a neat bow, and a huge part of my loved that neat bow, it was in my opinion incredibly unrealistic.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Bossypants
Tina Fey
OMG! I laughed and laughed when I read this. I was a little worried I had been oversold by the people who kept talking about how funny it was, but I was not disappointed. Without this book a day of being delayed 6 hours from getting to see Avery for the first time in a week would have been miserable. Instead I was that weird lady in the airport/airplane laughing far too hard at her fancy e-reader. I wished I had the book so people would know it was a really funny book. A great read with good insights as well!
OMG! I laughed and laughed when I read this. I was a little worried I had been oversold by the people who kept talking about how funny it was, but I was not disappointed. Without this book a day of being delayed 6 hours from getting to see Avery for the first time in a week would have been miserable. Instead I was that weird lady in the airport/airplane laughing far too hard at her fancy e-reader. I wished I had the book so people would know it was a really funny book. A great read with good insights as well!
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Before I Go to Sleep
S.J. Watson
I really liked this book. I haven't read a good mystery in a long time. I don't know if my standards are lower because of this, but I really thought it was good. I like that it was very suspenseful but most of the time not too scary. I loved the plot of the woman forgetting every night when she went to sleep, I felt for her. I feel like I can't say much without ruining the plot. I am sure this isn't a life changing read, but it would definitely be a great summer read. I stayed up until 1:20 last night because I got to the good part and had to know what happened.
I really liked this book. I haven't read a good mystery in a long time. I don't know if my standards are lower because of this, but I really thought it was good. I like that it was very suspenseful but most of the time not too scary. I loved the plot of the woman forgetting every night when she went to sleep, I felt for her. I feel like I can't say much without ruining the plot. I am sure this isn't a life changing read, but it would definitely be a great summer read. I stayed up until 1:20 last night because I got to the good part and had to know what happened.
The Paris Wife
Paula McLain
I thought this was a good book, but probably not a great book. I loved the setting and learning about this time period from a different vantage point. I don't know much about Ernest Hemingway, but I thought it was interesting to learn (I use that lightly since this was fiction based in fact) about his life near the beginning of his career. I am never quite sure what to think of the fiction based in fact, because it is hard to know what to accept as fact and what is not. I like things to fit in a box :) I am tempted to read the biography of Hemingway mentioned in the sources, but not sure I care that much. That tells me it wasn't an amazing book, but a good book. I do think it will be fun to discuss at book club. I am excited to see what the girls think!
I thought this was a good book, but probably not a great book. I loved the setting and learning about this time period from a different vantage point. I don't know much about Ernest Hemingway, but I thought it was interesting to learn (I use that lightly since this was fiction based in fact) about his life near the beginning of his career. I am never quite sure what to think of the fiction based in fact, because it is hard to know what to accept as fact and what is not. I like things to fit in a box :) I am tempted to read the biography of Hemingway mentioned in the sources, but not sure I care that much. That tells me it wasn't an amazing book, but a good book. I do think it will be fun to discuss at book club. I am excited to see what the girls think!
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