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.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
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!
Monday, June 6, 2011
The Clan of the Cave Bear
Jean M. Auel
I didn't want to like this book. I am not an outdoors kind of girl. I don't like long, flowery descriptions in books. I thought I wasn't going to make it with the pages and pages of descriptions of what the clan foraged for, or ate. However, I got sucked into the story and learned when to click and skim the long flowery descriptions. I don't think that the world should revolve around men, and I have no tolerance for a culture where men show women "their place" with their fists. I found myself HATING Broud and cheering for Ayla. I really don't have time to read a 6 book series, but I just might have to and make sure that Ayla wins in the end!
I didn't want to like this book. I am not an outdoors kind of girl. I don't like long, flowery descriptions in books. I thought I wasn't going to make it with the pages and pages of descriptions of what the clan foraged for, or ate. However, I got sucked into the story and learned when to click and skim the long flowery descriptions. I don't think that the world should revolve around men, and I have no tolerance for a culture where men show women "their place" with their fists. I found myself HATING Broud and cheering for Ayla. I really don't have time to read a 6 book series, but I just might have to and make sure that Ayla wins in the end!
Room
Emma Donoghue
An interesting read for sure. Hearing the story from the perspective of a 5 year old boy really made the story for me. It was disturbing and hard to read, but I couldn't put it down despite the premise. I am glad I read it, I thought it was great but it feels weird to gush about a book with such dark subject matter. I think Ma was an amazing woman. I hope I am half the mother she was in Room. Even though it wasn't real I find myself hoping she was able to put the pieces of her life back together for herself and for Jack, but mostly for herself. It also made me think I really need to teach Avery and Hank more and spend less time distracted by the world.
An interesting read for sure. Hearing the story from the perspective of a 5 year old boy really made the story for me. It was disturbing and hard to read, but I couldn't put it down despite the premise. I am glad I read it, I thought it was great but it feels weird to gush about a book with such dark subject matter. I think Ma was an amazing woman. I hope I am half the mother she was in Room. Even though it wasn't real I find myself hoping she was able to put the pieces of her life back together for herself and for Jack, but mostly for herself. It also made me think I really need to teach Avery and Hank more and spend less time distracted by the world.
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
Rebecca Skloot
I LOVED this book. It was so very interesting. I don't know if you would love it if science wasn't your favorite subject, but I think you still might. This was such an interesting story of the woman behind so many life changing discoveries in American and world-wide medicine. I love that this book was also so much more than medicine, it talks about race relations 1950s, family relationships, and race relations now. I am so glad that Ms. Skloot finally told the Lacks' family story! I am so sad that the Lacks' family story is what it is and I wonder what it would have taken to really change it. It is overwhelming, but incredibly interesting to me to consider the many ethical sides to medical research. Ms. Skloot did an excellent job of personalizing the things that in medicine we generally try desperately to make anonymous. Like I said as a loud and proud member of the nerd herd for as long as I can remember, I thought this was a really great book!
I LOVED this book. It was so very interesting. I don't know if you would love it if science wasn't your favorite subject, but I think you still might. This was such an interesting story of the woman behind so many life changing discoveries in American and world-wide medicine. I love that this book was also so much more than medicine, it talks about race relations 1950s, family relationships, and race relations now. I am so glad that Ms. Skloot finally told the Lacks' family story! I am so sad that the Lacks' family story is what it is and I wonder what it would have taken to really change it. It is overwhelming, but incredibly interesting to me to consider the many ethical sides to medical research. Ms. Skloot did an excellent job of personalizing the things that in medicine we generally try desperately to make anonymous. Like I said as a loud and proud member of the nerd herd for as long as I can remember, I thought this was a really great book!
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