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!
Monday, June 6, 2011
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!
Saturday, May 21, 2011
The Forgotten Garden
Kate Morton
I really want to give it 4 and 1/4 stars like on Star Search. :)
I really liked this book. It was a great break from a stretch of ho-hum novels. I have really liked several non-fiction books, but this is the first good fiction in awhile. I normally get very annoyed with switching narrators and times, but the author won me over. I loved hearing the story from several different angles and piecing the puzzle together with all of their help. The Secret Garden is one of the first "chapter books" I remember really loving, so I think that made me like the garden aspect of the book as well. Their probably were a few too many side stories for the present day characters, but I liked them anyway. This was a great read!
I have started using Goodreads! It is a really fun website where you can put books you are reading, want to read and have read. You can post reviews and updates as you go. Are you on goodreads? If you are let me know so I can follow you!
I really want to give it 4 and 1/4 stars like on Star Search. :)
I really liked this book. It was a great break from a stretch of ho-hum novels. I have really liked several non-fiction books, but this is the first good fiction in awhile. I normally get very annoyed with switching narrators and times, but the author won me over. I loved hearing the story from several different angles and piecing the puzzle together with all of their help. The Secret Garden is one of the first "chapter books" I remember really loving, so I think that made me like the garden aspect of the book as well. Their probably were a few too many side stories for the present day characters, but I liked them anyway. This was a great read!
I have started using Goodreads! It is a really fun website where you can put books you are reading, want to read and have read. You can post reviews and updates as you go. Are you on goodreads? If you are let me know so I can follow you!
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Black Heels to Tractor Wheels
Ree Drummond
This was my mother's day gift to myself. I was lazy and read the whole book on Sunday. (While the boys were napping and after they went to bed, I didn't totally ignore them.) It didn't take long. I love the Pioneer Woman! I think she is a fabulous blogger because we all read her book or blog and find ourselves convinced we would be best friends. If only I lived near her ranch in Oklahoma, but wait I don't want to live on a ranch in Oklahoma. While I don't need black heels, I am also not up for tractor wheels. This was a fun story with a little realism, too. I forget that Ree's life is anything but perfect, and she has had her share of rough times. Some I could very much relate to these days. I think this is a good old fashioned fun, chick flick read. Run on out and grab you a copy.
This was my mother's day gift to myself. I was lazy and read the whole book on Sunday. (While the boys were napping and after they went to bed, I didn't totally ignore them.) It didn't take long. I love the Pioneer Woman! I think she is a fabulous blogger because we all read her book or blog and find ourselves convinced we would be best friends. If only I lived near her ranch in Oklahoma, but wait I don't want to live on a ranch in Oklahoma. While I don't need black heels, I am also not up for tractor wheels. This was a fun story with a little realism, too. I forget that Ree's life is anything but perfect, and she has had her share of rough times. Some I could very much relate to these days. I think this is a good old fashioned fun, chick flick read. Run on out and grab you a copy.
What the Dog Saw
Malcom Gladwell
I like Malcolm Gladwell books. They make me feel smart because they are non-fiction and I don't read much non-fiction. :) I have to say I didn't love this like I loved the other two Gladwell books I have read. For some reason the collection of essays bothered me a little, I am not a huge fan of short stories, and there were some that just weren't as interesting to me as others. Overall, I did very much enjoy it though. I like to think about things in a different way and Mr. Gladwell always helps me see things with a little more information and perspective. For instance, I knew I was a little bit frustrated with Avery's preschool teachers and the section on evaluating performance and how to promote as a result hit the nail on the head for our situation. His teachers are kind and nice, not bad at all. They just aren't that amazing teacher you sometimes find, they get the nuts and bolts perfectly. But, I don't think they know wiggling and leaning forward to look at the story doesn't mean you are disobedient, it means you are very interested in knowing more. You should read this when you want to feel smart and be entertained all at the same time.
I like Malcolm Gladwell books. They make me feel smart because they are non-fiction and I don't read much non-fiction. :) I have to say I didn't love this like I loved the other two Gladwell books I have read. For some reason the collection of essays bothered me a little, I am not a huge fan of short stories, and there were some that just weren't as interesting to me as others. Overall, I did very much enjoy it though. I like to think about things in a different way and Mr. Gladwell always helps me see things with a little more information and perspective. For instance, I knew I was a little bit frustrated with Avery's preschool teachers and the section on evaluating performance and how to promote as a result hit the nail on the head for our situation. His teachers are kind and nice, not bad at all. They just aren't that amazing teacher you sometimes find, they get the nuts and bolts perfectly. But, I don't think they know wiggling and leaning forward to look at the story doesn't mean you are disobedient, it means you are very interested in knowing more. You should read this when you want to feel smart and be entertained all at the same time.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Anybody Any Minute
Julie Mars
I thought this was an okay book. The main character was interesting enough however the plot didn't grab my interest and keep it. I think the story was just a little too contrived for my taste. I am not sad I read it, but it is definitely not worth the trouble it took to find it since it is not available on kindle. I won't spoil the ending but it was weird. The more I think about it, this just wasn't that good of a book. None of the characters were developed in a way that made you fall in love with them and want to really know their stories. I am an easy to please reader so I certainly didn't hate it, but I am an easy to please reader and I also didn't love it.
I thought this was an okay book. The main character was interesting enough however the plot didn't grab my interest and keep it. I think the story was just a little too contrived for my taste. I am not sad I read it, but it is definitely not worth the trouble it took to find it since it is not available on kindle. I won't spoil the ending but it was weird. The more I think about it, this just wasn't that good of a book. None of the characters were developed in a way that made you fall in love with them and want to really know their stories. I am an easy to please reader so I certainly didn't hate it, but I am an easy to please reader and I also didn't love it.
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