The Reader's Nook

Coming Soon!

2008-09-30T15:22:00.006-04:00

So, I've fallen really far behind with blogging. Both this blog and my family blog have been totally neglected but I'm finally getting back into the swing of things! Here are the books I will be reviewing soon!

THE FIONAVAR TAPESTRY by GUY GAVRIEL KAY

THE BOOK OF A THOUSAND DAYS by SHANNON HALE

THE THIRTEENTH TALE by DIANE SETTERFIELD

BRISINGR by CHRISTOPHER PAOLINI

Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer

2008-08-04T07:18:00.003-04:00

SPOILER ALERT - I will be talking about things in the book so if you don't want to know then DON'T READ!!

Alright. I admit it. I bought it at 9:00 Am on Sat. and read it all in a day. No midnight parties for me but I could hardly wait! Would Bella be turned? What would become of Jacob? What would the plot line be? I was antsy with anticipation! While waiting in the checkout line I read the inside cover and it had my heart a pitterin'! I don't know what it is about these Twilight books - they are not the most well-written books I've ever read or the most exciting but they do make me feel like a teenager again. Anyway - that's how I felt at the checkout line. I've been reading a lot of reviews of this book and most people HATED it. It didn't have quite the same effect on me as the other books but I enjoyed reading it and was entertained. There were definitely things I liked and things that drove me crazy!!

Before I go into my list of "things" I have to brag that I totally called her conclusion of the Bella-Edward-Jacob triangle. After I finished reading Eclipse last year I was running through all the different possible scenarios. I wanted Bella with Edward together (for the most part) but I love Jacob and wanted him happy. So, what would S.M. do?? I called my sister and told her I had it figured out! Edward and Bella would get married and she would get pregnant before he turned her and she'd have a little girl that Jacob would imprint on and then they would all be together and everything would be great! I didn't have any theories about the baby (vampire or human) but I am feeling pretty proud that I guessed that! I got over it pretty fast and started hoping that they'd find a way for vampires to be turned back to human - but that's not how it went and I'm glad. The main thing I was worried about was Bella being a psycho newborn and going on a killing rampage! I'm glad that the author decided to make her immune to the whole newborn thing.

Things I liked:
*The wedding. I was in tears. Maybe it's because I'm pregnant and hormonal but I had tears spill over a few times at the beginning!
*The honeymoon was pretty fun!
* I didn't have a problem with Edward and Bella's relationship except that it seemed like we didn't get quite as much romance. Not as much lovey dovey talk.
* I liked the ending - I mean the VERY END. I liked that Bella had a way to let him in her head and that he was so excited about it. =)
* I like that Charlie was still allowed to be in the picture.

Didn't like:
* Rosalie and the baby thing drove me crazy. I thought she would kidnap the baby or something.
* The baby thing in general bothered me. I think it's great that she was able to get pregnant but it wasn't a positive thing in the book so it wasn't any fun. I wasn't sure how I felt about it - on one hand I was with Edward and Carlisle and thought that they should get it out of her because who knows if the baby would be a crazy, blood thirsty, little demon. I thought it was weird that she would only take blood but supposedly Half human/vampire children can live on human food as well. It was just weird that Bella was starving. And that there wasn't any tender mother/daughter moments (at the beginning) and daddy/daughter moments (ever!). Oh well.
*I do like that Edward had to make her a vampire out of necessity rather than just doing it. That part of the book wasn't my favorite. Maybe it was because it was from Jacob's perspective so I felt like I was just looking through a window and didn't know Bella's real feelings as the whole thing went on.
* The nickname Jazz for Jasper?? Where did that come from?? If she was going to do that it should have been done in one of the first books.
* The name Reneseme was just NOT cute. And I thought that the baby was kind of weird. I'm glad she was sweet but I just thought it was a little freaky.
* I don't feel like things got wrapped up for Leah. I'm not sure why S.M. made her a more prominent character and made us feel for her and then didn't give her a happy ending - after all it seems like that was her goal - to tie everything up in a perfect, little bow for us.
* And that leads me to my final complaint. The ending with the Volturri. I wanted some action and got NONE. I read to the end anticipating the exciting part and then it just ended. SO anti-climatic for me! If they had fought I guess the ending wouldn't have been quite so "happy". Realistically, somebody in Bella and Edward's family would have been killed and we couldn't have that! But still. I would have liked a little action. =) Besides sex. We got plenty of that. And I'm not complaining! =)

I'm finishing up a trilogy this week so I should have another review soon!!

The Princess Academy by Shannon Hale

2008-06-22T21:45:00.003-04:00

This is such a cute story! I can't wait for my girls to grow up so that I can read it to them. Read it!!

From School Library Journal
Starred Review. Grade 5-9–The thought of being a princess never occurred to the girls living on Mount Eskel. Most plan to work in the quarry like the generations before them. When it is announced that the prince will choose a bride from their village, 14-year-old Miri, who thinks she is being kept from working in the quarry because of her small stature, believes that this is her opportunity to prove her worth to her father. All eligible females are sent off to attend a special academy where they face many challenges and hardships as they are forced to adapt to the cultured life of a lowlander. First, strict Tutor Olana denies a visit home. Then, they are cut off from their village by heavy winter snowstorms. As their isolation increases, competition builds among them. The story is much like the mountains, with plenty of suspenseful moments that peak and fall, building into the next intense event. Miri discovers much about herself, including a special talent called quarry speak, a silent way to communicate. She uses this ability in many ways, most importantly to save herself and the other girls from harm. Each girl's story is brought to a satisfying conclusion, but this is not a fluffy, predictable fairy tale, even though it has wonderful moments of humor. Instead, Hale weaves an intricate, multilayered story about families, relationships, education, and the place we call home.–Linda L. Plevak, Saint Mary's Hall, San Antonio, TX

The Host by Stephenie Meyer

2008-06-22T21:41:00.003-04:00

Loved it!! She did it again! I was excited to read another novel by Stephenie Meyer and even more glad that it ended and I didn't have to wait around for the next one! Fun story and characters. I'd definitely recommend it!

Amazon.com
Amazon Best of the Month, May 2008: Stephenie Meyer, creator of the phenomenal teen-vamp Twilight series, takes paranormal romance into alien territory in her first adult novel. Those wary of sci-fi or teen angst will be pleasantly surprised by this mature and imaginative thriller, propelled by equal parts action and emotion. A species of altruistic parasites has peacefully assumed control of the minds and bodies of most humans, but feisty Melanie Stryder won't surrender her mind to the alien soul called Wanderer. Overwhelmed by Melanie's memories of fellow resistor Jared, Wanderer yields to her body's longing and sets off into the desert to find him. Likely the first love triangle involving just two bodies, it's unabashedly romantic, and the characters (human and alien) genuinely endearing. Readers intrigued by this familiar-yet-alien world will gleefully note that the story's end leaves the door open for a sequel--or another series. --Mari Malcolm

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

2008-06-22T21:16:00.003-04:00

This was a delightful read! I think I finished it in a just a couple hours and I wished it had gone on longer! I love these happy, fairy tale books. They are really refreshing sometimes!

Synopsis from Amazon.com:
At birth, Ella is inadvertently cursed by an imprudent fairy named Lucinda, who bestows on her the "gift" of obedience. Anything anyone tells her to do, Ella must obey. Another girl might have been cowed by this affliction, but not feisty Ella: "Instead of making me docile, Lucinda's curse made a rebel of me. Or perhaps I was that way naturally." When her beloved mother dies, leaving her in the care of a mostly absent and avaricious father, and later, a loathsome stepmother and two treacherous stepsisters, Ella's life and well-being seem in grave peril. But her intelligence and saucy nature keep her in good stead as she sets out on a quest for freedom and self-discovery, trying to track down Lucinda to undo the curse, fending off ogres, befriending elves, and falling in love with a prince along the way. Yes, there is a pumpkin coach, a glass slipper, and a happily ever after, but this is the most remarkable, delightful, and profound version of Cinderella you've ever read. Gail Carson Levine's examination of traditional female roles in fairy tales takes some satisfying twists and deviations from the original. Ella is bound by obedience against her will, and takes matters in her own hands with ambition and verve. Her relationship with the prince is balanced and based on humor and mutual respect; in fact, it is she who ultimately rescues him. Ella Enchanted has won many well-deserved awards, including a Newbery Honor. (Ages 9 to 14) --Emilie Coulter

The Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice

2008-06-22T21:00:00.004-04:00

These were actually really fun vampire books! There are a few more books in the series but there was a definite ending in The Queen of the Damned so I just quit at that. Check out the synopsis to see what these books are about!

Interview With the Vampire:

Amazon.com
In the now-classic novel Interview with the Vampire, Anne Rice refreshed the archetypal vampire myth for a late-20th-century audience. The story is ostensibly a simple one: having suffered a tremendous personal loss, an 18th-century Louisiana plantation owner named Louis Pointe du Lac descends into an alcoholic stupor. At his emotional nadir, he is confronted by Lestat, a charismatic and powerful vampire who chooses Louis to be his fledgling. The two prey on innocents, give their "dark gift" to a young girl, and seek out others of their kind (notably the ancient vampire Armand) in Paris. But a summary of this story bypasses the central attractions of the novel. First and foremost, the method Rice chose to tell her tale--with Louis' first-person confession to a skeptical boy--transformed the vampire from a hideous predator into a highly sympathetic, seductive, and all-too-human figure. Second, by entering the experience of an immortal character, one raised with a deep Catholic faith, Rice was able to explore profound philosophical concerns--the nature of evil, the reality of death, and the limits of human perception--in ways not possible from the perspective of a more finite narrator.

The Vampire Lestat:
Amazon.com
As with the first book in the series, the novel begins with a frame narrative. After over a half century underground, Lestat awakens in the 1980s to the cacophony of electronic sounds and images that characterizes the MTV generation. Particularly, he is captivated by a fledgling rock band named Satan's Night Out. Determined both to achieve international fame and end the centuries of self-imposed vampire silence, Lestat takes command of the band (now renamed "The Vampire Lestat") and pens his own autobiography. The remainder of the novel purports to be that autobiography: the vampire traces his mortal youth as the son of a marquis in pre-Revolutionary France, his initiation into vampirism at the hands of Magnus, and his quest for the ultimate origins of his undead species. While very different from the first novel in the Vampire Chronicles, The Vampire Lestat has proved to be the foundation for a broader range of narratives than is possible from Louis's brooding, passive perspective. The character of Lestat is one of Rice's most complex and popular literary alter egos, and his Faustian strivings have a mythopoeic resonance that links the novel to a grand tradition of spiritual and supernatural fiction. --Patrick O'Kelley

The Queen of the Damned:
Amazon.com
Did you ever wonder where all those mischievous vampires roaming the globe in Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles came from? In this, the third book in the series, we find out. That raucous rock-star vampire Lestat interrupts the 6,000-year slumber of the mama of all bloodsuckers, Akasha, Queen of the Damned.

Akasha was once the queen of the Nile (she has a bit in common with the Egyptian goddess Isis), and it's unwise to rile her now that she's had 60 centuries of practice being undead. She is so peeved about male violence that she might just have to kill most of them. And she has her eye on handsome Lestat with other ideas as well.

If you felt that the previous books in the series weren't gory and erotic enough, this one should quench your thirst (though it may cause you to omit organ meats from your diet). It also boasts God's plenty of absorbing lore that enriches the tale that went before, including the back-story of the boy in Interview with the Vampire and the ancient fellowship of the Talamasca, which snoops on paranormal phenomena. Mostly, the book spins the complex yarn of Akasha's eerie, brooding brood and her nemeses, the terrifying sisters Maharet and Mekare. In one sense, Queen of the Damned is the ultimate multigenerational saga. --Tim Appelo --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

Well - Here I am!!

2008-06-22T20:59:00.003-04:00

If you don't know me then you probably don't know that I am pregnant and was really sick for awhile!! Well - I am FINALLY back to normal and ready to post some of my recent reads! Enjoy!

Blood Brothers by Elias Chacour

2008-03-14T20:33:00.003-04:00

Here is the synopsis from Barnes and Noble:

Synopsis:

As a child, Elias Chacour lived in a small Palestinian village in Galilee. The townspeople were proud of their ancient Christian heritage and lived at peace with their Jewish neighbors. But in 1948 and '49 their idyllic lifestyle was swept away as tens of thousands of Palestinians were killed and nearly one million were forced into refugee camps. An exile in his native land, Elias began a years-long struggle with his love for the Jewish people and the world's misunderstanding of his own people, the Palestinians. How was he to respond? He found his answer in the simple, haunting words of the Man of Galilee: "Blessed are the peacemakers." In Blood Brothers Chacour blends his riveting life story with historical research to reveal a little-known side of the Arab-Israeli conflict and the birth of modern Israel. He touches on controversial questions such as: What behind-the-scenes politics touched off the turmoil in the Middle East? What does Bible prophecy really have to say? Can bitter enemies ever be reconciled? In a world of tension and terror, this book offers hope and insight that can help each of us learn to live at peace.

I really loved this book! It taught me so much about the Middle East and the conflicts going on there. Most importantly, I learned that we are all links in helping bring peace to the world and that we need to get out and DO things to make a difference. Definitely read this!

Enchantment by Orson Scott Card

2008-02-24T19:47:00.003-05:00

I just finished this book last night and I loved it! It is the story of Sleeping Beauty after she is kissed. I loved the characters and the plot! Definitely a must-read!

Amazon.com
Enchantment is the story of a Ukraine-born, American grad student who finds himself transported to the ninth century to play the prince in a Russian version of Sleeping Beauty. Early in the story, he muses that in a French or English retelling of the tale, the prince and princess would live happily ever after. But, "only a fool would want to live through the Russian version of any fairy tale."

Although his fears turn out to be warranted, as he and his cursed princess contend with the diabolical witch Baba Yaga--easily Russia's best pre-Khrushchev villain--to save the princess's kingdom, Enchantment is ultimately a sweet story. Mixing magic and modernity, the acclaimed Orson Scott Card (Ender's Game) has woven threads of history, religion, and myth together into a convincing, time-hopping tale that is part love story, part adventure. Enchantment's heroes, "Prince" Ivan and Princess Katerina, must deal with cross-cultural mores, ancient gods, treacherous kinsmen (and fianceés), and ultimately Baba Yaga herself.

Card has a knack for coming across like your nerdy dad at times, when he runs on too long or makes some particularly wince-inducing observation or reference ("Daaad, Bruce Cockburn is not cool!"). But, as you might expect of a good dad, as uncool as he might be, Card still manages to tell a good bedtime story. --Paul Hughes --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

The Children of the Promise Series by Dean Hughes

2008-02-24T19:39:00.002-05:00

I read these books in high school and loved them! I wanted to see if I would like them as much a second time. For the most part, I did. The last book in the series is a little droopy and long but the first 4 are great! I love reading historical fiction. Especially when it is about World War 2. Definitely read these!

Sunshine by Robin Mckinley

2008-02-24T19:19:00.004-05:00

I don't think that this is one of Robin Mckinley's best books. She writes well but there is far too much detail! Sunshine is the narrator and she goes on and on sometimes. The story is good and I hope there is a sequel. It was written several years ago so I don't know if that is going to happen though! Word of caution - there are a couple scenes and words that might offend. I'm getting tired of writing that. It makes me feel like I don't ever read good, wholesome books! I just want to make sure that I'm not recommending a book to someone without letting them know these things ahead of time. I don't know that there are many novels written nowadays that don't have some language and sex. URGH!!

From Publishers Weekly
Buffyesque baker Rae "Sunshine" Seddon meets Count Dracula's hunky Byronic cousin in Newbery-Award-winner McKinley's first adult-and-then-some romp through the darkling streets of a spooky post-Voodoo Wars world. Now that human cities have been decimated, the vampiric elite holds one-fifth of the world's capital, threatening to control all the earth in less than 100 years, unless human SOFs (Special Other Forces) can hold them at bay by recruiting Sunshine, daughter of legendary sorcerer Onyx Blaise. As breathlessly narrated by Sunshine herself, the Cinnamon Roll Queen of Charlie's Coffeehouse, in the inchoate idiom of Britney, J. Lo and the Spice Girls, Sunshine's coming-of-magical-age launches when she is swarmed by noiseless vampires one night and chained in a decrepit ballroom as an entr‚e for mysterious, magnetic, half-starved Constantine, a powerful vampire whose mortal enemy Bo (short for Beauregard) shackled him there to perish slowly from daylight and deprivation. Most of the charm of this long venture into magic maturation derives from McKinley's keen ear and sensitive atmospherics, deft characterizations and clever juxtapositions of reality and the supernatural that might, just might, be lurking out there in "bad spots" right around a creepy urban corner or next to a deserted lake cabin. McKinley knows very well-and makes her readers believe-that "the insides of our own minds are the scariest things there are."
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

River Secrets by Shannon Hale

2008-02-24T17:24:00.002-05:00

River Secrets was the third and final (I think!) book in The Goose Girls series. I'm sad to be done with them because they were such fun! I thought it was creative and I think she does a really good job developing her characters. Definitely read this series!

From School Library Journal
Starred Review. Grade 6-10–A companion to The Goose Girl (2003) and Enna Burning (2004, both Bloomsbury). Enna and Isi's friend Razo is small and bullied; he has always considered himself pretty useless, so he is thrilled to be chosen as one of a hundred Bayern soldiers accompanying an ambassador on a peacekeeping mission to the Tiran capital. Tirans lost the war with Bayern, largely due to Enna's forbidding ability to burn people, and their army was shamed. When Razo discovers burned bodies, he first fears that Enna has reneged on her promise to stop using her powers, then realizes that she isn't guilty. In this part mystery, part coming-of-age story, Razo learns why he is so important to the king's mission. He befriends Lady Dasha, the daughter of the ambassador who was sent in exchange to Bayern. Like Enna and Isi, she is a young woman with elemental powers. The burner is exposed and captured; peace is assured, as is the romance between Razo and Dasha. Hale's portrayal of a group of extremist Tirans for whom war is sacred and putting one's life in peril is honorable connects the story's medieval folkloric setting with today's news in a chilling way. As in the companion books, this high fantasy is rich in detail and lyrical in writing. While it helps to have read the two previous books, River Secrets stands on its own. But fans of the genre will no doubt rejoice in immersing themselves in this magical world by reading all three.–Connie Tyrrell Burns, Mahoney Middle School, South Portland, ME
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Austenland by Shannon Hale

2008-02-24T17:14:00.003-05:00

I enjoy Shannon Hale's books! When I first started this one I wasn't so sure I'd like it as well as The Goose Girl series but it got better and when I shut it I felt pretty satisfied. =) It's a quick, easy read and has a really cute ending. =)

From Publishers Weekly
In 32-year-old singleton Jane Hayes's mind, no man in the world can measure up to Fitzwilliam Darcy—specifically the Fitzwilliam played by Colin Firth in the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. Jane is forced to confront her Austen obsession when her wealthy great-aunt Carolyn dies and leaves her an all-expenses-paid vacation to Pembrook Park, a British resort where guests live like the characters in Jane's beloved Austen novels. Jane sees the trip as an opportunity for one last indulgence of her obsession before she puts it "all behind her—Austen, men, fantasies, period," but the lines between reality and fiction become pleasantly blurred as Jane acclimates to the world of Spencer jackets and stringent etiquette rules, and finds herself torn between the Darcyesque Mr. Nobley and a forbidden tryst with Pembrook Park's gardener. Though the narrative is endlessly charming, Jane is convincing neither as a sarcastic single girl nor as a romantic idealist, and the supporting cast is underdeveloped. Nods to Austen are abundant in contemporary women's fiction, and an intriguing setup and abundant wit are not enough to make this one stand out. (June)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Anne of Green Gables Series by L.M. Montgomery

2008-02-24T16:57:00.003-05:00

I don't know why I put off reading these for so long!! I love the movies so I guess I thought that the books would irritate me. I should have known, the books are ALWAYS better than the movies. These are such lovely stories. They are so happy and cheerful! Anne in the books is a million times better than Anne in the movies. I love Anne's descriptions of things and her dramas are hilarious. If you are in the mood for something happy and uplifting, these are the books for you!

From Amazon:
When Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert of Green Gables, Prince Edward Island, send for a boy orphan to help them out at the farm, they are in no way prepared for the error that will change their lives. The mistake takes the shape of Anne Shirley, a redheaded 11-year-old girl who can talk anyone under the table. Fortunately, her sunny nature and quirky imagination quickly win over her reluctant foster parents. Anne's feisty spirit soon draws many friends--and much trouble--her way. Not a day goes by without some melodramatic new episode in the tragicomedy of her life. Early on, Anne declares her eternal antipathy for Gilbert Blythe, a classmate who commits the ultimate sin of mocking her hair color. Later, she accidentally dyes that same cursed hair green. Another time, in her haste to impress a new neighbor, she bakes a cake with liniment instead of vanilla. Lucy Maud Montgomery's series of books about Anne have remained classics since the early 20th century. Her portrayal of this feminine yet independent spirit has given generations of girls a strong female role model, while offering a taste of another, milder time in history. This lovely boxed gift collection comprises Anne of Green Gables, Anne of the Island, Anne of Avonlea, Anne of Windy Poplars, Anne's House of Dreams, Anne of Ingleside, Rainbow Valley, and Rilla of Ingleside. (Ages 9 to 12) --Emilie Coulter

Life of Pi by Yann Martel

2008-01-21T11:53:00.000-05:00

This book is wonderful! Read it!

From Publishers Weekly
A fabulous romp through an imagination by turns ecstatic, cunning, despairing and resilient, this novel is an impressive achievement "a story that will make you believe in God," as one character says. The peripatetic Pi (ne the much-taunted Piscine) Patel spends a beguiling boyhood in Pondicherry, India, as the son of a zookeeper. Growing up beside the wild beasts, Pi gathers an encyclopedic knowledge of the animal world. His curious mind also makes the leap from his native Hinduism to Christianity and Islam, all three of which he practices with joyous abandon. In his 16th year, Pi sets sail with his family and some of their menagerie to start a new life in Canada. Halfway to Midway Island, the ship sinks into the Pacific, leaving Pi stranded on a life raft with a hyena, an orangutan, an injured zebra and a 450-pound Bengal tiger named Richard Parker. After the beast dispatches the others, Pi is left to survive for 227 days with his large feline companion on the 26-foot-long raft, using all his knowledge, wits and faith to keep himself alive. The scenes flow together effortlessly, and the sharp observations of the young narrator keep the tale brisk and engaging. Martel's potentially unbelievable plot line soon demolishes the reader's defenses, cleverly set up by events of young Pi's life that almost naturally lead to his biggest ordeal. This richly patterned work, Martel's second novel, won Canada's 2001 Hugh MacLennan Prize for Fiction. In it, Martel displays the clever voice and tremendous storytelling skills of an emerging master.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

The Other Boleyn Girl by Phillipa Greggory

2008-01-21T11:12:00.000-05:00

I've been sitting here staring at the screen, unsure what to write. I really liked this book and found it very fascinating. I wish that I hadn't read a few pages. A couple of the conversations between the Boleyn siblings were really distasteful and I didn't like that. I liked learning about that time period and I loved Mary Boleyn's character. It is a work of fiction so it's hard to know what is true and what is false. There are some great reviews on Amazon so check em' out!

Synopsis:
From Library Journal
Before Henry VIII ever considered making Anne Boleyn his wife, her older sister, Mary, was his mistress. Historical novelist Gregory (Virgin Earth) uses the perspective of this "other Boleyn girl" to reveal the rivalries and intrigues swirling through England. The sisters and their brother George were raised with one goal: to advance the Howard family's interests, especially against the Seymours. So when Mary catches the king's fancy, her family orders her to abandon the husband they had chosen. She bears Henry two children, including a son, but Anne's desire to be queen drives her with ruthless intensity, alienating family and foes. As Henry grows more desperate for a legitimate son and Anne strives to replace Catherine as queen, the social fabric weakens. Mary abandons court life to live with a new husband and her children in the countryside, but love and duty bring her back to Anne time and again. We share Mary's helplessness as Anne loses favor, and everyone abandons her amid accusations of adultery, incest, and witchcraft. Even the Boleyn parents won't intervene for their children. Gregory captures not only the dalliances of court but the panorama of political and religious clashes throughout Europe. She controls a complicated narrative and dozens of characters without faltering, in a novel sure to please public library fans of historical fiction. Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State Univ., Mankato
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

The Pearl by John Steinbeck

2008-01-21T11:06:00.000-05:00

This book is very short and well-written. It wasn't my favorite of John Steinbeck's but I liked the story and the imagery. It's a very sad story. I think it shows how we can come upon some wealth and be blinded by it and forget what is important.

Synopsis from Wikepedia:

The Pearl is a 1947 novella by John Steinbeck. Like his father and grandfather before him, Kino is a poor diver, gathering pearls from the Gulf beds that once brought great wealth to the Kings of Spain and now provided Kino, Juana, and their infant son Coyotito, with meager subsistence. Then, on one day like any other, Kino emerges from the sea with a pearl as large as a sea gull's egg, as "perfect as the moon."With the pearl comes hope, the promise of comfort and of security at the cost of defying the system. A story about a Mexican folk tale, The Pearl explores the secrets of man's nature, the darkest depths of evil, and the disastrous effects of stepping out of the established system. Due to the novella's negative portrayal of opportunity and ambition, many suspect that, like much of his work, it advocates socialism.[1] The novel is still widely read and fairly popular.

The Wednesday Letters by Jason F. Wright

2008-01-21T10:57:00.000-05:00

This was a fun read. I borrowed it from Nathan's parents for our trip home and found it quite enjoyable. Here is the synopsis from Amazon:

Jack and Laurel have been married for 39 years. They've lived a good life and appear to have had the perfect marriage. With his wife cradled in his arms, and before Jack takes his last breath, he scribbles his last "Wednesday Letter." When their adult children arrive to arrange the funeral, they discover boxes and boxes full of love letters that their father wrote to their mother each week on Wednesday. As they begin to open and read the letters, the children uncover the shocking truth about the past. In addition, each one must deal with the present-day challenges. Matthew has a troubled marriage, Samantha is a single mother, and Malcolm is the black sheep of the family who has returned home after a mysterious two-year absence. The Wednesday Letters has a powerful message about forgiveness and quietly beckons for readers to start writing their own "Wednesday Letters."

Mercy by Jodi Picoult

2008-01-21T10:16:00.000-05:00

I had high hopes for this book. Jodi Picoult has been disappointing me lately so I hoped that this one would be better since it was one of her earlier novels. I was let down. I shut this book feeling annoyed more than anything. I did a research paper in my english class on euthanasia and it has always interested me. That is supposed to be what this book is about. A woman has terminal cancer. It has spread all over and is now in her brain behind her optic nerve. She is in severe pain and could die in a day or a month or could hold on for several months. Whatever the case, it won't be a fun existence. She asks her husband to kill her and he does. The book is about his trial. Another HUGE part of the book focuses on the marriage of the town sheriff and his wife and the affair he's having. So anyway, I would NOT recommend this book. Too much language and affair stuff. AND it was boring. I found myself skipping some of the wordy stuff. So enough said from me. If you would like more info on MERCY check out Amazon. Most of their reviews look like mine. Not a book worth reading.

Happy New Year!!

2008-01-07T22:19:00.000-05:00

I've taken a little hiatus from my book club blog because of the holidays and everything that came along with that!! I'm excited for a new year and lots of new books!! Look for more reviews soon! If you have any great books to recommend - let me know!

I had to remove all the pictures of books from my blog because I discovered I had been doing it wrong! Yikes!! Pictures of the books will be back soon! Who knows if anyone even missed them?!

Cheers!!

Brittanie

The Red Tent by Anita Diamant

2007-11-29T15:20:00.000-05:00

Beth wrote a review for this book a couple of months ago and it convinced me to give it a second chance. A few years ago I started it and after the first couple chapters I had to stop. I didn't like the image that it gave me of Jacob and others in the bible. This time I started it with a different attitude - that this is just a FICTIONAL story that the author imagined up - and I really enjoyed it. I found it a little hard to separate the two at times. The story is GREAT though. I loved the writing and enjoyed the characters. When I finished I had to get out my bible and read the actual story. I'm glad that it's fiction - I prefer to put our Old Testament prophets on a pedestal and not know their faults. Some of the sex parts made me a little uncomfortable but all in all this was a great book.

Review from Amazon:

Amazon.com
The red tent is the place where women gathered during their cycles of birthing, menses, and even illness. Like the conversations and mysteries held within this feminine tent, this sweeping piece of fiction offers an insider's look at the daily life of a biblical sorority of mothers and wives and their one and only daughter, Dinah. Told in the voice of Jacob's daughter Dinah (who only received a glimpse of recognition in the Book of Genesis), we are privy to the fascinating feminine characters who bled within the red tent. In a confiding and poetic voice, Dinah whispers stories of her four mothers, Rachel, Leah, Zilpah, and Bilhah--all wives to Jacob, and each one embodying unique feminine traits. As she reveals these sensual and emotionally charged stories we learn of birthing miracles, slaves, artisans, household gods, and sisterhood secrets. Eventually Dinah delves into her own saga of betrayals, grief, and a call to midwifery. "Like any sisters who live together and share a husband, my mother and aunties spun a sticky web of loyalties and grudges," Anita Diamant writes in the voice of Dinah. "They traded secrets like bracelets, and these were handed down to me the only surviving girl. They told me things I was too young to hear. They held my face between their hands and made me swear to remember." Remembering women's earthy stories and passionate history is indeed the theme of this magnificent book. In fact, it's been said that The Red Tent is what the Bible might have been had it been written by God's daughters, instead of her sons. --Gail Hudson

Enna Burning by Shannon Hale

2007-11-29T15:10:00.000-05:00

This is the sequel to The Goose Girl. I had to read it right away! Enna Burning is a little darker than it predecessor but it is just as good. I really like Shannon Hale's writing style. I'm excited to finish off the trilogy with River Secrets.

Here is a synopsis/review ( I know - I am so lazy! I just can't say it like they do!) :

From Booklist
Enna, the plucky Forest maiden who befriended The Goose Girl's (2003) princess-in-disguise, decisively assumes the role of heroine in this meaty, sprawling companion, which will enchant even readers unfamiliar with the first book. After Enna learns to speak the language of fire, she believes she can avoid the gruesome fate of her brother, who died wielding the same power against an invading army. Soon enough, though, the urge to burn becomes irresistible; indeed, Hale's visceral descriptions of Enna's fire lust, a yearning that "twisted like a snake in her fist," wouldn't be out of place in a novel about a more realistic kind of addiction. It must be said that readers will need a high tolerance for grisly violence and leisurely plot development, and the payoff at the end of the book may be overly tidy. But this novel's pulsing heart lies in rich writing and sharply drawn characters, elements that will be devoured by genre fans just like kindling beneath flames. Jennifer Mattson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale

2007-11-29T14:55:00.001-05:00

I just keep getting lucky! It has been a long time since I read a book that I didn't enjoy. I really like a wide variety of books and I love that! I can read a sad book and enjoy it and then turn around and read a fun, fairy tale sort of book and totally love it too. This book was so much fun! It is a Grimms Brother's fairy tale but I had never heard it so it was all new for me. I couldn't put it down! Go pick it up today!

Here is a synopsis and reveiw for you courtesy of Amazon:

Heidi Anne Heiner (SurLaLune Fairy Tales.com)

This review is from: The Goose Girl (Bank Street College of Education Josette Frank Award (Awards)) (Hardcover)

Debut author Shannon Hale succeeds wonderfully with her first novel, "The Goose Girl." A retelling of the moderately well-known tale collected by the Brothers Grimm, she reinvents the story for a modern audience.

Ani, a crown princess, learns at an early age that her special gifts are not those valued by her queen mother and her future subjects. She is eventually sent to marry a prince in a different kingdom, but along the way is overthrown by her lady-in-waiting. Ani becomes a servant, tending geese, while she searches for a way to return to the marriage and throne that is rightfully her own.

Hale has reimagined the story in such a way as to give us a strong, if flawed, heroine with a conscience. In this book, the reader isn't left wondering how a princess could allow herself to be displaced so easily from her birthright. We are also given a magical reason for Ani's successful sojourn with geese. Ultimately, Hale's prose is the book's greatest asset. Ani and her world are vivid creations, ready to be shared during a long, quiet read.

If you enjoy fairy tale novelizations, such as those by Robin McKinley and Donna Jo Napoli, this book will make a great addition to your bookshelf. If you simply like historical fantasy, forget the fairy tale, this novel will also please. Royalty, deception, intrigue, treason, and redemption make up a story that doesn't obviously derive from a fairy tale.

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

2007-11-29T14:09:00.000-05:00

Well, with the holidays and everything else I haven't had time to do any reviews! Bear with me while I get caught up! I have been on the waiting list at the library for this book for some time and I was SO excited to get the e-mail telling me it was finally available! I really enjoyed The Kite Runner so I was anticipating another great read. I was not disappointed! I loved this book. I like books to end well, have likable characters, teach me something, and pull at my heart strings. Throw in a good love story and I'm all set! This one did all of those things for me. It is set in Afghanistan and spans over many years and is told mainly through the eyes of Afghan women, two in particular. I was horrified when I read the rules that the Taliban set for women. They are:

You will not, under any circumstances, show your face. You will cover with burqa when outside. If you do not, you will be severely beaten.

You will not wear charming clothes.

You will not speak unless spoken to.

You will not make eye contact with men.

You will not laugh in public. If you do, you will be beaten.

You will not paint your nails. If you do, you will lose a finger.

Girls are forbidden from attending school. All schools for girls will be closed immediately.

Women are forbidden from working.

If you are found guilty of adultery, you will be stoned to death.

Listen. Listen well. Obey.

I just can't even fathom what that must have been like. It makes me all the more grateful to be an American. I would definitely recommend this book - it is a sad story but it ends happily. I loved it.

Synopsis:

A Thousand Splendid Suns is a breathtaking story set against the volatile events of Afghanistan’s last thirty years—from the Soviet invasion to the reign of the Taliban to post-Taliban rebuilding—that puts the violence, fear, hope, and faith of this country in intimate, human terms. It is a tale of two generations of characters brought jarringly together by the tragic sweep of war, where personal lives—the struggle to survive, raise a family, find happiness—are inextricable from the history playing out around them.

Propelled by the same storytelling instinct that made The Kite Runner a beloved classic, A Thousand Splendid Suns is at once a remarkable chronicle of three decades of Afghan history and a deeply moving account of family and friendship. It is a striking, heart-wrenching novel of an unforgiving time, an unlikely friendship, and an indestructible love—a stunning accomplishment.

Mariam was five years old the first time she heard the word harami.

It happened on a Thursday. It must have, because Mariam remembered that she had been restless and preoccupied that day, the way she was only on Thursdays, the day when Jalil visited her at the kolba. To pass the time until the moment that she would see him at last, waving and crossing the knee-high grass in the clearing, Mariam had climbed a chair and taken down her mother's Chinese tea set. The tea set was the sole relic that Mariam's mother, Nana, had of her own mother, who had died when Nana was two. Nana cherished each blue-and-white porcelain piece, the graceful curve of the pot's spout, the hand-painted finches and chrysanthemums, the dragon on the sugar bowl, meant to ward off evil.

It was this last piece that slipped from Mariam's fingers, that fell to the wooden floorboards of the kolba and shattered.

When Nana saw the bowl, her face flushed red and her upper lip shivered, and her eyes, both the lazy one and the good, settled on Mariam in a flat, unblinking way. Nana looked so mad that Mariam feared the jinn would enter her mother's body again. But the jinn didn't come, not that time. Instead, Nana grabbed Mariam by the wrists, pulled her close, and, through gritted teeth, said, “You are a clumsy little harami. This is my reward for everything I've endured. An heirloom breaking, clumsy little harami.”

At the time, Mariam did not understand. She did not know what this word harami—bastard—meant. Nor was she old enough to appreciate the injustice, to see that it is the creators of the harami who are culpable, not the harami, whose only sin is being born. Mariam did surmise, by the way Nana said the word, that it was an ugly, loathsome thing to be a harami, like an insect, like the scurrying cockroaches Nana was always cursing and sweeping out of the kolba.

Later, when she was older, Mariam did understand. It was the way Nana uttered the word—not so much saying it as spitting it at her—that made Mariam feel the full sting of it. She understood then what Nana meant, that a harami was an unwanted thing; that she, Mariam, was an illegitimate person who would never have legitimate claim to the things other people had, things such as love, family, home, acceptance. Jalil never called Mariam this name. Jalil said she was his little flower. He was fond of sitting her on his lap and telling her stories, like the time he told her that Herat, the city where Mariam was born, in 1959, had once been the cradle of Persian culture, the home of writers, painters, and Sufis.

“You couldn't stretch a leg here without poking a poet in the ass,” he laughed.

Jalil told her the story of Queen Gauhar Shad, who had raised the famous minarets as her loving ode to Heart back in the fifteenth century. He described to her the green wheat fields of Herat, the orchards, the vines pregnant with plump grapes, the city's crowded, vaulted bazaars.

“There is a pistachio tree,” Jalil said one day, “and beneath it, Mariam jo, is buried none other than the great poet Jami.” He leaned in and whispered, “Jami lived over five hundred years ago. He did. I took you there once, to the tree. You were little. You wouldn't remember.”

It was true. Mariam didn't remember. And though she would live the first fifteen years of her life within walking distance of Herat, Mariam would never see this storied tree. She would never see the famous minarets up close, and she would never pick fruit from Herat's orchards or stroll in its fields of wheat. But whenever Jalil talked like this, Mariam would listen with enchantment. She would admire Jalil for his vast and worldly knowledge. She would quiver with pride to have a father who knew such things.

“What rich lies!” Nana said after Jalil left. “Rich man telling rich lies. He never took you to any tree. And don't let him charm you. He betrayed us, your beloved father. He cast us out. He cast us out of his big fancy house like we were nothing to him. He did it happily.”

Mariam would listen dutifully to this. She never dared say to Nana how much she disliked her talking this way about Jalil. The truth was that around Jalil, Mariam did not feel at all like a harami. For an hour or two every Thursday, when Jalil came to see her, all smiles and gifts and endearments, Mariam felt deserving of all the beauty and bounty that life had to give. And, for this, Mariam loved Jalil.

Even if she had to share him.

Jalil had three wives and nine children, nine legitimate children, all of whom were strangers to Mariam. He was one of Herat's wealthiest men. He owned a cinema, which Mariam had never seen, but at her insistence Jalil had described it to her, and so she knew that the façade was made of blue-and-tan terra-cotta tiles, that it had private balcony seats and a trellised ceiling. Double swinging doors opened into a tiled lobby, where posters of Hindi films were encased in glass displays. On Tuesdays, Jalil said one day, kids got free ice cream at the concession stand.

Nana smiled demurely when he said this. She waited until he had left the kolba, before snickering and saying, “The children of strangers get ice cream. What do you get, Mariam? Stories of ice cream.”

In addition to the cinema, Jalil owned land in Karokh, land in Farah, three carpet stores, a clothing shop, and a black 1956 Buick Roadmaster. He was one of Herat's best connected men, friend of the mayor and the provincial governor. He had a cook, a driver, and three housekeepers.

Nana had been one of the housekeepers. Until her belly began to swell.

When that happened, Nana said, the collective gasp of Jalil's family sucked the air out of Herat. His in-laws swore blood would flow. The wives demanded that he throw her out. Nana's own father, who was a lowly stone carver in the nearby village of Gul Daman, disowned her. Disgraced, he packed his things and boarded a bus to Iran, never to be seen or heard from again.

“Sometimes,” Nana said early one morning, as she was feeding the chickens outside the kolba, “I wish my father had had the stomach to sharpen one of his knives and do the honorable thing. It might have been better for me.” She tossed another handful of seeds into the coop, paused, and looked at Mariam. “Better for you too, maybe. It would have spared you the grief of knowing that you are what you are. But he was a coward, my father. He didn't have the dil, the heart, for it.”

Jalil didn't have the dil either, Nana said, to do the honorable thing. To stand up to his family, to his wives and in-laws, and accept responsibility for what he had done. Instead, behind closed doors, a face-saving deal had quickly been struck. The next day, he had made her gather her few things from the servants' quarters, where she'd been living, and sent her off.

“You know what he told his wives by way of defense? That I forced myself on him. That it was my fault. Didi? You see? This is what it means to be a woman in this world.”

Nana put down the bowl of chicken feed. She lifted Mariam's chin with a finger.

“Look at me, Mariam.”

Reluctantly, Mariam did.

Nana said, “Learn this now and learn it well, my daughter: Like a compass needle that points north, a man's accusing finger always finds a woman. Always. You remember that, Mariam.”

The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck

2007-10-22T14:22:00.000-04:00

This was an excellent book and I would definitely recommend it!

REVIEW AND SYNOPSIS from Amazon:

A PROFOUND STORY SIMPLY TOLD..., September 18, 2004

By	Lawyeraau (Balmoral Castle) -

This 1932 Pulitzer Prize winning novel is still a standout today. Deceptive in its simplicity, it is a story built around a flawed human being and a teetering socio-economic system, as well as one that is layered with profound themes. The cadence of the author's writing is also of note, as it rhythmically lends itself to the telling of the story, giving it a very distinct voice. No doubt the author's writing style was influenced by her own immersion in Chinese culture, as she grew up and lived in China, the daughter of missionaries.
This is the story of the cyclical nature of life, of the passions and desires that motivate a human being, of good and evil, and of the desire to survive and thrive against great odds. It begins with the story of an illiterate, poor, peasant farmer, Wang Lung, who ventures from the rural countryside and goes to town to the great house of Hwang to obtain a bride from those among the rank of slave. There, he is given the slave O-lan as his bride.
Selfless, hardworking, and a bearer of sons, the plain-faced O-lan supports Wang Lung's veneration of the land and his desire to acquire more land. She stays with him through thick and thin, through famine and very lean times, working alongside him on the land, making great sacrifices, and raising his children. As a family, they weather the tumultuousness of pre-revolutionary China in the 1920s, only to find themselves the recipient of riches beyond their dreams. At the first opportunity, they buy land from the great house of Hwang, whose expenses appear to be exceeding their income.
With the passing of time, Wang Lung buys more and more land from the house of Hwang, until he owns it all, as his veneration of the land is always paramount. With O-lan at this side, his family continues to prosper. His life becomes more complicated, however, the richer he gets. Wang Lung then commits a life-changing act that pierces O-lan's heart in the most profoundly heartbreaking way.
As the years pass, his sons become educated and literate, and the family continues to prosper. With the great house of Hwang on the skids, an opportunity to buy their house, the very same house from where he had fetched O-lan many years ago, becomes available. Pressed upon to buy that house by his sons, who do not share Wang Lung's veneration for the land and rural life, he buys the house. The country mice now have become city mice.
This is a potent story, brimming with irony, yet simply told against a framework of mounting social change. It is a story that stands as a parable in many ways and is one that certainly should be read. It illustrates the timeless dichotomy between the young and the old, the old and the new, and the rich and the poor. It is no wonder that this beautifully written book won a Pulitzer Prize and is considered a classic masterpiece. Bravo!

Dracula by Bram Stoker

2007-10-02T15:49:00.000-04:00

This classic was fantastic! It wasn't overly scary - just the right amount of suspense. I'm not gonna lie though - there were a few nail biting parts! The writing was really different (but good) and I really enjoyed the storyline. I'd definitely recommend it. Be patient - it took me a few chapters before I was hooked. =) I read a few reviews that said the beginning and end were the best and that the middle dragged. I don't agree. I thought the beginning was a little slow and then it picked up. There were times when it felt a little wordy and overly dramatic but it was written in the late 1800's so that is to be expected (I think!). If you enjoy classics then don't miss out on this one!

CLICK HERE to visit Amazon and read some more reviews!

The Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud

2007-09-23T21:43:00.001-04:00

I absolutely LOVED these books! I found myself laughing out loud all the time! They were full of adventure and mystery with humor sprinkled throughout. I would definitely recommend these books - they were so much fun to read and unlike some series - each book got better instead of worse. The author ended the series with a bang! READ THEM!!

This is the synopsis of the first book in the trilogy - The Amulet of Samarkand:

Nathaniel is a boy magician-in-training, sold to the government by his birth parents at the age of five and sent to live as an apprentice to a master. Powerful magicians rule Britain, and its empire, and Nathaniel is told his is the "ultimate sacrifice" for a "noble destiny." If leaving his parents and erasing his past life isn't tough enough, Nathaniel's master, Arthur Underwood, is a cold, condescending, and cruel middle-ranking magician in the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The boy's only saving grace is the master's wife, Martha Underwood, who shows him genuine affection that he rewards with fierce devotion. Nathaniel gets along tolerably well over the years in the Underwood household until the summer before his eleventh birthday. Everything changes when he is publicly humiliated by the ruthless magician Simon Lovelace and betrayed by his cowardly master who does not defend him. Nathaniel vows revenge. In a Faustian fever, he devours magical texts and hones his magic skills, all the while trying to appear subservient to his master. When he musters the strength to summon the 5,000-year-old djinni Bartimaeus to avenge Lovelace by stealing the powerful Amulet of Samarkand, the boy magician plunges into a situation more dangerous and deadly than anything he could ever imagine. In British author Jonathan Stroud's excellent novel, the first of The Bartimaeus Trilogy, the story switches back and forth from Bartimaeus's first-person point of view to third-person narrative about Nathaniel. Here's the best part: Bartimaeus is absolutely hilarious, with a wit that snaps, crackles, and pops. His dryly sarcastic, irreverent asides spill out into copious footnotes that no one in his or her right mind would skip over. A sophisticated, suspenseful, brilliantly crafted, dead-funny book that will leave readers anxious for more. (Ages 11 to adult) --Karin Snelson

By the way -

2007-09-12T20:06:00.001-04:00

Thanks Jenny & Beth for contributing some reviews! It's always fun to see what other people are reading!

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

2007-09-08T19:18:00.000-04:00

I loved this book! It really spoke to my heart. The characters were so lovable (or not) and I loved the relationships that were developed between them. I thought that there were some really neat lessons about motherhood and how we need to find the mother inside of us. It was also neat to watch how Lily's perception of her mother changes but to see how she grows and learns from her experience. She learns that nobody is perfect but we've gotta love them anyway.

Quote from the book:

"Drifting off to sleep, I thought about her. How nobody is perfect. How you just have to close your eyes and breathe out and let the puzzle of the human heart be what it is."

One thing thing I didn't like about the book: all the bees!! Yikes! =) I would definitely recommend this book! I'm excited to discuss it at book club tomorrow night.

Here is a synopsis and review that I found on the web:

Living on a peach farm in South Carolina with her harsh, unyielding father, Lily Owens has shaped her entire life around one devastating, blurred memory--the afternoon her mother was killed, when Lily was four. Since then, her only real companion has been the fierce-hearted, and sometimes just fierce, black woman Rosaleen, who acts as her “stand-in mother.”

When Rosaleen insults three of the deepest racists in town, Lily knows it's time to spring them both free. They take off in the only direction Lily can think of, toward a town called Tiburon, South Carolina--a name she found on the back of a picture amid the few possessions left by her mother.

There they are taken in by an eccentric trio of black beekeeping sisters named May, June, and August. Lily thinks of them as the calendar sisters and enters their mesmerizing secret world of bees and honey, and of the Black Madonna who presides over this household of strong, wise women. Maternal loss and betrayal, guilt and forgiveness entwine in a story that leads Lily to the single thing her heart longs for most.

The Secret Life of Bees has a rare wisdom about life--about mothers and daughters and the women in our lives who become our true mothers. A remarkable story about the divine power of women and the transforming power of love, this is a stunning debut whose rich, assured, irresistible voice gathers us up and doesn't let go, not for a moment. It is the kind of novel that women share with each other and that mothers will hand down to their daughters for years to come.

A Mother's Influence

2007-08-29T13:43:00.000-04:00

My husband gave me this book last year for mothers' day. i loved it and recommend it to all mothers'. there is a special bond between the mother and child.

All Moms' Go To Heaven

2007-08-29T13:41:00.000-04:00

My dad gave me this book, and i loved it. The author who wrote this has a funny sense of humor and was a stay at home mom during one summer while the kids were out of school and the mom went to work. it's great to see that the dad goes through the same things as us moms' and i laughed the whole way through.

The Holy Temple

2007-08-29T13:39:00.000-04:00

i love this book. i read it the first time before i entered the temple but i have read it since and i just feel peace when i read it and everytime i read it, i learn more...i feel that we don't know everything about the temple and learn everytime we go.

Charly

2007-08-29T13:32:00.000-04:00

i loved this book. i couldn't put it down. it's a heart felt book but worth reading.

Peony In Love by Lisa See

2007-08-20T22:20:00.000-04:00

Synopsis:
From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Set in 17th-century China, See's fifth novel is a coming-of-age story, a ghost story, a family saga and a work of musical and social history. As Peony, the 15-year-old daughter of the wealthy Chen family, approaches an arranged marriage, she commits an unthinkable breach of etiquette when she accidentally comes upon a man who has entered the family garden. Unusually for a girl of her time, Peony has been educated and revels in studying The Peony Pavilion, a real opera published in 1598, as the repercussions of the meeting unfold. The novel's plot mirrors that of the opera, and eternal themes abound: an intelligent girl chafing against the restrictions of expected behavior; fiction's educative powers; the rocky path of love between lovers and in families. It figures into the plot that generations of young Chinese women, known as the lovesick maidens, became obsessed with The Peony Pavilion, and, in a Werther-like passion, many starved themselves to death. See (Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, etc.) offers meticulous depiction of women's roles in Qing and Ming dynasty China (including horrifying foot-binding scenes) and vivid descriptions of daily Qing life, festivals and rituals. Peony's vibrant voice, perfectly pitched between the novel's historical and passionate depths, carries her story beautifully—in life and afterlife. (July)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Once again I stumbled across a really interesting book that taught me a lot about another culture. I liked this book throughout - but I especially enjoyed the ending. If you enjoy books such as SNOW FLOWER AND THE SECRET FAN or MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA then I would definitely recommend this one. CLICK HERE to read some reviews.

Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult

2007-08-18T12:22:00.000-04:00

I love to read Jodi Picoult's novels because they really make me think. This book is about a school shooting and the trial that follows. She gives glimpses into the shooter's life and some of the victim's lives. I'm amazed at how often I found myself sympathizing with the shooter and almost hoping for his acquittal. It was really interesting to read and think about how children can be affected by their environment. Also, to see what the mother of the shooter was feeling and how devastated she was really interested me. So much blame was put on her.
At the same time, I don't know how realistic this book was. A lot of it was based on the bullying that this kid put up with for years and years. I just don't remember seeing people being treated like that when I was in school. It's hard for me to imagine that people can really be so cruel. Maybe I just lived in a bubble.
DISCLAIMER - there is language and some pre-marital sex going on in the book. Not my very favorite Jodi Picoult novel - but I found it very intriguing.

The Red Tent by Anita Diamant

2007-08-14T00:07:00.000-04:00

This is my first time posting on this delightful little nook! On a personal note, only in the past few months have I started reading "real" books again. For the past few years I've kept myself at bay reading not much more than my required textbooks. But a few months ago I regained my dangerous addiction to reading, starting with "The Red Tent", the assigned book for my local book club.

I have to admit, I really enjoyed this book. It was simultaneously well written and easy to read (my favorite). A few words of caution: there are a few sex scenes at the beginning of the book, and it is an adaptation the biblical story of Rachel and Leah and the house of Jacob. In regards to it being an adaptation, I just read it as a work of fiction and nothing more. Don't try to read it side by side with the Bible because you will just be frustrated. But overall, and once again, I enjoyed it.

For more detailed reviews, go here. *B

Fablehaven books 1 & 2 by Brandon Mull

2007-08-12T21:04:00.001-04:00

At the start of this series I wasn't too impressed. It might be because I had just finished Harry Potter and not much compares to that! It grew on me though! I liked the second book in the series much better than the first. It is a fun, imaginative story that I will definitely read to my kids someday! CLICK HERE to read a synopsis and some reviews on these books!

Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer

2007-08-12T20:35:00.000-04:00

When this book arrived, I had already started THREE other books but I couldn't wait! This is a really fun series! It's fun to read a new take on vampires AND who doesn't enjoy a good love story? There was quite the love triangle in this book. To be honest, I couldn't decide who I wanted Bella to choose! It's a tough choice! On one hand you have Edward and he is perfect (almost too perfect!) and beautiful and respectful but Jacob is so warm and fun and the relationship he and Bella have seems to be more natural and real. I wonder if there will be any big changes in the next book! I'm looking forward to reading it!

Here is the synopsis from Amazon:

Readers captivated by Twilight and New Moon will eagerly devour Eclipse, the much anticipated third book in Stephenie Meyer's riveting vampire love saga. As Seattle is ravaged by a string of mysterious killings and a malicious vampire continues her quest for revenge, Bella once again finds herself surrounded by danger. In the midst of it all, she is forced to choose between her love for Edward and her friendship with Jacob --- knowing that her decision has the potential to ignite the ageless struggle between vampire and werewolf. With her graduation quickly approaching, Bella has one more decision to make: life or death. But which is which?

There are some really good reviews on Amazon that go through the synopsis of the series and bring up some good topics. Check them out!

Miss Manner's Guide to Domestic Tranquility by Judith Martin

2007-08-12T20:23:00.000-04:00

We read this book for book club this month. I didn't read it through word for word - I kind of skipped around and read the things that sounded interesting! It was full of great advice and tips on etiquette. It was definitely an eye opener for me - there are so many etiquette rules that I just have no idea about! It made me feel a little overwhelmed - how can I ever BE that perfect?!! Anyway - I really enjoyed my first encounter with Miss Manners and I think I will check out some of her other books. She has TONS to choose from!

CLICK HERE to see prices and reviews!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

2007-07-24T23:41:00.000-04:00

Alright guys - what did you think?? I absolutely ADORED it!! I loved that it was intense and full of action almost from the first chapter! There were so many great twists and surprises and I loved the way she wrapped things up and answered all of those questions we've all been asking, such as - Is Dumbledore REALLY dead? Is Snape REALLY bad and WHY the heck did Dumbldore trust him? Where are those other horcruxes? Which main character does the author kill off? Are Ron and Hermione FINALLY going to do a little "snogging'?!! And what about Harry and Ginny - that can't REALLY be over - can it? I loved the plot and the direction the author went with it. I'm glad she chose to end it the way she did. I was SO into this book - it's like I was under my own invisibility cloak watching everything happen - I'd yell out loud or gasp or burst into tears. I know Nathan thinks I'm a nut! Seriously - nothing is better than imagination! Anyway - Jenn thanks for the "magical" book recommendations on your site because I definitely do feel that "post potter depression" setting in! I'm so sad this series is over! GREAT BOOKS!

Nathan starts school again next week so I'll be getting back into the reading scene again! I have a super long list and need to figure out where to start!

Beauty by Robin McKinley

2007-06-25T13:19:00.000-04:00

I guess I'm in a fairy tale kind of mood! I've been wanting to read some non-heavy stuff and this was just what I needed. Thanks Jenn! This book is a retelling of the classic fairy tale, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. Really - such a good book! I stayed up late into the night so that I could finish it.

The Fairy's Return and Other Princess Tales by Gail Carson Levine

2007-06-18T19:22:00.001-04:00

My friend, Rachel, loaned me this book and I had such fun reading it. It's a compilation of fairy tales. All of them have a twist that makes them different from the original. I really liked reading these stories and was wishing that Anika was just a little older so that I could read them to her. It's very easy reading and would be perfect for a little girl that is a bit older and doesn't mind being without pictures. If you have a daughter then I would definitely purchase this one! I haven't read any of Gail Carson Levine's other books but I've heard they are wonderful. She is the author of ELLA ENCHANTED.

Book Description(from Amazon):

Ever since Newbery Honor author Gail Carson Levine introduced the magical village of Snettering-on-Snoakes in the faraway Kingdom of Biddle, young readers have been laughing their way through her hilarious retellings of famous and not-so-famous fairy tales.

Now, for the first time, the six beloved Princess Tales are together in one magnificent volume:

The high jinks begin in The Fairy's Mistake, which pokes fun at a meddlesome fairy whose plans for good go terribly awry. In The Princess Test, the author spoofs the notion that a pea can prove a person's pedigree. Princess Sonora and the Long Sleep features a genius of a princess, a hundred years of snooze, two princes, and a flock of balding sheep! Cinderella is a boy in Cinderellis and the Glass Hill, and the glass slipper is a glass hill. In For Biddle's Sake, Parsley tries to forget her beloved prince and get used to life as a Biddlebum Toad. The road to happily-ever-after isn't easy when a baker's son and a princess fall in love in The Fairy's Return.

Elements of the classics are woven into these not-so-typical retellings of "Toads and Diamonds," "The Princess and the Pea," "Sleeping Beauty," "The Princess on the Glass Hill," "Puddocky," and "The Golden Goose." The fresh and funny twists on favorite fairy tales will win the hearts and capture the imaginations of young readers everywhere.

My list - to get it off the sidebar!

2007-05-25T22:32:00.000-04:00

Books I've Read Over the Past Few Years - if it has an * next to it then I liked it enough to buy.

* The Memory Keeper's Daughter - Kim Edwards
* The Last Days of Dogtown - Anita Diamant
* *Jim the Boy - Tony Earley
* The Tenth Circle - Jodi Picoult
* * Peace Like a River - Leif Enger
* * The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
* *A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
* The Inheritance of Loss - Kiran Desai
* *New Moon - Stephenie Meyer
* *Twilight - Stephenie Meyer
* *A Time to Kill - John Grisham
* A New Dawn - Jack Weyland
* *Angels and Demons - Dan Brown
* Blessings - Anna Quindlen
* Charly - Jack Weyland
* *Children of the Promise Series - Dean Hughes
* Deception Point - Dan Brown
* Digital Fortress - Dan Brown
* *East of Eden - John Steinbeck
* *Eragon - Christopher Paolini
* *Eldest - Christopher Paolini
* False Memory - Dean Koontz
* Fear Nothing - Dean Koontz
* *Fire of the Covenant - Gerald Lund
* *Harry Potter years 1-6 - J.K. Rowling
* *Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
* *Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
* *Mrs. Mike - Benedict and Nancy Freedman
* *My Sister's Keeper - Jodi Picoult
* O' Pioneers - Willa Cather
* Plainsong - Kent Haruf
* *Second Glance - Jodi Picoult
* *Snow Flower and the Secret Fan - Lisa See
* Stolen Lives: 20 Years in a Desert Prison - Malika Oufkir/Michelle Fitoussi
* *Texas - James A. Michener
* *The Bean Trees - Barbara Kingsolver
* The Chamber - John Grisham
* *The Client - John Grisham
* *The DaVinci Code - Dan Brown
* *The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien
* *The Fellowship of the Ring - J.R.R. Tolkien
* *The Two Towers - J.R.R. Tolkien
* *The Return of the King - J.R.R. Tolkien
* The Healer's Art - Lloyd D. Newell & Don H. Staheli
* The Hitchhhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
* *The Kaleidescope Season - Sharon Downing Jarvis
* *The Kingdom and the Crown Series - Gerald Lund
* The Kinsey Millhone mysteries - Sue Grafton
* *The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe Series - C.S. Lewis
* *The Mitford Series - Jan Karon
* The Peabody Sisters - Megan Marshall
* *The Peacegiver - James L. Ferrell
* *The Winds of War - Herman Wouk
* *War and Remembrance - Herman Wouk
* *The Work and the Glory Series - Gerald Lund
* *To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
* *Vanishing Acts - Jodi Picoult
* Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte

The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards

2007-05-22T20:00:00.001-04:00

I really liked this book! I think that it would be a good one for a book club because of it's controversial subject. There is so much to discuss.

Synopsis and review:
The Memory Keeper's Daughter starts on a snowy night in 1964 when a doctor delivers his own twins and discovers that one of them, the daughter, has been born with Downs Syndrome. In a hasty decision, he gives the daughter to a nurse to take to an institution and tells his wife the baby died. The nurse raises the daughter as her own. The Memory Keeper's Daughter moves through the years, showing how one decision affected every part of two families' lives. This is a powerful novel.

The Last Days of Dogtown by Anita Diamant

2007-05-22T19:30:00.000-04:00

This was a pretty good book. I had never heard of it but I bought it at a tag sale a few weeks ago and thought that it sounded interesting. I enjoyed reading it but was left feeling sorry for the characters. It seemed like each of them had lived lives full of regret and heartache. At least there was some closure at the end.

Here is a synopsis and review I found on Barnes and Noble's website:

A magnificent storyteller with vast imaginative range, Anita Diamant gave voice to the silent women of the Old Testament in The Red Tent. Now, in her third novel, she brings to vivid life an early New England world that history has forgotten.

Set on Cape Ann in the early 1800s, The Last Days of Dogtown is peopled by widows, orphans, spinsters, scoundrels, whores, free Africans, and "witches." Nearly a decade ago, Diamant found an account of an abandoned rural backwater near the Massachusetts coastline at the turn of the nineteenth century. That pamphlet inspired a stunning novel about a small group of eccentrics and misfits, struggling in a harsh, isolated landscape only fifty miles north of Boston, yet a world away.

Among the inhabitants of Dogtown are Black Ruth, an African woman who dresses as a man and works as a stone mason; Mrs. Stanley, an imperious madam whose grandson, Sammy, comes of age in her rural brothel; Oliver Younger, who survives a miserable childhood at the hands of a very strange aunt; and Cornelius Finson, a freed slave whose race denies him everything. At the center of it all is Judy Rhines, a fiercely independent soul, deeply lonely, who nonetheless builds a life for herself and inspires those around her to become more generous and tolerant themselves.

This is a story of hardship and resilience — and an extraordinary re-creation of an untold chapter of early American life. With a keen ear for language and profound compassion for her characters, Diamant has written her most moving and powerful novel.

Jim the Boy by Tony Earley

2007-05-02T20:24:00.000-04:00

This was a pretty good read. The thing I most enjoyed about this book was the way it portrayed "Jim the Boy". I could tell that the author has a pretty good memory of what it's like to be a 10 year old boy. I thought that he did a good job at making the characters realistic and likable but there were other things that I felt didn't add up. Supposedly this story is set during the depression and there were a few things that pointed that out. However, I felt like this was mainly a story about a normal boy living in a normal world. Which is fine. It just seemed a little off because it was set during the depression. I don't think I'm making any sense. =) I think I will buy it for my kids to read in the future. I think it's a good one to have on the shelf for the early teenager. It was totally clean - no swearing, no sex. All in all an engaging, heart-warming story.

Click here for a synopsis of the book and some reviews.

Here is a sample review:

A Remarkable Book, February 18, 2006
Reviewer: Anna Graham (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews

"It's hard to explain why this book is so good. It's not about the plot, which is barely existent--Jim simply grows up a little. It's not about the philosophy; it's not a pretentious book in any way, and the thoughts that run through it are neither deep nor shallow. It's not about the characters, who are beautifully portrayed yet nothing unusual. And it's not even the writing, which although flawless, doesn't feel showy or inspired. What makes this book so good is that every part of it comes together like an intricate three-dimensional jigsaw puzzle, completing a picture so fulfilling, so total, so lifelike, that you enter a new world in way that few authors allow their readers to do--it's a world as clear and distinct as your own. And when done, you've made friends with a young man whom you won't forget for years."

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

2007-04-25T19:34:00.000-04:00

I was 1/3 of the way through this book when I decided not to finish it. I loved the story but they used the "F" word SO much - it seemed like EVERY page had it at least once. So - I went to Wikepedia to find out what happens at the end and that worked for me. I'm probably just a NUT - everyone I talked to about this book said that they ADORED it. I can see the appeal but I wouldn't recommend it if language and sex bother you. The end. =)

The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult

2007-04-17T13:20:00.000-04:00

This book was a little disturbing to me. It's about a girl who gets raped (or did she?) and the effects it has on her and her family. I really like Jodi Picoult's writing - she has a way of digging deep and bringing out the best and the worst of her characters. I always hesitate to recommend her books because, while very gripping and discussion worthy, there is usually some material that might be objectionable to some. Of the four Jodi Picoult novels I've read, this one was my least favorite. I found a review that expresses my sentiments exactly:

March 24, 2006
Reviewer: K. Corn "reviewer" (Indianapolis,, IN United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)
There is so much I love about Jodi Picoult's writing and I always look forward to each new book of hers. I was intrigued that this one combined traditional writing with parts that were portrayed in comic book form (she got an actual professional comic book artist to do the drawings and they are nicely done.

However, I found the story to be very convuluted and the premise (was a young girl raped? Or not?) to be unbelievable in the way it played out, taking the whole thing to court. The case was far from clear cut and there were all sorts of potentially incriminating circumstances (at least, from a jury's point of view).

Picoult's greatest strength is her ability to glean insights about human behavior and the darkest, most hidden parts of people...and then bring them to light. In that regard, she doesn't disappoint this time around. I was intrigued by each character, from Daniel, a man who spent a great deal of his life in Alaska and had a dark, troubled past...to his wife, Laura, a woman who'd been drawn to the rebel spirit in Daniel and then grew disappointed when he became more conventional.

At the heart of the book is Trixie Stone, the 14 year old daughter of Daniel and Laura, a teen who may or may not have been raped by her ex-boyfriend. I believe Picoult skillfully portrayed all the emotional highs and lows of today's 14 year old girls, half women, half girls...and growing up far too fast. I felt for Trixie and parts of the book were almost too painful to read as her heartbreak and pain shone through so clearly.

Where the book failed me was in the plot which veered and teetered close to soap opera material. There were just too many "over the top" moments and that's when I started to lose interest. I found myself saying, "Oh, come on!" with each moment of high drama, from suicide attempts to screaming at a funeral. There were far more moments like that and I didn't find them believable. I couldn't help contrasting this with other of Picoult's books (Her Sister's Keeper, for instance), books which stayed much more true to form.

While I always finish Picoult's books (for, even at her worst, she is very, very good in fleshing out characters and gleaning insights about human behavior) I was hoping that she'd create a tale that seemed believable in both tone and plot.

This one did not. Still, she gets kudos for taking risks, for combining comic book form with straight narrative and for making comparisons to Dante's Inferno in much of the situations. This time, however, she just couldn't seem to pull all the various parts together...but she came very, very close.

I'll be looking forward to her next book, just as I have so many others of hers.

PEACE LIKE A RIVER by Leif Enger

2007-04-12T14:30:00.001-04:00

This was a beautiful book. When I finished I just sat there and cried. I always love a book that can make me do that! I fell in love with the characters and loved the story. Definitely read this one!

Thanks go to Beth for sending me to her cousins site - The Wonderful Pen! I read a review of this book on that site and I was excited to check it out! I'm so glad I did!

To read some reviews of this book CLICK HERE and then scroll down!

THE KITE RUNNER by Khaled Hosseini

2007-04-09T16:23:00.000-04:00

I really loved this book. It was heart-breaking and happy at the same time. Another one for my bookshelf!

Synopsis and review by Gisel Toueg:

In his debut novel, The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini accomplishes what very few contemporary novelists are able to do. He manages to provide an educational and eye-opening account of a country's political turmoil--in this case, Afghanistan--while also developing characters whose heartbreaking struggles and emotional triumphs resonate with readers long after the last page has been turned over. And he does this on his first try.

The Kite Runner follows the story of Amir, the privileged son of a wealthy businessman in Kabul, and Hassan, the son of Amir's father's servant. As children in the relatively stable Afghanistan of the early 1970s, the boys are inseparable. They spend idyllic days running kites and telling stories of mystical places and powerful warriors until an unspeakable event changes the nature of their relationship forever, and eventually cements their bond in ways neither boy could have ever predicted. Even after Amir and his father flee to America, Amir remains haunted by his cowardly actions and disloyalty. In part, it is these demons and the sometimes impossible quest for forgiveness that bring him back to his war-torn native land after it comes under Taliban rule. ("...I wondered if that was how forgiveness budded, not with the fanfare of epiphany, but with pain gathering its things, packing up, and slipping away unannounced in the middle of the night.")

Some of the plot's turns and twists may be somewhat implausible, but Hosseini has created characters that seem so real that one almost forgets that The Kite Runner is a novel and not a memoir. At a time when Afghanistan has been thrust into the forefront of America's collective consciousness ("people sipping lattes at Starbucks were talking about the battle for Kunduz"), Hosseini offers an honest, sometimes tragic, sometimes funny, but always heartfelt view of a fascinating land. Perhaps the only true flaw in this extraordinary novel is that it ends all too soon. --Gisele Toueg

Click Here for more reviews

A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN By Betty Smith

2007-04-09T16:03:00.000-04:00

I've got a little bit of catching up to do! I finished this book a couple weeks ago and just haven't had the chance to write anything about it! This book is definitely worth reading! The characters are fascinating and very human. I really felt like I could relate to them. Especially Francie.

Synopsis - (not in my words)
Francie Nolan, avid reader, penny-candy connoisseur, and adroit observer of human nature, has much to ponder in colorful, turn-of-the-century Brooklyn. She grows up with a sweet, tragic father, a severely realistic mother, and an aunt who gives her love too freely--to men, and to a brother who will always be the favored child. Francie learns early the meaning of hunger and the value of a penny. She is her father's child--romantic and hungry for beauty. But she is her mother's child, too--deeply practical and in constant need of truth. Like the Tree of Heaven that grows out of cement or through cellar gratings, resourceful Francie struggles against all odds to survive and thrive. Betty Smith's poignant, honest novel created a big stir when it was first published over 50 years ago. Her frank writing about life's squalor was alarming to some of the more genteel society, but the book's humor and pathos ensured its place in the realm of classics--and in the hearts of readers, young and old. (Ages 10 and older) --Emilie Coulter

Click Here for more reviews of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. You'll have to scroll down a bit! I'll definitely be adding this one to my bookshelf soon!

The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai

2007-03-18T22:24:00.000-04:00

One more down! This was a really interesting book. It is about a retired (grumpy) judge in India who lives with his granddaughter, Sai, and his cook. I always enjoy reading something that gives me a new perspective on things. It was interesting to see how much people from other countries want to come to AMERICA. It's amazing the things they do to get visas to leave in the first place and then it's sad when the reality sets in that things are not going to be as wonderful as they thought. The cook's son, Biju, managed to get to the U.S. and his experience isn't at all what he'd imagined. Meanwhile, in India, the Nepali's are rebelling because they aren't being treated equally. This causes a lot of discord and eventually violence erupts. All in all, I really enjoyed reading this book. I didn't get as much closure as I would have liked and there was a lot of language in some areas, but she has a great writing style and it was neat to learn some Indian culture. I don't think I knew ANYTHING about it! I didn't even realize it was so close to China! Anyway - read it before you buy it.
Click here for a more in depth synopsis of the book and also a review. Scroll down to the bottom if you just want to read the review!!
Happy reading!

NEW MOON by Stephenie Meyer

2007-03-09T13:11:00.000-05:00

I hate it when I start a series that isn't finished!! Now I have to wait until the fall to find out what happens next! I really do need to start a new book soon because I can't get these ones off my mind. I'm DYING for more!! The author does a great job at making the characters realistic and the books are easy and fun to read.
There were a few typos throughout and her writing style is aimed at a younger crowd, but I would still definitely recommend this series - even to all you adults out there. It's nice to take a break from the really heavy stuff sometimes. I'll be adding these to my bookshelf ASAP. =)
Click here to check out the author's website and learn more about these books.

Happy reading!!

TWILIGHT by Stephanie Meyer

2007-03-07T14:25:00.000-05:00

I have a feeling I'm going on another reading binge. I took a month off and now that I've started up - I know I won't be able to stop!! I started this yesterday afternoon and finished this morning. It is such a fun story and it was weird the way it affected me! The narrator/main character is Bella - a high school girl of 17. She falls in love with an amazingly attractive vampire, Edward. I felt like I was going through all the same emotions as she was! I got butterflies, my heart skipped beats or pounded harder, I got out of breath. Good grief!! If a teen fiction book written by a BYU graduate can do that to me then I definitely need to avoid reading any romance novels!! Anyway - I really enjoyed it and have already started the sequel, New Moon!

Attempt # 2

2007-03-03T16:42:00.000-05:00

Well - I'm back after a LONG hiatus and here's hoping I keep up with it this time!! I've discovered that I'm not much good at reviewing books. I get all tongue-tied and my mind goes blank. So, I've decided to simplify things for myself - after I read a book I'll post it and tell a little bit about it and whether or not I liked it. If I have anything additional to add then I will. =) I'll also stick a link in at the end to a review written by someone that knows how to write them =. How does that sound? I'm hoping to be able to turn this into a blog where everybody can contribute. This way all of you would be able to post your book recommendations and reviews!! But first I need to know if I'd have any takers. Would anyone be interested in that? Let me know!!

I've compiled (mostly for myself) a list of books I've read over the past few years. I'm sure I've forgotten some but I wanted to remember what I've read and maybe give you a few ideas. That list is on the sidebar. Most of them were really great reads. I'd stay away from FALSE MEMORY - it gave me NIGHTMARES. Yikes! Anyway - if you have any questions about any of those ask away!

STARTING WITH Jan. 2007:

*WUTHERING HEIGHTS - Emily Bronte

I set out at the beginning of this year to read some of the classics. I started with Wuthering Heights because I'd heard it was a great love story and also had some mystery to it. I didn't think it was a great love story AT ALL. I thought it was sad and I despised most of the characters but for some reason I'm going to give it a thumbs up. I found a review that expresses my sentiments about the book exactly. Click Here to check it out!

*JANE EYRE by Charlotte Bronte

I LOVED this book. Jane is a SUPERSTAR. This book was full of little nuggets of wisdom and the love story was fabulous. READ IT READ IT READ IT!!

*East of Eden by John Steinbeck

Fabulous book - wonderful writing. I loved every bit of it - the story, the characters, the beginning and the end.
Click Here to see a book review for EAST OF EDEN.

*SECOND GLANCE by Jodi Picoult

I had read two other Jodi Picoult novels prior to this one and really enjoyed them. Her books are always about controversial topics and really interesting. The first two really got to me as a mother (seriously, I was BAWLING like a baby in both of them!) but this one was just fun to read. I couldn't put it down. The controversy in the this one is based around eugenics. Eugenics is "the study of hereditary improvement of the human race by controlled selective breeding". It is also a ghost story and a mystery.
Click Here for a review of SECOND GLANCE.

*Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See

This wasn't my favorite book but I really liked it. I found it really interesting to learn about Chinese culture - especially the foot binding, nu shu writings, and the relationships between laotongs.
Click here for a review of SNOW FLOWER AND THE SECRET FAN.

More soon to come! Please give me your input and let me know if you'd be interested in contributing!! Thanks!!

Brittanie

2006-10-04T20:10:00.000-04:00

The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver

I just finished reading this book for our October book club. It was really good but I don't think it's one of those that I will read more than once. I really like a book to grip me. It doesn't have to be a suspense to do that. It just needs to grab my heart in the right way. This was an entertaining book - but it didn't do that for me. I didn't cry or laugh out loud. I wasn't sad when the book was over. I really did like it though and I'd say that it isn't a waste of time to read it. I have a friend who says that this is one of her two favorite books so I guess it just depends on what you like! I'd give it 3 out of 5 stars. Read it and judge for yourself!

2006-09-12T21:26:00.000-04:00

What is Brittanie's Book Club?!

Hi! Welcome to my book club! I guess it's not really a "club" per se, but that's what I'm calling it! I absolutely adore reading. I wanted to devote an entire site to it so that I can share the books I've been reading with you and maybe get you motivated to read some of them. Sometimes you just need someone to give you a push in the right direction! I'm planning on doing a few things with this blog. I want to share a list of books that I've read and loved and would definitely recommend. I also want to write little reviews of the books I'm reading at present and in the future. It would take far too long to go back and write reviews for all the books I've read lately! I belong to two bookclubs here in Connecticut, so I will also post what we are reading in each. Let me know if you read any and what you think! If you have any questions about any of the books just post a comment and I'll respond. Happy reading!