tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50763086928114609892024-03-14T11:49:12.801-07:00The Story Girl... Reviews and ReflectionsLLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11194834748090369779noreply@blogger.comBlogger670125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076308692811460989.post-38960953317409370662014-09-29T14:40:00.000-07:002014-09-29T14:40:15.318-07:00Recent Reads -- 4 stars each<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><i>My Life in Middlemarch</i> by Rebecca Mead</b><br />
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I first read <i>Middlemarch</i> when I was in college. I'd picked it up because I knew it was one of the "greats" and I felt like I had to read it sometime or other; I didn't suspect how much engaging it would be. A few months ago, I started listening to it while I ran. Thus, when I had a chance to read an early copy of <i>My Life in Middlemarch</i>, I jumped at the chance. To be honest, I was expecting more of a memoir than this biography/criticism/personal reflection, but I still loved reading about the layers of George Eliot's life, the construction of the massive, masterful novel, and the way books color and influence every reader's life.<br />
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4 stars<br />
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Warnings: Some thematic material and vague references to sensuality<br />
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<b><i>A Circle of Quiet</i> by Madeleine L'Engle</b><br />
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I love Madeleine L'Engle. If, someday, I am a famous writer (I can dream, can't I?) and someone asks me who my greatest influence was, she will be at the top of the list. I actually read part of this memoir several years ago and I have no idea why I didn't finish it at the time, but several of the lines I highlighted have become so much a part of my own opinions that I had forgotten that I first read them in <i>A Circle of Quiet</i>. This memoir explores L'Engle's experiences with writing, living in a small community, spirituality, and family life. It is rambling but gorgeous, with many gems of wisdom. I am so excited that there are three more Crosswicks Journals for me to dive into.<br />
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4 stars<br />
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Warnings: A few instances of language, discussion of some heavy ideas<br />
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<b><i>Landline</i> by Rainbow Rowell</b><br />
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Rainbow Rowell is pure delight to read. Something about the way she frames emotions and experiences makes them both infinitely relatable and yet entertainingly unique. <i>Landline</i> is the story of Georgie McCool (which, really? what a name -- but it worked with the character once I got acquainted with her), a career woman and mother whose marriage is faltering. After she chooses work over family and her husband, Neil, takes their kids to see his family for Christmas without her, she tries to call them from her mother's landline -- only to find that it isn't present-day Neil but Neil from her past that answers. As she speaks with him, she evaluates her life, love, and relationship and tries to work her way back to her family. One of the things I loved about this book was that I could really empathize with Georgie in many ways. I am a working mother too -- I am going to have to be away from my family on Christmas too (although for me, it is not a choice, and my husband isn't mad at me about it, thank goodness). The pain she experienced reverberated with me, and as she went through the growing process I also felt like I learned some things about love. Rowell is an auto-read for me now.<br />
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4 stars<br />
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Warnings: Language, references to sex (no explicit scenes)<br />
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<b><i>Paper Towns</i> by John Green</b><br />
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I'm (very slowly) working my way through John Green's backlist. <i>Paper Towns</i> is about a guy whose name I've already forgotten whose childhood best friend goes missing -- but leaves some clues for him to find her. As he leaves on his wild goose chase he learns about love, friendship, and living. So here's the thing about John Green. <i>Fault in Our Stars</i> was amazing and moving. <i>Looking for Alaska</i> was pretty good, and unique from <i>Fault in Our Stars</i>. However, <i>Paper Towns</i> reads a lot like <i>Looking for Alaska</i>. Manic-pixie-dream-girl, much philosophizing about love, friendship, purpose, and death. It was a solidly good book, but definitely didn't veer from the prototype. I will say that I don't mind Green's hyper-intelligent protagonists, though -- I know people complain that teenagers don't talk like that or think like that and so on, but I disagree. Not <i>all</i> teenagers do. Maybe not even most. But some do, and I think they would definitely be the most interesting ones to read a book about. End of that rant. Basically, good book, good coming of age story, if you like John Green, here's a John Green book that sounds just like a John Green book.<br />
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4 stars<br />
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Warnings: Language, teen drug use and drinking, references to sexualityLLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11194834748090369779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076308692811460989.post-23046652379358442202014-09-14T20:31:00.000-07:002014-09-14T20:31:03.741-07:00R.I.P. IXYou guys! If you've been reading this blog for any length of time you know that I looooove Stainless Steel Dropping's <a href="http://www.stainlesssteeldroppings.com/r-eaders-i-mbibing-p-eril-ix" target="_blank">R.I.P. challenge</a>. Love it. I have been participating for four or five years now and I look forward every year to setting aside some atmospheric reads for the fall. Here's the general idea (from the original website):<br />
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September 1st is right around the corner. It is time to begin.</div>
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Mystery.<br />Suspense.<br />Thriller.<br />Dark Fantasy.<br />Gothic.<br />Horror.<br />Supernatural.</div>
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Or anything sufficiently moody that shares a kinship with the above.</div>
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That is what embodies the stories, written and visual, that we celebrate with the <em style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril</em> event.</div>
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As time has wound on I’ve honed this event down to two simple rules:</div>
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<strong style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1. Have fun reading (and watching).<br />2. Share that fun with others.</strong></div>
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As I do each and every year, there are multiple levels of participation (<em style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Perils</em>) that allow you to be a part of <em style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril</em> without adding the burden of another commitment to your already busy lives. There is even a <strong style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">one book only</strong> option for those who feel that this sort of reading is not their cup of tea (or who have too many other commitments) but want to participate all the same.</div>
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<em style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">R.I.P. IX</em> officially runs from September 1st through October 31st. But lets go ahead and break the rules. <strong style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Lets start today!!!</strong></div>
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I'm planning on Peril the First, which is to read four books fitting into the categories of R.I.P. Here are the four I think I'll read:<br />
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* <i>The Distant Hours</i> by Kate Morton<br />
* <i>Thorn Jack</i> by Katherine Harbour<br />
* <i>The Secret History</i> by Donna Tartt<br />
* <i>The Tenant of Wildfell Hall</i> by Anne Bronte<br />
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I am also planning on rereading the first two books in the Raven Boys series and, hopefully, <i>Blue Lily, Lily Blue. </i>I also want to listen to <i>The Scarlet Letter</i> by Nathaniel Hawthorne, which isn't supernatural, per se, but always feels very October to me.<br />
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Do you like to read books that fit in with the season? Any good suggestions for October? Comment below!LLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11194834748090369779noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076308692811460989.post-1583030928901465802014-09-08T21:16:00.000-07:002014-09-08T21:16:05.273-07:00Book Catch-up: Massive EditionI have had a hard time keeping up with blogging these days, to the point where I have considered throwing in the towel. But, I can't so far. I love it, and every book I read, I find myself forming review sentences in my brain. So while I may not always be perfectly consistent, I am planning on being present. I have read some great books since my last post... but there are a lot of them. So I am going to skip the cover art for now and give you a brief, few sentence review (if I am capable... I do love to talk). So here we go.<br />
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<b><i>March</i> by Geraldine Brooks</b><br />
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A companion to the beloved classic <i>Little Women</i>, <i>March</i> is gritty, moving, and incredible. 5 stars.<br />
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<b><i>Meet the Austins</i> by Madeleine L'Engle</b><br />
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This short novel still manages in a few pages what L'Engle does best -- takes impossibly difficult situations, infuses them with charity, and redeems them. 4 stars.<br />
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<b><i>Across the Wall</i> by Garth Nix</b><br />
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This collection of short stories drew my attention because the first and longest of the collection deals with the characters of <i>Sabriel</i>. I did enjoy the first story, "Nicholas Sayre and the Creature in the Case," for that reason, but was only mildly engaged in the remainder of the book. 3 stars.<br />
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<b><i>Dear Scott, Dearest Zelda: The Love Letters of F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald</i></b><br />
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For anyone who is fascinated by the Lost Generation and the Fitzgeralds, this first person chronicle of the Fitzgeralds tumultuous relationship is valuable reading, but does leave holes in the story and can be a bit dense at times. 3 stars.<br />
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<b><i>What Would a Holy Woman Do?</i> by Wendy Watson Nelson</b><br />
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This short, inspirational book on framing your life in the paradigm of a holy woman was surprisingly effective in relation to its few pages. 4 stars.<br />
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<b><i>Isla and the Happily Ever After</i> by Stephanie Perkins</b><br />
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<i>Isla</i> was more complicated than its two companions, <i>Anna and the French Kiss</i> and <i>Lola and the Boy Next Door</i>. I was less impressed by the love story at first (my mom brain was saying, "Stupid, stupid stupid" to them most of the time). However, I loved how Isla developed. I could relate to her difficulty in choosing, and thought her journey from being a girl defined by others to a girl defined by herself was moving. 4 stars, but I didn't think so until the second half of the book.<br />
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<b><i>You are a Badass</i> by Jen Sincero</b><br />
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This book is a seriously motivating pep talk. Probably Isla from the above book should have read it. Concepts are pretty basic but delivered in a powerful voice that helped me change some things in my own life. 4 stars.<br />
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<b><i>Flame of Sevenwaters</i> by Juliet Marillier</b><br />
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The last of the Sevenwaters books. Reading these books feels like swimming on a hot day -- the plot and strong characters are refreshing, and I just want to luxuriate in the language until my (figurative) fingers are wrinkled. 4.5 stars.<br />
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<b><i>The Continuous Atonement</i> by Brad Wilcox</b><br />
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This examination of Jesus Christ's ability to save mankind was a fresh and hopeful perspective, one I plan to revisit again. 5 stars.<br />
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<b><i>The Aviator's Wife</i> by Melanie Benjamin</b><br />
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<i>The Aviator's Wife</i> is a novelized biography akin to <i>The Paris Wife</i> about Anne Morrow Lindbergh. There were many very painful, heart-wrenching moments in this novel that made it uncomfortable to read, but the overall experience was illuminating and fascinating. 4 stars.<br />
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<b><i>The Joy Luck Club </i>by Amy Tan</b><br />
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I enjoyed each story in <i>The Joy Luck Club</i> but found myself wishing they all tied together a bit more neatly. 3.5 stars.<br />
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<b><i>Call the Midwife</i> by Jennifer Worth</b><br />
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I love the show and I was pleased to find I loved the book as well. It reminded me of the reasons that I love nursing, and Worth's writing brings the interesting, varied characters of her memoir to life. 4 stars.<br />
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<b><i>The Red Tent</i> by Anita Diamant</b><br />
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This examination of the 12 sons of Jacob/Israel, told by the oft-overlooked Dinah, lent an interesting perspective on how women's experiences could rewrite history. 4 stars.<br />
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<b><i>The Wise Man's Fear</i> by Patrick Rothfuss</b><br />
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<i>The Kingkiller Chronicle</i> continues to be epic as ever. Although I definitely rolled my eyes when, after Kvothe looks at a lady's figure blatantly and her boyfriend grumbles about it, she states that it isn't demeaning when Kvothe looks at a woman's body like that, because when he does it it's like he's appreciating great art. I think Kvothe is pretty awesome, but his human foibles don't all have to be turned into virtues. Still, I enjoyed this continued story of his adventures and can't wait for the third and final volume, as well as the companion novel out soon. 4 stars.LLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11194834748090369779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076308692811460989.post-71969667492788730932014-08-19T13:35:00.000-07:002014-08-19T13:35:59.715-07:00My lucky spin number is... 17!This is far overdue, but I have been on vacation and only just had the chance to report that for the next classics spin I will be reading <i>Portrait of a Lady</i> by Henry James. I am looking forward to it -- it's a book I know very little about but have always held in my head as one of the pinnacles of great literature. I read a Henry James for my first spin (<i>The Wings of the Dove)</i> and had a great experience despite the challenge. It's a chunker -- I am reading it on my Kindle but Wikipedia informs me it is 520 pages. I plan on reporting back to you October 7th about my experience.<br />
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Are you participating in the spin? What did you get?LLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11194834748090369779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076308692811460989.post-9001503708931658482014-08-07T14:37:00.002-07:002014-08-07T14:37:29.694-07:00Classics Club Meme #25<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I haven't done the <a href="http://theclassicsclubblog.wordpress.com/2014/08/02/august-meme-question-25/" target="_blank">Classics Club meme</a> in a while (like, maybe more than a year) but I really liked this question.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #767676; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 19px; font-style: italic; line-height: 24px;">What are your thoughts on adaptions of classics? Say mini-series or movies? Or maybe modern approaches? Are there any good ones? Is it better to read the book first? Or maybe just compare the book and an adaptation?</span><br />
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I love adaptations of classics. I love mini-series, and movies, and modern approaches. So, now that we have that out of the way... I will say, though, that I prefer to read the book first, not because the book is better, per se (it usually is, but not always), but because the book came first, if that makes sense. It is the original, and I like to start with what came first.<br />
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But... I love seeing a book in another medium (although I think it is important to recognize it is another medium, and not expect it to be a carbon copy of the book). And I love hearing the main thread of a story in a different setting, or time period, or so on. I like seeing how our most important stories evolve and change, making up a sort of mythology.<br />
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Some of my favorite on-screen adaptations of classics:<br />
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:: <i>Pride and Prejudice</i> (the one with Keira Knightly, don't stone me)<br />
:: <i>Sense and Sensibility</i> (with Kate Winslet and Emma Thompson)<br />
:: <i>Les Miserables</i> the musical<br />
:: <i>The Last of the Mohicans</i> (a rare case where the movie trumps the book)<br />
:: <i>Anne of Green Gables</i><br />
:: <i>Little Women</i><br />
:: <i>Gone with the Wind</i><br />
:: <i>East of Eden</i> (with James Dean)<br />
:: The Lizzie Bennet Diaries<br />
:: <i>Emma</i> (with Gwyneth Paltrow)<br />
:: <i>Clueless</i><br />
<br />LLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11194834748090369779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076308692811460989.post-27257485245590665852014-08-05T13:54:00.003-07:002014-08-05T13:54:35.013-07:00Favorite Bookish Posts in July. I always post a list of links I loved each month on my <a href="http://whenlifegivesyoulemmons8.blogspot.com/2014/08/inspiration-in-july.html" target="_blank">personal blog</a>, and thought it would be fun to do bookish posts on this blog. Here are some posts I loved in the month of July:<br />
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:: <a href="http://bookriot.com/2014/08/01/babys-first-library/" target="_blank">Staples</a> for Baby's First Library.<br />
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:: <a href="http://segullah.org/daily-special/confessions-of-a-jane-austen-addict/" target="_blank">Confessions of a Jane Austen addict</a>.<br />
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:: <a href="http://www.gretchenrubin.com/happiness_project/2014/07/13-tips-for-getting-more-reading-done/" target="_blank">How to read more.</a><br />
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:: More for Baby's First Library -- <a href="http://bookriot.com/2014/07/22/5-excellent-childrens-board-books-goodnight-moon/" target="_blank">5 great board books</a> that are not <i>Goodnight Moon</i>. <br />
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:: Failing at a book buying ban... <a href="http://bookriot.com/2014/07/07/failed-book-buying-ban/" target="_blank">it's a losing battle.</a>LLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11194834748090369779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076308692811460989.post-45473336022552576712014-08-04T13:26:00.002-07:002014-08-04T13:26:40.326-07:00Classics Spin #7<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It is time for the Classics Club Spin again! I love this challenge and the way it inspires me to read more challenging books from my TBR list. To play, make a list of 20 books before next Monday, August 11. On that day, a number will be chosen, and your challenge, should you choose to accept it, is to read the selected book by October 6. No matter what, you win! :) (For more details, visit the <a href="http://theclassicsclubblog.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Classics Club blog</a>).<br />
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The event hosts suggest making a list with 5 books you can't wait to read, 5 books you dread, and so on, but I've just been recycling my lists from each spin and filling in the blanks of ones I have managed to read with the next books on my 50 classics list. So...<br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #554030; font-family: Crimson Text;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">1. </span></span><span style="color: #554030; font-family: Crimson Text;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><i>The House of the Seven Gables</i> by Nathaniel Hawthorne</span></span></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">2. </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">Ethan Frome</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> by Edith Wharton</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">3. </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">Vanity Fair</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> by William Makepeace Thackeray</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">4. <i>The Mill on the Floss</i> by George Eliot</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">5. </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">A Pair of Blue Eyes</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> by Thomas Hardy</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">6. </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">The Sun Also Rises</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> by Ernest Hemingway</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">7. </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">David Copperfield</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> by Charles Dickens</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">8. </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">Heart of Darkness</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> by Joseph Conrad</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">9. </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">The Handmaid's Tale</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> by Margaret Atwood</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">10. </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">In Our Time</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> by Ernest Hemingway</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">11. </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">Travels with Charley: In Search of America</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> by John Steinbeck</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">12. </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">Death Comes for the Archbishop</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> by Willa Cather</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">13. </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">Sir Gawain and the Green Knight</i><br style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">14. </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">Summer</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> by Edith Wharton</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">15. <i>A Tree Grows in Brooklyn</i> by Betty Smith</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">16. </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">Far From the Madding Crowd</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> by Thomas Hardy</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">17. </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">The Portrait of a Lady</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> by Henry James</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">18. </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">Silas Marner</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> by George Eliot</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">19. </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">All Quiet on the Western Front</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> by Erich Maria Remarque</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">20. <i>Elizabeth and her German Garden</i> by Elizabeth van Arnim</span>LLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11194834748090369779noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076308692811460989.post-10402147858999784422014-07-21T14:29:00.000-07:002014-07-21T14:29:47.551-07:00Last week's readsLast week's reads were a hodgepodge, as per my usual. If you read <a href="http://whenlifegivesyoulemmons8.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">my other blog</a> you know that I've been working on a <a href="http://thestorygirlbookreviews.blogspot.com/2014/03/the-happiness-project-by-gretchen-rubin.html" target="_blank">Happiness Project</a>, and many of my reading choices have been reflecting that project. (And one of them was for fun). On to the books!<div>
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<b><i>The Confidence Code</i> by Katty Kay and Claire Shipman</b></div>
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<i>The Confidence Code</i> explores, in a nutshell, why women tend to be less confident than men, particularly in the workplace. The authors explore biological, genetic, psychosocial, and cultural reasons, and find that they all play a part in the decreased self-assurance shown by women. They interview several powerful and accomplished women, and find that many of them still do lack confidence in some respects, but also go through ways that they have overcome this lack of confidence.</div>
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The book was very interesting, and I particularly enjoyed learning about the biological and genetic factors that go into confidence. It felt to me more like an informative book about the essence of confidence, rather than a how-to book of how to achieve greater confidence. While the book was interesting, I didn't find it particularly conclusive and felt it wound around the same point a fair bit, which is why it didn't rank higher than 3.5 stars. However, an interesting read, and just the fact that I was <i>thinking</i> more about my confidence, I feel, led me to act with more confidence myself. </div>
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3.5 stars</div>
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Warnings: None</div>
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<b><i>Love and Logic Magic for Early Childhood </i>by Jim Fay and Charles Fay</b></div>
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This one came highly recommended by friends with well-behaved kids, so I definitely wanted to check it out. C. has rocketed into toddlerhood with a set of opinions and a propensity to scream in church, and I have been desperate for solutions. I found <i>Love and Logic</i> to have some pretty good ideas, although it definitely falls into the frightful trap of "if you don't follow everything we say to the letter, your child will end up in prison" that every parenting book has. While I haven't religiously adopted every technique or seen complete and utter success, I do think it is better than most. </div>
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4 stars</div>
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Warnings: May get a bit cheesed out by some of the examples :)</div>
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<b><i>Longing for Home</i> by Sarah Eden</b></div>
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I have really been enjoying the books in the Proper Romance publishing imprint. Lately I have been craving some of the lighter, giddier style of books, and these books have it all without being lewd and making me uncomfortable. <i>Longing for Home</i> is the story of Katie, an Irish immigrant working in America during the time of the Great Famine. She travels across the country to work in a tiny town in Wyoming, only to find that the town is split apart by a great feud between the Irish and those who wish they would head back to their own country. Between her own dark secrets of the past and the turmoil around her, Katie has more than enough to deal with, but of course there are not one but two handsome strangers to further complicate the story. I found the plot enjoyable and at times unpredictable, especially in the matter of the love triangle. So often, the answer is obvious, but in Katie's case it is difficult to say, and there is a second book to further elaborate what her choice will be. My only issue was that the writing was at times circuitous and overly obvious. However, a romantic and at times intense story with a constantly twisting plot. </div>
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3.75 stars</div>
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Warnings: Some violence</div>
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<b><i>Women and the Priesthood</i> by Sheri Dew</b></div>
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There was been a bit of turmoil among some members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints over the last few years centering on the fact that only men hold the priesthood in the church. Sheri Dew's book goes into the doctrinal reasons behind this difference, and explains why women are essential to the priesthood and have full access to its power despite the fact that they do not officiate in its ordinances. I found this book to be well-written and so clear on the doctrine. It was beautiful and definitely increased both my faith and my understanding. </div>
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5 stars</div>
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LLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11194834748090369779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076308692811460989.post-22282729661546670192014-07-07T14:09:00.000-07:002014-07-07T14:09:18.646-07:00Recent Reads<b><i>Walden</i> by Henry David Thoreau</b><br />
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This classic of minimalism and simplicity was our book club choice this month -- and only two of us made it to the meeting. I think I know why. Despite the many amazing insights of <i>Walden</i>, it is a pretty dense book, and it takes some motivation to get through some of the detailed descriptions of the depth of the lake, the idiosyncrasies of the animals in the surrounding woods, etc. Still, I'm glad I finally read it, and it did cause me to think and learn some things.<br />
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3.5 stars<br />
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<b><i>Abigail Adams</i> by Woody Holton</b><br />
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I love Abigail Adams. I discovered her as a role model when reading <a href="http://thestorygirlbookreviews.blogspot.com/2010/11/john-adams.html" target="_blank"><i>John Adams</i> by David McCullough</a>, which is infinitely more readable than this tome that focuses on Abigail. I enjoyed all the details of her life, but at times the style was rather dry. I also listened to it on Audible, and I don't think an audiobook was the right format for a biography of this style. In addition, at times the author chose to view Abigail's actions exclusively through the lens of feminism. While I do think Abigail was ahead of her time in women's rights and did many amazing things for women, I don't think her every action was performed with that sole intention, as the author sometimes implied. Still, an interesting look into an interesting life.<br />
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3.5 stars<br />
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<b><i>How She Does It</i> by Anne Bogel</b><br />
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I love Ms. Bogel's blog, Modern Mrs. Darcy, and when I saw a post referencing this book and explaining Bogel's philosophy on women being able to manipulate the traditional work experience into something that works for motherhood, too, I was fascinated -- that is what I try to do everyday! I did find it encouraging, and found some good ideas; however, much of what was written wasn't relevant to me, because I can't work from home at this time. It also left me with the feeling that one can't be fulfilled if one is <i>not</i> working. This may very well be true for me, but I don't think it is true for everyone -- and I am planning on eventually seeing if I can be satisfied with stay-at-home-motherhood, once my working is not a necessity for my family. Still, an interesting read with a good perspective on working mothers.<br />
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3.5 stars<br />
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<b><i>The Custom of the Country</i> by Edith Wharton</b><br />
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I am an Edith Wharton fangirl. The other two works that I have read by this author, <i>The House of Mirth</i> and <i><a href="http://thestorygirlbookreviews.blogspot.com/2011/03/age-of-innocence-book-2-and-review.html" target="_blank">The Age of Innocence</a></i>, captivated me and made me feel <i>all</i> the feelings. I had heard that <i>The Custom of the Country </i>was her masterpiece, and I had very high expectations for it. I won't say that those expectations were dashed, necessarily, but I did have a very different experience with <i>Custom of the Country</i> than I did with the other two Wharton books I have read. While neither of them could be classified as "happy endings," they left me satisfied, albeit sad. However, <i>The Custom of the Country</i> left me feeling somewhat dirty and weary. I think part of it is the fact that the main character, Undine, is <i>so </i>unlikable. I am not the type to discount a story because the heroine (or anti-heroine, as it were) is flawed. I love <i>Gone With the Wind</i>, the book I hear mentioned the most often for having an unlikable heroine. However, Undine is selfish, foolish, a home wrecker, a life-ruiner... I was so angry at her for most of the book, and so sad for the people whose lives she affected. I do think that Wharton's writing was incredible -- it certainly still made me <i>feel</i> the way her other books have -- but the things I was feeling were so miserable and frustrated that I couldn't enjoy her genius. I can't rate this book, because it <i>is</i> a masterpiece -- but I didn't enjoy it.<br />
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Warnings: Off the page adultery, dark thematic material (such as suicide)LLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11194834748090369779noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076308692811460989.post-22989577254893712362014-07-01T15:07:00.002-07:002014-07-01T15:07:46.291-07:00Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Classics<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Wow, it has been <i>forever</i> since I have done one of these Top Ten Tuesday posts (hosted by the great blog <a href="http://www.brokeandbookish.com/2014/07/top-ten-tuesday-tahleen-and-loris.html" target="_blank">The Broke and the Bookish</a>, as usual). Today's prompt is on favorite classics. I think the challenge for me will be narrowing it down to ten this week -- I love the classics.<br />
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1. <b><i>East of Eden</i> by John Steinbeck</b> -- I think this one goes without saying -- my son is named after a character in this book. I love it because of John Steinbeck's amazing writing, the fascinating characters, and the powerful message that our lives are what we choose, not what destiny chooses for us.<br />
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2. <i><b>Anne of Green Gables</b> </i><b>series</b> <b>by L.M. Montgomery</b> -- I love the simplicity and <i>goodness</i> of these eight books. I have read them so many times, at so many different phases of my life, and they never fail to touch and enlighten me.<br />
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3. <b><i>Little Women</i> by Louisa May Alcott</b> -- I feel similarly about <i>Little Women</i> as I do about <i>Anne of Green Gables</i> -- there is so much purity, simplicity, and wholesomeness in these books. I know they are not popular values, but I love them anyway.<br />
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4. <b><i>The Age of Innocence</i> by Edith Wharton</b> -- Not a happy book, but the emotional gut-punch this left me with was so powerful even though it was so bittersweet.<br />
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5. <i><b>Les Miserables</b> </i><b>by Victor Hugo</b> -- When a book is so much work to read, I always appreciate some kind of payback. <i>Les Miserables</i> definitely delivers that for me -- there is so much to think about, so much beauty (and ugliness) of the human spirit.<br />
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6. <b><i>Emma</i> by Jane Austen</b> -- I love all of Austen's books, but I had to highlight this one because I never liked it growing up. However, when I reread it a few months ago, I fell in love with it, I think because I learned to see the humor in the title character. While she isn't perfect and is at times annoying, she really does have everyone's best interests at heart, and I loved seeing her grow (and laughing at her, good-naturedly of course).<br />
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7. <b><i>Tender is the Night</i> by F. Scott Fitzgerald</b> -- And really all of his books (except <i>The Beautiful and the Damned</i>, which I haven't read yet). I think I like this for the same reasons I like <i>The Age of Innocence</i> -- I just <i>feel</i> so much when I read it (and the writing is beautiful in the most satisfying way).<br />
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8. <b><i>Of Human Bondage </i>by W. Somerset Maugham</b> -- I related to Philip so much it was ridiculous, down to having a club foot at birth. His constant career changes, going to Paris, eventually settling on a medical career -- I felt like I had a kindred spirit in this book.<br />
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9. <b><i>The Scarlet Pimpernel</i> by Baroness Orczy</b> -- Such a good adventure story and romance.<br />
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10. <b><i>The Count of Monte Cristo </i>by Alexandre Dumas</b> -- Again, all the adventure and romance.<br />
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What are your favorite classics?LLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11194834748090369779noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076308692811460989.post-47407203825038429562014-06-27T14:35:00.000-07:002014-06-27T14:35:33.653-07:00Once Upon a Time Final Post<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I never wrote my finishing-up post for <a href="http://thestorygirlbookreviews.blogspot.com/2014/03/once-upon-time-viii.html" target="_blank">Once Upon a Time VIII</a>, which finished up on June 21st. I only ended up reading one book off my original list, but I did read five books (even more, actually), which was my goal. I always love this challenge and look forward to the second challenge hosted by <a href="http://www.stainlesssteeldroppings.com/" target="_blank">Stainless Steel Droppings</a> in the fall!<br />
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1.<a href="http://thestorygirlbookreviews.blogspot.com/2014/05/playing-catch-up-again.html" target="_blank"> <i>Princess Academy</i> by Shannon Hale</a><br />
2. <a href="http://thestorygirlbookreviews.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-mad-scientists-daughter-by.html" target="_blank"><i>The Mad Scientist's Daughter</i> by Cassandra Rose Clarke</a><br />
3. <a href="http://thestorygirlbookreviews.blogspot.com/2014/05/playing-catch-up-again.html" target="_blank"><i>The Phantom Tollbooth</i> by Norton Juster</a><br />
4. <i>'Twixt Firelight and Water</i> by Juliet Marillier<br />
5. <i>Prickle Moon</i> by Juliet Marillier<br />
6. <i>Abhorsen</i> by Garth Nix<br />
7. <i>Dreams of Gods and Monsters</i> by Laini Taylor<br />
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<br />LLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11194834748090369779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076308692811460989.post-21697923425430814692014-06-23T15:50:00.000-07:002014-06-23T15:50:05.252-07:00Recent ReadsI've fallen behind -- again! Despite the fact that I haven't been able to post as consistently as I have in the past, I still love book blogging and want to post when I can. Thank you to those readers who are still here with me -- I don't interact as much as I used to but I am so grateful you are here. And now, on to the reviews.<br />
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<b><i>Jennifer, Gwyneth, & Me</i> by Rachel Bertsche</b><br />
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I had to snag this title off NetGalley when I saw that it was by Rachel Bertsche, the author of <i><a href="http://thestorygirlbookreviews.blogspot.com/2013/07/mini-reviews-memoirs-and-biographies.html" target="_blank">MWF Seeking BFF</a></i>, a book I adored last year. A stunt memoir along the lines of <i><a href="http://thestorygirlbookreviews.blogspot.com/2014/03/the-happiness-project-by-gretchen-rubin.html" target="_blank">The Happiness Project</a></i>, in <i>Jennifer, Gwyneth, & Me, </i>Bertsche takes eight celebrities that have an aspect of life that she admires and she tries to put that element of life into practice. Her writing style is extremely readable, and I binge-read the book in a 36 hour time frame like I was having a lightning-quick weekend with an old friend. An added bonus was learning interesting tidbits about the celebrities Bertsche seeks to emulate -- I am now excited to check out Gwyneth's cookbook, and I might take the Honest Company up on their offers of free diaper samples when baby #2 comes around. Sometimes inspiring, sometimes silly, always entertaining, <i>Jennifer, Gwyneth & Me</i> is a great, light-hearted read that will still teach you something.<br />
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4 stars<br />
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Warnings: None<br />
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<b><i>Lost Lake</i> by Sarah Addison Allen</b><br />
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I fell in love with Sarah Addison Allen's magical realism in <i><a href="http://thestorygirlbookreviews.blogspot.com/2011/06/garden-spells-by-sarah-addison-allen.html" target="_blank">Garden Spells</a></i>, and was excited to see this novel show up on NetGalley. <i>Lost Lake</i> doesn't live up to the enchantment of <i>Garden Spells</i> for me, but was still an enjoyable little romance. A young widow, Kate, visits her great-aunt Eby's lakeside camp when she finds an old postcard of the place. However, she little expects the transformation the place will enact in her life.<br />
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<i>Lost Lake</i> employs the magical realism present in Allen's other books, but in <i>Lost Lake, </i>it mostly manifests as ghost stories. I was a little disappointed in this -- I love the way magic imbues every little aspect of life in the other novels. In addition, I felt that the dialogue was a bit one-dimensional. While the characters were all interesting and had strong back stories and development, the conversations they had seemed somewhat stilted. The book also wrapped up some pretty big issues with a wave of a magic wand, so to speak, which seemed a little too easy. For this reason, I didn't find the book especially compelling, but it as still an enjoyable, romantic read.<br />
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3 stars<br />
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Warnings: Some brief, non-explicit references to sex, brief descriptions of violence, language<br />
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<b><i>My Sister's Keeper</i> by Jodi Picoult</b><br />
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If you read my "<a href="http://thestorygirlbookreviews.blogspot.com/2014/05/pick-me-ups.html" target="_blank">Pick-Me-Ups</a>" post, you know that one topic that always interests me in a book is cancer. I am a pediatric bone marrow transplant nurse, and I always feel compelled to gather stories about people similar to my patients. I think part of it is because I am interested in it in my real life, and that interest remains for my reading life. I also always hope that the stories I read will be realistic and help me to have more compassion and empathy for the families I work with.<br />
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<i>My Sister's Keeper</i> has been on my radar -- and literally my night stand -- for a long time. As in, a couple of years. It took me a while to pick it up, I think in part because the movie made me so hysterical with tears that I was worried the book would wreak even worse havoc, and partly because the only other Jodi Picoult novel I'd ever attempted to read had ended up a DNF. However, once I picked it up, I couldn't put it down. I binge-read the last hundred pages after telling my husband I would do the dishes "after one chapter." Whoops.<br />
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If you've somehow missed all the hype around this book, it is the story of Anna, who was conceived in order to donate umbilical cord blood to her sister, who had a rare form of leukemia. As both sisters grow and Kate's leukemia relapses over and over again, Anna is asked to give more and more of her body to her sister. Finally, she sues her parents for the right to make her own medical decisions.<br />
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Picoult definitely knows how to draw a reader in, with constant twists and emotional gut-punches. She has also done her research. While I've never cared someone with Kate's particular diagnosis, many of the procedures and medications are the same, and Picoult was very well-versed. This definitely commanded my respect. I also thought the writing was great for the genre. <i>My Sister's Keeper</i> is a plot-driven novel constructed to shock the reader and draw out emotions, and it is incredibly effective. I have heard outcry (aka negative Goodreads reviews) about "emotional manipulation," but I feel like that is what you are asking for when you read any book, not just one of this genre. Am I right? Don't we read so we can feel things we wouldn't otherwise feel?<br />
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Anyway, <i>My Sister's Keeper</i> was an interesting read and definitely a page turner. It has convinced me to possibly try another Jodi Picoult, and given me a window into the outside-the-hospital life and devastation of families that deal with cancer.<br />
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4 stars<br />
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Warnings: Language, violence, thematic material, some innuendo, one non-explicit sex sceneLLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11194834748090369779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076308692811460989.post-62611360733391352272014-05-19T12:17:00.000-07:002014-05-19T12:17:22.397-07:00Pick-Me-UpsLately, I've been thinking about the words/phrases/subjects that make me want to read a book. I read so many books, and there are so many more that I want to read, and I've been wondering why it is I end up choosing the books that I choose. Here are my "pick-me-up" triggers:<br />
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:: Epic fantasy (always and forever a nerd!!)<br />
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:: Motherhood, midwives, birth, postpartum depression<br />
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:: Nurses, medical memoirs<br />
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:: Cancer<br />
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:: Abigail Adams<br />
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:: Self-help books<br />
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:: Books about people who love books<br />
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:: Retellings of fairytales or myths<br />
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:: Paris<br />
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:: Books about a place where I live or have lived in the past<br />
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What are your "book triggers?"LLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11194834748090369779noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076308692811460989.post-5517852987837862592014-05-15T14:25:00.001-07:002014-05-15T14:25:41.325-07:00Playing Catch-Up Again!I have had a hard time staying on top of my book reviews this month -- it's been crazy with weddings and baby showers and work and <i>everything</i>. Still, I hate to leave things un-reviewed. So here are my recent reads, rapid-fire:<br />
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<b><i>This Star Won't Go Out</i> by Esther Grace Earl</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
This book is a compilation of the writings, emails, and journal entries of Esther Earl and her family and friends. Esther had thyroid cancer, was a friend of John Green, and <i>The Fault in Our Stars</i> is dedicated to her. The book itself was fairly uneven and jumped around a lot, but the story disguised within it is touching.<br />
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3 stars<br />
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Warnings: None<br />
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<b><i>Happier at Home</i> by Gretchen Rubin</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
This follow-up to <i>The Happiness Project</i> is a second happiness project undertaken by Rubin, focusing specifically on her home life. I liked it, but not nearly as much as her first book.<br />
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4 stars<br />
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Warnings: None<br />
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<b><i>Princess Academy</i> by Shannon Hale</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Don't let the title deceive you -- this is a great book. It is middle grade fantasy, but it isn't the pink unicorn fluffiness you would expect from the title. Instead, it is the story of a group of girls living in a rough, mountain territory who are being trained as potential brides for a prince. Survival is difficult and they find their education to be of use for more than just catching a royal husband. I thoroughly enjoyed this short, charming read.<br />
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4 stars<br />
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Warnings: None<br />
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<b><i>The Wonder Weeks</i> by Hetty van der Rijt</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
This is the <i>best</i> parenting book ever. I recommend it to everyone. It doesn't have stringent theories or rules -- simply explains your child's developing mind through the age of 20 months and gives strategies to help your child develop, as well as explanations for times of difficult behavior. It is GREAT and I recommend the whole book, but you can also purchase by the chapter if there is a particular phase that is troubling you more than others. (The writing can be repetitive, but the information is so valuable it didn't bug me one bit).<br />
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5 stars<br />
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Warnings: None<br />
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<b><i>Persepolis</i> by Marjane Satrapi</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
This is a graphic novel memoir of the author's life in Iran (and for a time as an expat in Austria). I found the story so interesting, and loved the unique medium of seeing it through comics. Some of her personal stances at the end of the book soured it for me a little, but still, a fascinating tale.<br />
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3 stars<br />
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Warnings: Language, drugs, violence, reference to sexuality (but no images)<br />
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<b><i>The Awakening</i> by Kate Chopin</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
This feminist classic was a very interesting read for me. It definitely inspired thought, although at the end of the day my experience of marriage and motherhood is certainly different than the protagonist of this book. Still, enjoyable and certainly ground-breaking for its time.<br />
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4 stars<br />
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Warnings: Reference to sexuality<br />
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<b><i>The Phantom Tollbooth</i> by Norton Juster</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
This is a quirky, punny little novel. I never read it as a kid and knew that I needed to at some point in my life. It reminded me of the <i>Thursday Next</i> books. Not my favorite, but certainly worthwhile.<br />
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3 stars<br />
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Warnings: Might die of the puns<br />
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<i><b>The Mother in Me</b> </i><b>by Kathryn Lynard Soper (Ed)</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
A collection of essays on motherhood by the authors of <a href="http://segullah.org/" target="_blank">Segullah</a>. I love Segullah, and found a few of these essays moving, but expected more from this book, I'll confess.<br />
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3 stars<br />
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Warnings: None<br />
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<b><i>The Sea of Tranquility</i> by Katja Miller</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
This book is melodramatic and dark. But also very addictive.<br />
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3 stars<br />
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Warnings: Violence, language, sexuality<br />
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<b><i>In Bloom</i> by Matthew Crow</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
This is another teenagers with cancer book. I was definitely intrigued by the subject due to my line of work. The writing was excellent and subtly humorous. I had a hard time connecting to the characters, however, and felt the book needed a stronger plot.<br />
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3 stars<br />
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Warnings: Off-the-page sexuality, language, mature themes<br />
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<b><i>Stiff</i> by Mary Roach</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
This book is about all the different things that human cadavers can be used for. It is very fascinating and very, very disgusting. I listened to it while I ran in the dark at 5 in the morning, which is probably not wise. It was very interesting but I can't say I enjoyed it, necessarily.<br />
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3 stars<br />
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Warnings: Graphic descriptions of various things happening to human bodiesLLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11194834748090369779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076308692811460989.post-74508628947692904082014-05-12T21:20:00.001-07:002014-05-12T21:20:11.357-07:00And the winner is...The Classics Spin number was 1, meaning I will be reading <i>The Custom of the Country</i> by Edith Wharton. I love me some Edith, so hooray and onward!LLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11194834748090369779noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076308692811460989.post-29997590652779491912014-05-10T13:36:00.001-07:002014-05-10T13:36:37.968-07:00Classics Club Spin and a New ProjectFirst of all, it's time for another <a href="http://theclassicsclubblog.wordpress.com/2014/05/05/the-classics-spin-6/" target="_blank">Classics Club Spin</a>! I love this challenge because it gets me reading a book that I want to read and also does it in a short enough period of time that I feel the drive to start early and get finished. The pick for the Classics Club spin will be drawn on Monday, May 12, and the book will need to be finished by July 7.<br />
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The admins challenge you to put 5 books you're dreading, 5 books you're excited about and so on, but I just go through my list and keep it consistent with the list I had before, adding new books into the gaps where the old ones fell. Here is my list for this go-round:<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">1. </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">The Custom of the Country</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> by Edith Wharton</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">2. </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">Ethan Frome</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> by Edith Wharton</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">3. </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">Vanity Fair</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> by William Makepeace Thackeray</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">4. <i>The Mill on the Floss</i> by George Eliot</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">5. </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">A Pair of Blue Eyes</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> by Thomas Hardy</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">6. </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">The Sun Also Rises</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> by Ernest Hemingway</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">7. </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">David Copperfield</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> by Charles Dickens</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">8. </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">Heart of Darkness</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> by Joseph Conrad</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">9. </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">The Handmaid's Tale</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> by Margaret Atwood</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">10. </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">In Our Time</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> by Ernest Hemingway</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">11. </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">Travels with Charley: In Search of America</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> by John Steinbeck</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">12. </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">Death Comes for the Archbishop</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> by Willa Cather</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">13. </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">Sir Gawain and the Green Knight</i><br style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">14. </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">Summer</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> by Edith Wharton</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="color: #554030; font-family: Crimson Text;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">15. <i>A Tree Grows in Brooklyn</i> by Betty Smith</span></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">16. </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">Far From the Madding Crowd</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> by Thomas Hardy</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">17. </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">The Portrait of a Lady</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> by Henry James</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">18. </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">Silas Marner</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> by George Eliot</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">19. </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">All Quiet on the Western Front</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> by Erich Maria Remarque</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #554030; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">20. <i>Elizabeth and her German Garden</i> by Elizabeth van Arnim</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Crimson Text'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 21px;">I am also really excited about a new project that sprang into my mind. I have always loved Madeleine L'Engle. I loved her science fiction </span></span><span style="line-height: 21px;">that</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 21px;"> I read as a child, and even more than that I loved discovering her adult fiction. Lately I've been hankering to read her memoirs. I've always loved her interwoven ideas on science and religion, as well as the musical characters she frequently writes. She basically combines every subject I'm interested in -- science, religion, music, and of course, </span></span><span style="line-height: 21px;">reading</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 21px;"> and writing. I've decided that I'm actually going to just make a project of it and read her complete works, including a reread of those pieces I've already read. I haven't decided exactly how I will go through everything -- I'm thinking of reading the different series together with smatterings </span></span><span style="line-height: 21px;">of</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 21px;"> the standalones in between. My goal is to finish reading them all by September 6, 2017 -- ten years after her death. You can find my </span></span><span style="line-height: 21px;">list</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 21px;"> and my progress on the tab above. </span></span>LLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11194834748090369779noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076308692811460989.post-23549511740388476262014-04-15T21:41:00.001-07:002014-04-15T21:41:13.393-07:00Playing Catch-UpWho said Christmas was the busiest time of year? I don't know about you, but April has been madness around here. However, I like to have all my books reviewed -- after all, I did take the time of reading them, and some of them were provided me for free. There will be no pretty images today, but here are some snippets on the last three books I read.<br />
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<b><i>A Million Little Snowflakes</i> by Logan Byrne</b><br />
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Guys, this one was not for me. And I had high hopes for it (don't we always). This is the story of a high school student who is taken to a psychiatric ward by his father after he states that he wants to kill himself. And of course, in the psychiatric ward, he meets someone and falls in love. The concept of this was so intriguing to me, especially as I've worked in a mental health facility and seen people fall for each other (at times with disastrous consequences). However, this book didn't do it for me. I was frustrated from the beginning with the writing style, which tended to give a play-by-play of every thought in the main character, Oliver's, head, as well as making bizarre metaphors and comparisons. But the end sealed the deal for me. I'm sure there was something artistic about its suddenness and (abrupt) existentialism. But I didn't get it.<br />
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1 star<br />
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Warnings: Language, sensuality (off the page), mature themes<br />
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<b><i>Remember Me? </i>by Sophie Kinsella</b><br />
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This book was a little outside my normal reading faire, but it was recommended by a patient's mother so I felt like I should read it, and I ended up being pretty entertained by it. Lexi is leading a frazzled life much like the rest of us -- until she wakes up one day and finds that her life is three years forward from her last memory and everything has changed, from her teeth and body shape to her relationship status (married!) and financial status (millionaire!). Lexi feels pretty good about the way everything has turned out, but can't figure out how she went from the "snaggletooth" under appreciated flooring sales associate to the queen of the company. As she finds out, she realizes she has lost less of herself than she thought.<br />
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I liked this one. Like I said, it was pretty entertaining and there were a few "awww" moments. Sometimes it's nice to read something a bit fluffy and relaxing.<br />
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3 stars<br />
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Warnings: Some sensuality (mostly off page, no anatomy), profanity<br />
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<b><i>Love Times Three: Our True Story of a Polygamous Marriage</i> by the Dargers</b><br />
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I had to read this when I heard of it. I mean, seriously, who hasn't wondered how a situation like that actually works out without the wives killing each other (or their husband)? And as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (which doesn't practice polygamy, in case you are wondering) I was curious about this group of people that went in a different direction and what they believe. So when I saw the book on sale, I snagged it.<br />
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And I was amazed at how much I enjoyed it! I was expecting to be pretty disturbed by all of it. There were plenty of things that I found myself thinking, "I'm so glad that I don't share my husband with another woman," but there were also plenty of insights that the Dargers had into love, marriage, and family that were pretty profound. At the core of their polygamous marriage is putting others first and holding back selfishness, which I think would be particularly trying in a situation with multiple women sharing one man and in the Dargers' case, one home as well. I can see how that would bring personal growth. And while I'm certainly not planning on adding another woman to our home, I feel like I learned something about putting the other people in my (considerably smaller) family before myself from the Dargers.<br />
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Not to mention the fact that their situation is a little bizarre and it was pretty interesting to learn about it. So, while I obviously was interested in the book before I read it, it surpassed my expectations. I certainly don't want to emulate their lifestyle, but it was interesting to learn about it.<br />
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4 stars<br />
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Warnings: Some references to bedroom arrangements but nothing detailed<br />
<br />LLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11194834748090369779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076308692811460989.post-58684252047314949452014-04-04T14:00:00.001-07:002014-04-04T14:00:23.169-07:00The Mad Scientist's Daughter by Cassandra Rose Clarke<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>The Mad Scientist's Daughter</i> is about a girl who falls in love with her father's assistant, who is also her tutor. Who is also a robot. Set in the future, in a world where AI is becoming prevalent and android rights are a political hot button, Cat develops a friendship with Finn, an android who is more human-like than most. However, the differences between them (aka, the fact that Finn is not human, or technically alive) drive them apart, leaving Cat to figure out what she wants in life.<br />
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This book was gorgeously written and heartbreakingly beautiful. As beautiful as that cover. If you're like me, when you hear the words "robot" your thoughts go to a funky, mechanical creature with a monotone voice. However, there was nothing cheesy or hokey about <i>The Mad Scientist's Daughter</i>. The love story is not only plausible but touching.<br />
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The characters are fallible and broken, making selfish decisions out of hurt and fear; however, the humanness of them all (yes, even Finn) keeps them from being unlikable. There is also extensive development that takes place -- they learn, make mistakes, and grow, leading to a satisfying ending.<br />
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Clarke's writing glows in <i>The Mad Scientist's Daughter</i>. Her imagery is gorgeous and vivid. Her dialogues are evocative. I was feeling and crying with these characters as they tried to patch together their lives and find the truth about one another.<br />
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<i>The Mad Scientist's Daughter</i> is a perfect crossover book. The writing and themes make it worthy of being called literary fiction, the robot/futuristic element ties it to science fiction, and the love story clearly links it to romance. This unique book was gorgeous and a worthwhile read.<br />
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4 stars<br />
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Warnings: A few scenes of sensuality, language, a scene of abuseLLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11194834748090369779noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076308692811460989.post-15436058349640567732014-03-31T13:28:00.001-07:002014-03-31T13:28:59.261-07:00Night by Elie Wiesel<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>Night</i> by Elie Wiesel was my classics spin book, and I am happy to report I finished it in time! Hooray.<br />
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Many of you probably read <i>Night</i> in high school, but for those who didn't (like me)... it is the Nobel Peace Prize winning account of Wiesel's experience in the concentration camps.<br />
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There isn't much I can say about a book that takes place in a concentration camp that hasn't already been said. Harrowing. Dehumanizing. I couldn't read more than a few pages of this book at a time or I would get depressed and anxious. Night is a symbol of the darkness and loss of hope Wiesel experienced in the camp, and it is palpable and penetrating throughout the book.<br />
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I think the way that <i>Night</i> differs from many of the Holocaust books I've read (and I've read a few -- I had an Anne Frank obsession in high school) is the starkness of the detail. When Wiesel is running ceaselessly in the night, I felt the burning in my own lungs. He spares no details. The last lines he writes, when he has been rescued and sees himself in the mirror for the first time and says a corpse looks back at him, will probably shudder in my memory forever. His writing is simple and powerful.<br />
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I also was impacted by the theme of father and son trying to stay together but constantly being dehumanized and betraying each other. We see pair after pair of father and son being torn apart, or the son abandoning the father in his desire to survive. We see Wiesel struggle to be faithful to his father and keep him alive, but we also see, in his blatant honesty, the way the desire to survive starts to fray at his love and faith.<br />
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<i>Night </i>was by no means an enjoyable book to read. It sits heavy in your mind and heart and I have a feeling that heaviness will continue even though I've now read through it. However, it is worthwhile -- worthwhile to remember those that suffered in the Holocaust, worthwhile to see what the human soul can survive. It is definitely a book I will remember.<br />
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4 stars<br />
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Warnings: Violence and disturbing imagesLLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11194834748090369779noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076308692811460989.post-31897312526133093992014-03-24T14:20:00.001-07:002014-03-24T14:20:39.078-07:00The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This concise little gem is the story of A.J. Fikry, a widower and bookstore owner drinking himself into an early death until a little girl is mysteriously dropped off in his bookstore. She leads him into a new life just when he thought his life was ending. Told with references to short stories in every chapter, <i>The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry</i> by Gabrielle Zevin is a lovely little story about life's surprises.<br />
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I think concept books like this tend to triumph or fall flat -- there is rarely a middle ground. This one triumphs. We get snapshots of A.J.'s life, and the book is short, but the snapshots expose just enough to be illuminating. In addition, A.J. Fikry's life is bizarre enough to be interesting; normal enough to be believable.<br />
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The writing is beautiful and the book love is palpable. And you know how us bookish types love to read about other bookish types. I was actually unfamiliar with all of the short stories referenced in the book and am now going through them slowly, and slowly seeing how they further beautify the book. I know it would never happen with copyright laws, but it would be truly awesome to have a book that alternates the stories with the chapters.<br />
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<i>The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry</i> is a short, beautiful love letter to books and a tale of an extraordinary (and also ordinary) life. If you are a book lover or literary fiction fan, I think you will enjoy it.<br />
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4 stars<br />
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Warnings: Profanity, off-the-page sensualityLLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11194834748090369779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076308692811460989.post-79891051962579037012014-03-24T14:03:00.000-07:002014-03-24T14:03:00.336-07:00Once Upon a Time VIII<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's time again for Once Upon a Time! Hosted by <a href="http://www.stainlesssteeldroppings.com/" target="_blank">Stainless Steel Droppings</a>, it runs now until June 21 and is a celebration of fantasy, folklore, fairy tales, and mythology.<br />
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I am hoping to participate in "Quest the First" -- reading five books in the categories. Here are my picks:<br />
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1. <i>Fairy Tales from the Brothers Grimm</i> by Phillip Pullman<br />
2. <i>Hood</i> by Stephen Lawhead<br />
3. <i>The Way of Kings</i> by Brandon Sanderson<br />
4. <i>Princess Academy</i> by Shannon Hale<br />
5. <i>Flame of Sevenwaters</i> by Juliet Marillier (and <i>Twixt Firelight and Water</i>, the novella, too)<br />
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Hoping to jam through all of these!LLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11194834748090369779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076308692811460989.post-77912272026921955772014-03-12T14:11:00.004-07:002014-03-12T14:11:46.201-07:00Plain Kate by Erin Bow<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>Plain Kate</i> by Erin Bow is about a girl named Kate who is an amazing wood carver like her father. She is happy working with her father and they lead a good life together... until he dies of a terrible epidemic that has been sweeping their superstitious country. Suddenly, people are being burned as witches and accusations are flying. While living in extreme poverty, a stranger begins making deals with her... but they lead her to be accused of witchcraft herself. Soon Plain Kate is on a journey to stop the stranger and see if there is anywhere she can be loved.<br />
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I am not usually a fan of middle grade fiction. There are a few novels I have loved, but for the most part I haven't been a fan. However, <i>Plain Kate</i> is <i>incredible</i>. I had my doubts about it from the age level it was written for, but honestly, I think anyone who loves fantasy will be swept up in this book. It reminded me of Leigh Bardugo's <i>Shadow and Bone</i> series in setting and Franny Billingsley's <i>Chime</i> in tone (and if you have been reading the blog for a long time you know those are high words of praise).<br />
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What did I love about it? First of all, the setting was unique, mystical and dark and absolutely haunting. The world building was so powerful. The magical rules of witchcraft were also fascinating -- witches could do great evil or great good, healing or bringing people back from the dead. Also, witches couldn't lie, which put an interesting spin on everything.<br />
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I also loved the characters. They were vivid, complex, and unforgettable. Our heroine is also the cause of much of the destruction in the story. Our villain has moments of great compassion, and his entire enterprise is built out of misled love. Also, there is Taggle, a talking cat, who is amazing. Usually I am annoyed by animals that talk in people books (animals talking in animal books, like <i>Redwall</i>, is different and okay). However, Taggle is hilarious. He isn't a friendly familiar that talks like a human. He is a complete and utter cat, and hearing his voice is delightful. He alone makes <i>Plain Kate</i> worth the read.<br />
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If you couldn't tell, I loved this book. It is going on my list of "books I want to own a copy of," because I want my kids to read this book. If you like fantasy at all, do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of <i>Plain Kate</i>.<br />
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4.5 stars<br />
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Warnings: Violence and disturbing imagesLLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11194834748090369779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076308692811460989.post-20664378043473121432014-03-04T13:15:00.002-08:002014-03-04T13:15:35.767-08:00The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I've been hearing buzz about <i>The Happiness Project</i> by Gretchen Rubin since I first started blogging. There was a time in my life when I disdained self-help books, but that time has long since passed (and you should see some of the things I request on NetGalley, home of the most obscure and bizarre collection of self-help books known to man). With the stresses of work and home, I found myself thinking that I could use a little recharge and put <i>The Happiness Project</i> on hold at the library.<br />
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Most of the self-help books I've read in the past are pretty heavily biased. I can usually find a pearl or two, but usually with many caveats. <i>The Happiness Project</i> is very different. Rubin begins by saying that this is <i>her</i> happiness project, and that ours might be very different, but that this is what she did in order to plan to achieve greater happiness in life. That beginning attitude of not knowing it all but being willing to share really endeared the author to me.<br />
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The premise of the happiness project is that the author, Gretchen Rubin, began to feel that she wasn't living at her fullest potential of happiness. She had an abundant life but she often found herself griping and complaining, or feeling unsatisfied. She wasn't depressed -- she just wasn't as happy as she felt she should be. So she made a plan, being a very plan-oriented, goal-specific person (seriously. I don't think I've ever met or read someone as organized as this woman). She chose an area of her life to focus on each month for a year and made specific resolutions in those categories. She also read several books on happiness and applied the studies and information she gleaned.<br />
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The result is remarkable. She hits upon many areas that I (and I'm sure many others) need to improve upon, and she uses great reminders and quotes to drive the point home. Basically, I want to do my own happiness project, although I want to let the book sink in for a while and possibly read her other happiness-based book, <i>Happier at Home</i>, before I completely delve in.<br />
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I think <i>The Happiness Project</i> has something to offer anyone, whether or not Rubin's specific resolutions are what you would like to change in your life. Written with vibrance and honesty, this journey through a year in a woman's life is eye-opening, positive, and poignant. Go read it! Now!<br />
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5 stars<br />
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Warnings: I think there are maybe 2 minor swears. If you're offended by this book, you hate happiness (just kidding).LLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11194834748090369779noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076308692811460989.post-5642846996591621802014-02-27T13:56:00.001-08:002014-02-27T13:56:38.717-08:00Bridget Jones' Diary by Helen Fielding<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>Bridget Jones' Diary</i> was our read for book club in February. It is a spin-off of <i>Pride and Prejudice</i> (win win win) told in a diary format by the weight-obsessed, striving-for-self-improvement (but never achieving), single Bridget Jones. She finds herself torn between the handsome, sexy, and possibly slimy boss for a boyfriend and the stiff, overly perfect, awkward but maybe handsome Mark Darcy. And of course, because this is a spinoff of P&P, she has a CRAZY family.<br />
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This was a quick read. It was entertaining. Bridget had moments where she irritated me (very neurotic, drinking herself into a stupor, making bad decisions) but she is also relatable in her honesty and imperfections. The <i>Pride and Prejudice</i> connection was at times tenuous, but it was fun to try and make the connections. And I appreciated that she talked about the BBC Pride and Prejudice mini-series.<br />
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I don't find I have over-much to say about it -- but it was a fun read and what I needed after a rough couple of days at work. I'll probably read the rest of the series.<br />
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3.5 stars<br />
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Warnings: Language, innuendoLLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11194834748090369779noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076308692811460989.post-8247376895015293472014-02-26T13:22:00.004-08:002014-02-26T13:22:55.921-08:00The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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There is a lot of love in the book blogging world for <i>The Knife of Never Letting Go, </i>book one of the Chaos Walking trilogy. I was excited to see it on sale several months ago for Kindle, and excited to have the impetus to read it for the FYA book club. The book was very interesting, and packed with a lot of emotion and adventure, but it might not have been the right time for me to read it. However, I am planning on continuing with the series.<br />
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Todd lives in New World, and his community has been infected by the Noise -- a germ spread by the hostile resident aliens that causes all the thoughts of men to be audible to others, and that causes women to die. Thus, Todd is the youngest member of a community with no women and no hope of advancement. Until one day, when he discovers a silent space in the Noise, and learns that the history he believed is in reality very different. Todd goes on a journey to escape the specters of his town and hopefully find a life of his own amid the chaos.<br />
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There are many, many good things to say about <i>The Knife of Never Letting Go</i>. It is action-packed. It reveals secrets just slowly enough to tantalize you, without making you absolutely bonkers-crazy with cliffhangers (although it definitely walks dangerously near the line). It has an intense and intriguing fantasy world. It has vivid characters (I love and adore Manchee (THE MOST), Ben, and Viola). And the writing, although occasionally distracting (it is written in Todd's perspective and therefore his dialect) is poignant and vibrant.<br />
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I think for me, I just wasn't in the mood for this kind of dark, plot-driven novel. I was definitely affected by the many powerful, emotional scenes. It was definitely an enjoyable book. I just didn't connect to it on a personal level. However, I do plan to continue with this series, and now that I am familiar with the tone of the book, will keep <i>The Ask and the Answer</i> in check for when I am in the mood for this kind of story.<br />
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3.5 stars<br />
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Warnings: Language with one f-bomb, violence with some gory images, references to sexuality (it is a world where men's thoughts are visible to everyone so you get some of that sort of thing)LLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11194834748090369779noreply@blogger.com2