Book No: 64
Title: The Sari Shop Widow
Author: Shobhan Bantwal
Genre: Chick Lit
Completed: 12/18/09
No. of Pages: 352
Rating: 3/5*****
The Sari Shop Widow was a pleasant if predictable “girl meets boy, they don’t like each other yet are somehow deeply attracted to one another” genre of chick lit.
Anjali Kapadia is a young widow and the owner, with her parents, of a Sari Shop in the Little India section of New Jersey. When it becomes clear that the business is in trouble the Kapadia’s reach out to their business savvy relative for help. When Uncle Jeevan arrives her brings with him Rishi Shah, his mysterious and attractive protégé. Sparks soon fly between Anjuli and Rishi as they lock horns and battle their attraction to each other.
There is nothing groundbreaking here, despite the Indian cultural background. It was pretty standard fare, you know where the story is heading and how it will end, it’s a enjoyable enough story but it isn’t anything you haven’t read before. Even with all the cultural references the story could have been set anywhere. Speaking of those cultural references a glossary would have been helpful for all the Indian words that were referenced. Nice read for the beach or if you are looking for a light, fluffy read. Fortunately it was a Kindle freebie.
Showing posts with label Kindle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kindle. Show all posts
Monday, March 1, 2010
Drood
Book No: 60
Title: Drood
Author: Dan Simmons
Genre: Historical Fiction
Completed: 11/13/09
No. of Pages: 782
Rating: 3/5*****
Six months after starting this book I am finally finished. I’m not a stranger to big chunky books, I’ve read quite a few and in much shorter time. This book just seemed to drag on and on without actually getting anywhere. A good editor was desperately needed to make this a faster paced and more enjoyable read.
This book is ostensibly a story about Charles Dickens and the character of Drood, which haunted Dickens for the last 5 years of his life, after his near fatal train accident. I thought it would be a fictional look at Drood and what influenced Dickens to write this mystery, something he hadn’t really attempted before. Unfortunately this book was really about Wilkie Collins and his love/hate relationship with Charles Dickens; his friend, competitor and perceived enemy.
It is really difficult to enjoy a book where you dislike the main protagonist so much. Wilkie Collins as depicted here is a completely unreliable narrator. He is an abuser of both morphine and opium and beyond that a man so eaten alive by his jealousy of Dickens that you cannot believe any of his retelling of events This book is told entirely from Collins point of view and there are literally hundreds of pages taken up with his life with two women, the meals he ate, the long walks and talks he had with Dickens about projects they were working on, ad infinitum; my eyes glazed over more than once. For a story entitled Drood, although his presence permeates the book, I don’t think the character was actually in 50 pages of the book.
There were some parts of this book that were really creepy and scary, but these scenes were interrupted by other scenes so tedious I couldn’t wait for them to be done. Half the time you are reading this book you are questioning Collins’ sanity or wondering if what you are reading is one of his drug induced hallucination. In point of fact the final answer to this question comes in about the last 50 pages or so and is a complete let-down. Mr. Charles Dickens does not fare too well in this tale either, making me wonder what the whole point of this book was, in the end I think it was really about the destruction that jealousy can cause in a person’s psyche.
Another aspect of the book that I found annoying were the very many plotlines that were left unanswered, what really happened to Agnes and Joseph Clow? What occurred during Wilkie’s many excursions and conversations with a myriad of people – were they all hallucinations? There were just too many plotlines left dangling.
There were so many glimmers of excellent writing in the story that I rated it a bit higher than I normally would. I do have Simmons’ The Terror in my reading stacks, another large book, but after this it maybe a while before I have the strength or desire to read it.
Title: Drood
Author: Dan Simmons
Genre: Historical Fiction
Completed: 11/13/09
No. of Pages: 782
Rating: 3/5*****
Six months after starting this book I am finally finished. I’m not a stranger to big chunky books, I’ve read quite a few and in much shorter time. This book just seemed to drag on and on without actually getting anywhere. A good editor was desperately needed to make this a faster paced and more enjoyable read.
This book is ostensibly a story about Charles Dickens and the character of Drood, which haunted Dickens for the last 5 years of his life, after his near fatal train accident. I thought it would be a fictional look at Drood and what influenced Dickens to write this mystery, something he hadn’t really attempted before. Unfortunately this book was really about Wilkie Collins and his love/hate relationship with Charles Dickens; his friend, competitor and perceived enemy.
It is really difficult to enjoy a book where you dislike the main protagonist so much. Wilkie Collins as depicted here is a completely unreliable narrator. He is an abuser of both morphine and opium and beyond that a man so eaten alive by his jealousy of Dickens that you cannot believe any of his retelling of events This book is told entirely from Collins point of view and there are literally hundreds of pages taken up with his life with two women, the meals he ate, the long walks and talks he had with Dickens about projects they were working on, ad infinitum; my eyes glazed over more than once. For a story entitled Drood, although his presence permeates the book, I don’t think the character was actually in 50 pages of the book.
There were some parts of this book that were really creepy and scary, but these scenes were interrupted by other scenes so tedious I couldn’t wait for them to be done. Half the time you are reading this book you are questioning Collins’ sanity or wondering if what you are reading is one of his drug induced hallucination. In point of fact the final answer to this question comes in about the last 50 pages or so and is a complete let-down. Mr. Charles Dickens does not fare too well in this tale either, making me wonder what the whole point of this book was, in the end I think it was really about the destruction that jealousy can cause in a person’s psyche.
Another aspect of the book that I found annoying were the very many plotlines that were left unanswered, what really happened to Agnes and Joseph Clow? What occurred during Wilkie’s many excursions and conversations with a myriad of people – were they all hallucinations? There were just too many plotlines left dangling.
There were so many glimmers of excellent writing in the story that I rated it a bit higher than I normally would. I do have Simmons’ The Terror in my reading stacks, another large book, but after this it maybe a while before I have the strength or desire to read it.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
The Forgotten Garden
Book No: 28
Title: The Forgotten Garden
Author: Kate Morton
Genre: Fiction
Completed: 6/14/09
No. of Pages: 560
Rating: 4/5*****
The Forgotten Garden is a long, sprawling mystery that spans over 100 years, loaded with Gothic undertones. We have a spooky old Victorian mansion, an overgrown maze, a derelict cottage on a cliff, a forgotten garden, wealth, poverty, love, betrayal, good and evil all wrapped around an abandoned child.
Told through the perspectives of three women, Nell who is found when she is four years old, abandoned on a dock in Australia, with very sparse clues to her identity; Eliza who is the mysterious Authoress whom Nell vaguely remembers and whose book of fairy Tales is in Nell’s tiny suitcase and Cassandra, Nell’s granddaughter, who tries to put together all the pieces of the puzzle after her grandmother’s death.
I really enjoyed this story, I enjoy multi-generational family sagas and I found this one to be absorbing and well written and I liked the mystery and all the introduction of little clues. The changes in the perspectives could get a little confusing at times, and it would be hard to leave one story that was really getting interesting, to be taken back to another time and place but after a while I got accustomed to that. The best part of the book were the fairy tales written by The Authoress, lovely but spooky stories that all have clues to the mystery of Nell’s identity. I also enjoyed Ms. Morton’s inclusion of Frances Hodgson Burnett as a minor character, an obvious tip of the hat to the author of The Secret Garden, which clearly inspired portions of this book.
I didn’t care for the male characters in the book, they all seemed ephemeral and weak, but I’ve read many a book where the women were relegated to the background, so it didn’t really spoil my enjoyment of this book. Overall a very good read.
Title: The Forgotten Garden
Author: Kate Morton
Genre: Fiction
Completed: 6/14/09
No. of Pages: 560
Rating: 4/5*****
The Forgotten Garden is a long, sprawling mystery that spans over 100 years, loaded with Gothic undertones. We have a spooky old Victorian mansion, an overgrown maze, a derelict cottage on a cliff, a forgotten garden, wealth, poverty, love, betrayal, good and evil all wrapped around an abandoned child.
Told through the perspectives of three women, Nell who is found when she is four years old, abandoned on a dock in Australia, with very sparse clues to her identity; Eliza who is the mysterious Authoress whom Nell vaguely remembers and whose book of fairy Tales is in Nell’s tiny suitcase and Cassandra, Nell’s granddaughter, who tries to put together all the pieces of the puzzle after her grandmother’s death.
I really enjoyed this story, I enjoy multi-generational family sagas and I found this one to be absorbing and well written and I liked the mystery and all the introduction of little clues. The changes in the perspectives could get a little confusing at times, and it would be hard to leave one story that was really getting interesting, to be taken back to another time and place but after a while I got accustomed to that. The best part of the book were the fairy tales written by The Authoress, lovely but spooky stories that all have clues to the mystery of Nell’s identity. I also enjoyed Ms. Morton’s inclusion of Frances Hodgson Burnett as a minor character, an obvious tip of the hat to the author of The Secret Garden, which clearly inspired portions of this book.
I didn’t care for the male characters in the book, they all seemed ephemeral and weak, but I’ve read many a book where the women were relegated to the background, so it didn’t really spoil my enjoyment of this book. Overall a very good read.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
The Help
Book No: 18
Title: The Help
Author: Kathryn Stockett
Genre: Fiction
Completed: 4/27/09
No. of Pages: 464
Rating: 5/5*****
From the first paragraph of this book I was captivated by the story of “The Help”. Set during the very early years of the civil rights movement of the 1960’s this is the story of Eugenia “Skeeter” Phelan a privileged young white woman and her slow awakening to the injustices heaped upon the black people of her community. When she decides to write about the maids of her town she finds two allies in Aibileen and Minnie, maids who are good enough to raise and care for the white children of their employers, but are made to use their own outdoor bathrooms. The book is told in alternating chapters of the differing viewpoints of these three women.
When reading books set in this time frame the vernacular of the blacks of that time period can often come off as almost comical if not done well, but Ms. Stockett manages to keep the tone and cadence just right. The development of Skeeter from a naïve and sometimes insensitive girl into a morally responsible and aware woman of the sixties was also nicely depicted. The description of the first time Skeeter hears a song by Bob Dylan is priceless; I identified with her reaction having felt much the same when I first heard Dylan.
The stories of Aibileen and Minnie, two women who deal with prejudice and discrimination every day, but still hold their heads high really tugged at my heart, even though they both dealt with things in very different ways. I really came to care for these women and their struggles. I was so sorry when I came to the last page of this book; I wanted it to go on so I could spend more time with all of “The Help”.
This is Ms. Stockett’s debut novel and I am already anxiously awaiting her next book, I hope it won’t be too long.
Title: The Help
Author: Kathryn Stockett
Genre: Fiction
Completed: 4/27/09
No. of Pages: 464
Rating: 5/5*****
From the first paragraph of this book I was captivated by the story of “The Help”. Set during the very early years of the civil rights movement of the 1960’s this is the story of Eugenia “Skeeter” Phelan a privileged young white woman and her slow awakening to the injustices heaped upon the black people of her community. When she decides to write about the maids of her town she finds two allies in Aibileen and Minnie, maids who are good enough to raise and care for the white children of their employers, but are made to use their own outdoor bathrooms. The book is told in alternating chapters of the differing viewpoints of these three women.
When reading books set in this time frame the vernacular of the blacks of that time period can often come off as almost comical if not done well, but Ms. Stockett manages to keep the tone and cadence just right. The development of Skeeter from a naïve and sometimes insensitive girl into a morally responsible and aware woman of the sixties was also nicely depicted. The description of the first time Skeeter hears a song by Bob Dylan is priceless; I identified with her reaction having felt much the same when I first heard Dylan.
The stories of Aibileen and Minnie, two women who deal with prejudice and discrimination every day, but still hold their heads high really tugged at my heart, even though they both dealt with things in very different ways. I really came to care for these women and their struggles. I was so sorry when I came to the last page of this book; I wanted it to go on so I could spend more time with all of “The Help”.
This is Ms. Stockett’s debut novel and I am already anxiously awaiting her next book, I hope it won’t be too long.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Freakonomics
Book No: 16
Title: Freakonomics
Author: Steven d. Levitt, Stephen J. Dubner
Genre: Non-fiction
Completed: 4/10/09
No. of Pages: 336
Rating: 4/5****
The subtitle of this book is a very apt, if slightly exaggerated description: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything. Steven Levitt is certainly a rogue economist in that he uses the concepts of economy to look at many ‘givens’ in a completely new way. The results are often startling and thought provoking, although he certainly doesn’t look at everything-at least in this book.
Most of us probably suffered through economics in school and the thought of reading a book about it when we don’t have to does not sound like fun. Levitt, however, takes this science and spins it on its head, making it both entertaining and informative. By taking economic theory and applying it to everyday questions Levitt comes up with some theories that sound improbable and then proceeds to prove them. Many of his theories may cause some consternation; most outrageous of all is the idea that the reduction in crime over the years has less to do with more police and far more to do with the Roe v Wade decision.
This book was very entertaining, written in an engaging style. My biggest complaint is the New York Times article reprints at the end of the book, which basically re-hash what we have already read. The book is also too short and since I hated economics is school I find it ironic that I could want more!
Title: Freakonomics
Author: Steven d. Levitt, Stephen J. Dubner
Genre: Non-fiction
Completed: 4/10/09
No. of Pages: 336
Rating: 4/5****
The subtitle of this book is a very apt, if slightly exaggerated description: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything. Steven Levitt is certainly a rogue economist in that he uses the concepts of economy to look at many ‘givens’ in a completely new way. The results are often startling and thought provoking, although he certainly doesn’t look at everything-at least in this book.
Most of us probably suffered through economics in school and the thought of reading a book about it when we don’t have to does not sound like fun. Levitt, however, takes this science and spins it on its head, making it both entertaining and informative. By taking economic theory and applying it to everyday questions Levitt comes up with some theories that sound improbable and then proceeds to prove them. Many of his theories may cause some consternation; most outrageous of all is the idea that the reduction in crime over the years has less to do with more police and far more to do with the Roe v Wade decision.
This book was very entertaining, written in an engaging style. My biggest complaint is the New York Times article reprints at the end of the book, which basically re-hash what we have already read. The book is also too short and since I hated economics is school I find it ironic that I could want more!
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Blindspot
Book No: 12
Title: Blindspot
Author: Jane Kamensky & Jill Lepore
Genre: Historical Fiction
Completed:
No. of Pages: 512
Rating: 4/5*****
I really enjoyed this bawdy tale set in the years just prior to the American Revolution. The subtitle of the book is By a Gentleman in Exile and a Lady in Disguise sets out the basic premise of the book.
Stewart Jameson is the gentleman in exile, a newcomer to Boston colonies. Jameson has fled Scotland due to an outstanding debt, which leads us to believe he is a scoundrel, but the nature of that debt is one far more noble and when we learn the reason for it, it allows us to care about Jameson.
The Lady in Disguise is Fanny Easton, once the daughter of one of Boston’s leading citizens. Fanny has fallen from grace and has ended up in the Manufactory House; there she works long hours for food and lodging, scarce as it may be.
When Jameson sets up shop as a portrait painter he places an ad for an apprentice. Seeing the ad Fanny devises her plan to pass herself as a young boy, Francis Weston, and use the job as a way out of poverty. Of course mush confusion occurs when Jameson falls in love with his apprentice and Fanny, in love with Jameson, must keep her secret. When a local prominent politician is killed Francis/Fanny, Jameson and their friend Dr. Alexander, himself a runaway slave, decide to discover who the murderer is.
The story is told in alternating voices, with Jameson writing in a journal and directing his story to us, the Reader. Fanny’s tale is told through her letters to a close friend, the only one who know her secret. Interspersed throughout are several news articles from the Boston Gazette, which lets us know of the political upheaval going on all around our two protagonists.
There is a lot going on in this book besides cross dressing and forbidden love. We have the politics informing us of the start of the uprising of the colonies. There is much discussion of slavery, a contradiction of the Bostonians fight for freedom while they themselves keep slaves. There is the murder, a mockery of a trial, betrayals, insanity and more. The style of the book tries to be true to the timeframe, so the language often sounds stylistic. The humor is often ribald and the sex scenes a little steamy, trying for the tone of some of the classic books of the time (i.e. Tom Jones). However the heart and soul of the book is the love story of Jameson and Fanny.
Title: Blindspot
Author: Jane Kamensky & Jill Lepore
Genre: Historical Fiction
Completed:
No. of Pages: 512
Rating: 4/5*****
I really enjoyed this bawdy tale set in the years just prior to the American Revolution. The subtitle of the book is By a Gentleman in Exile and a Lady in Disguise sets out the basic premise of the book.
Stewart Jameson is the gentleman in exile, a newcomer to Boston colonies. Jameson has fled Scotland due to an outstanding debt, which leads us to believe he is a scoundrel, but the nature of that debt is one far more noble and when we learn the reason for it, it allows us to care about Jameson.
The Lady in Disguise is Fanny Easton, once the daughter of one of Boston’s leading citizens. Fanny has fallen from grace and has ended up in the Manufactory House; there she works long hours for food and lodging, scarce as it may be.
When Jameson sets up shop as a portrait painter he places an ad for an apprentice. Seeing the ad Fanny devises her plan to pass herself as a young boy, Francis Weston, and use the job as a way out of poverty. Of course mush confusion occurs when Jameson falls in love with his apprentice and Fanny, in love with Jameson, must keep her secret. When a local prominent politician is killed Francis/Fanny, Jameson and their friend Dr. Alexander, himself a runaway slave, decide to discover who the murderer is.
The story is told in alternating voices, with Jameson writing in a journal and directing his story to us, the Reader. Fanny’s tale is told through her letters to a close friend, the only one who know her secret. Interspersed throughout are several news articles from the Boston Gazette, which lets us know of the political upheaval going on all around our two protagonists.
There is a lot going on in this book besides cross dressing and forbidden love. We have the politics informing us of the start of the uprising of the colonies. There is much discussion of slavery, a contradiction of the Bostonians fight for freedom while they themselves keep slaves. There is the murder, a mockery of a trial, betrayals, insanity and more. The style of the book tries to be true to the timeframe, so the language often sounds stylistic. The humor is often ribald and the sex scenes a little steamy, trying for the tone of some of the classic books of the time (i.e. Tom Jones). However the heart and soul of the book is the love story of Jameson and Fanny.
My Horizontal Life
Book No: 10
Title: My Horizontal Life: A Collection of One Night Stands
Author: Chelsea Handler
Genre: Memoir
Completed: 2/14/09
No. of Pages: 213
Rating: 4/5*****
Warning: Chelsea Handler is not for everyone. She can be insensitive, profane and politically incorrect but she is also likeable and best of all funny, funny, funny. She’s a girl who just wants to have fun, so what if her idea of fun is vodka and a man??
These essays are humorous and there are a few that everyone can relate to. Some are over the top but all of them are funny, even the ones that make you cringe a little. It is a book that makes you laugh, or roll your eyes and wonder: What was she thinking? It’s also a book that you can share with your friends, because everybody knows somebody like the people in this book.
If you like your humor a little twisted and enjoy Chelsea, who is clearly a hot mess, then read this book.
Title: My Horizontal Life: A Collection of One Night Stands
Author: Chelsea Handler
Genre: Memoir
Completed: 2/14/09
No. of Pages: 213
Rating: 4/5*****
Warning: Chelsea Handler is not for everyone. She can be insensitive, profane and politically incorrect but she is also likeable and best of all funny, funny, funny. She’s a girl who just wants to have fun, so what if her idea of fun is vodka and a man??
These essays are humorous and there are a few that everyone can relate to. Some are over the top but all of them are funny, even the ones that make you cringe a little. It is a book that makes you laugh, or roll your eyes and wonder: What was she thinking? It’s also a book that you can share with your friends, because everybody knows somebody like the people in this book.
If you like your humor a little twisted and enjoy Chelsea, who is clearly a hot mess, then read this book.
Murder List
Book No: 9
Title: Murder List
Author: Julie Garwood
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Completed: 2/15/09
No. of Pages:
Rating: 2/5*****
This was a free book available to Kindle owners. I would think that if a publisher is going to give a book away, to create interest in an author that has a fairly large catalog, they would choose a very good to great one. This book did not fall into that category and hasn't ratcheted up my interest in reading more from this author. It isn't a terrible book; it's just formulaic and only mildly suspenseful.
Regan Hamilton Madison is beautiful, but doesn't appear to be aware of this fact (please), extremely wealthy, but drives a 10 year old car (again, please!). Her best friends have been her friends since kindergarten (possible, but unlikely). When her friends convince Regan to help them with some amateur investigation of a self-help guru she goes along with the plan, even though it is a harebrained scheme. While at a seminar with the 'guru' everyone is asked to make a list of people they wish were no longer a part of their lives. Regan makes her list; including a mean salesgirl and a few other people she had run-ins with that day. A few days later these people begin turning up dead- and Regan is put into protective custody - with a gorgeous and single cop (you were expecting something else?!). Together they work to solve the mystery, while of course being very attracted to one another (yawn).
The characters were one-dimensional and very unrealistic. The plot was pretty basic and I had figured out the 'surprise' about 1/4 of the way into the book. The dialogue was frequently unbelievable and there was no suspense throughout the book. It was predictable and I'm glad I didn't pay for the book or I'd be very annoyed. It helped pass the time while I was on vacation, but I don't think I'll be rushing out to by another book by Ms. Garwood anytime soon.
Title: Murder List
Author: Julie Garwood
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Completed: 2/15/09
No. of Pages:
Rating: 2/5*****
This was a free book available to Kindle owners. I would think that if a publisher is going to give a book away, to create interest in an author that has a fairly large catalog, they would choose a very good to great one. This book did not fall into that category and hasn't ratcheted up my interest in reading more from this author. It isn't a terrible book; it's just formulaic and only mildly suspenseful.
Regan Hamilton Madison is beautiful, but doesn't appear to be aware of this fact (please), extremely wealthy, but drives a 10 year old car (again, please!). Her best friends have been her friends since kindergarten (possible, but unlikely). When her friends convince Regan to help them with some amateur investigation of a self-help guru she goes along with the plan, even though it is a harebrained scheme. While at a seminar with the 'guru' everyone is asked to make a list of people they wish were no longer a part of their lives. Regan makes her list; including a mean salesgirl and a few other people she had run-ins with that day. A few days later these people begin turning up dead- and Regan is put into protective custody - with a gorgeous and single cop (you were expecting something else?!). Together they work to solve the mystery, while of course being very attracted to one another (yawn).
The characters were one-dimensional and very unrealistic. The plot was pretty basic and I had figured out the 'surprise' about 1/4 of the way into the book. The dialogue was frequently unbelievable and there was no suspense throughout the book. It was predictable and I'm glad I didn't pay for the book or I'd be very annoyed. It helped pass the time while I was on vacation, but I don't think I'll be rushing out to by another book by Ms. Garwood anytime soon.
The Idiot Girl and the Flaming Tantrum of Death
Book No: 4
Title: The Idiot Girl and the Flaming Tantrum of Death
Author: Laurie Notaro
Genre: Humor/Essays
Completed: 1/30/09
No. of Pages: 240
Rating: 4/5*****
It’s great when I get a book for free and like it, really, really like it. For those of you with a Kindle you can download this book for exactly $0.00 and it’s tagged chick-lit.
This is another funny entry in the Idiot Girl collection by Laurie Notaro. There are times when I was laughing so hard while in the doctor’s office that I know some people thought I was a little nuts.
In this collection Laurie (and her sainted husband) are on vacation when Laurie decides the family across the way are terrorists. Of course as usual she gets a little carried away. There are stories involving a criminal moving into her neighborhood, the travails of moving to a new home in another state, a tale of a backed up sewer line, and a surprisingly sad story involving the loss of a pet. Reading these stories is like hanging out with your slightly nuts girlfriend; you love her but wonder where the heck she gets these nutty ideas, but then she breaks out the margaritas and it’s all good.
Title: The Idiot Girl and the Flaming Tantrum of Death
Author: Laurie Notaro
Genre: Humor/Essays
Completed: 1/30/09
No. of Pages: 240
Rating: 4/5*****
It’s great when I get a book for free and like it, really, really like it. For those of you with a Kindle you can download this book for exactly $0.00 and it’s tagged chick-lit.
This is another funny entry in the Idiot Girl collection by Laurie Notaro. There are times when I was laughing so hard while in the doctor’s office that I know some people thought I was a little nuts.
In this collection Laurie (and her sainted husband) are on vacation when Laurie decides the family across the way are terrorists. Of course as usual she gets a little carried away. There are stories involving a criminal moving into her neighborhood, the travails of moving to a new home in another state, a tale of a backed up sewer line, and a surprisingly sad story involving the loss of a pet. Reading these stories is like hanging out with your slightly nuts girlfriend; you love her but wonder where the heck she gets these nutty ideas, but then she breaks out the margaritas and it’s all good.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
#93 - Animal, Vegetable, Miracle
Book No: 93
Title: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle
Author: Barbara Kingsolver
Genre: Non-fiction
Published: 2008
Obtained: 2008/Kindle
Completed: 12/31/08
No. of Pages: 400
Rating: 3/5*****
Barbara Kingsolver’s book details the year her family made the decision to move to their farm in Appalachia and live there full time, growing as much of their own food as possible and eating only locally grown or reared food items.
Filled with lots of information on the many ways big corporations have changed the way we consume foods this book was eye opening in many instances and filled with a lot of interesting information on the positives of eating local and or organic foods. I do try to eat organic produce, mostly because of the herbicide issue, but this book made me aware of many other valid reasons for making this choice.
So the question is why only a 3 star rating?
Well Ms. Kingsolver can sound awful preachy sometimes. There is almost smugness to her tone in describing her life choices. While I think growing your own food sounds pretty interesting, I doubt most of us have a farm waiting for us to move to, or that many of us can afford to just pull up roots, since we often have homes and jobs and don’t write books for a living. Also as much as buying locally sounds good, especially in a farming community, there are not always that many choices available. I know of one farmer’s market in my area and it is only open from late spring through fall. I also don’t can my own goods, bake my own breads, dig, plant, how , weed or reap my crops. I don’t have a greenhouse or root cellar, don’t raise chickens and turkeys. So while the overall concept may be interesting for many people it is often impractical. Also there is never much mention of just how back breaking farm work can be. I also find the waxing rhapsodic over the tobacco farmers of Virginia and the loss of their most profitable crops. It seemed a bit incongruous within the theme of most of the book. So although I did learn quite a bit and I do plan to try and eat more locally produced food I think I could have come to this decision without being made to feel that most of my lifestyle is somehow invalid.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
#84 - Still Waters
Book No: 84
Title: Still Waters
Author: Jennifer Lauck
Genre: Memoir
Published: 2001
Obtained: 2008/Kindle
Completed: 11/23/08
No. of Pages:448
Rating: 4/5*****
At the end of Blackbird, Jennifer Lauk’s first memoir, 12 yeaar old Jennifer’s wicked stepmother (literally) finally relinquishes custody of her and her brother Bryan and we are left to believe she is finally safe. Unfortunately it was not to be.
This book opens with the police report chronicling Bryan’s suicide. We know then that maybe there is no happy ever after. Jennifer is first cared for by her grandparents, slowly settling in. She soon learns it is temporary and that her brother is living with one aunt and uncle, and she is going to live with another. Peggy and Dick Duemore eventually adopt Jennifer, but she is valued more for her Social Security check and housekeeping skills than anything else. She stumbles through her life unloved and barely cared for. Upon finally going to college and freeing herself from her ‘family’ she begins to carve out a new life for herself, eventually finding the courage to face her past and her brother’s death.
Again a deeply sad story and although one can sense the anger in this memoir one is also rewarded with the knowledge that Jennifer Lauck has found some measure of peace and happiness in her life. She has a wonderful writing style and voice that makes you care deeply about her.
Friday, November 14, 2008
#81- The Other Queen
Book No: 81
Title: The Other Queen
Author: Philippa Gregory
Genre: Historical Fiction
Published: 2008
Obtained: 2008/Paperbackswap
Completed: 10/31/08
No. of Pages:
Rating: 3/5*****
This book was long, 448 pages long. This isn't usually a problem for me, I like historical fiction, but this book was an exception. For the most part it was talk, talk, talk and boring, boring, boring.
Focusing on Mary Queen of Scots and her cousin Queen Elizabeth I, this was the story of the many years Mary was kept in 'protective custody' in England, when she was granted sanctuary by Elizabeth after fleeing rebels in Scotland. She is housed with the Earl of Shrewsbury, George Talbot and his wife Bess of Hartwick, who hoped to gain favor from Elizabeth by taking care of the Other Queen while Elizabeth and her advisors, including William of Cecil, decide what to do about Mary. Because she is the Queen's cousin, and many believe the rightful heir to the throne of England, there is much intrigue and plotting surrounding her.
The story is told from the three viewpoints of Bess, George and Mary herself. Although there is much that happens during the three or four years that Mary was cared for by the Shrewsbury's it all seemed rather boring in the retelling. Mary is a self absorbed woman, always plotting and never caring of the consequences to anyone involved in her schemes. George is completely besotted with Mary and this brings great unhappiness to his new wife Bess. Bess herself is a woman who has achieved her status through marriage and hard work- she is practical and overwhelmed by the thought they she may lose her home- bankrupted by the care of the Scottish Queen with no reimbursement form Elizabeth forthcoming.
The book seems well researched, although the timing of many of events seems to be compressed into a shorter time frame, and the final ending of Mary's life, which happens 15 years after the story in this book, is tacked on like an afterthought. Interesting, but not a compelling read.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
#68 - Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim
Book No: 68
Title: Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim
Author: David Sedaris
Genre: Humor/Essays
Published: 2004
Obtained: 2008/Kindle
Completed: 8/12/08
No. of Pages: 272
Rating: 3.5/5*****
David Sedaris’ take on life is just a little left of center. He is droll and entertaining in this collection of stories that mostly focus on his family’s loony adventures and skewed sense of the world. I’m really glad he is not my brother because the man has no mercy in his depictions of his sisters, brother and parents. No one escape’s unscathed, not his boyfriend Hugh or their eighty year old neighbor or David himself. Some of the stories are laugh out loud funny, others are more than a little gross, but like a bad accident you can’t help but look (or read). I have to say that my first book by Sedaris was When You are Engulfed in Flames, and it was an audio. As much as I enjoyed reading this book, I realize that something is lost when reading this as opposed to listening, and it is Sedaris’ inflections and pauses and dry tone that make him such a great storyteller. So I liked it a lot- but would have loved to listen to it.
Monday, July 21, 2008
#59 - The Yummy Mummy
Book No: 59
Title: The Yummy Mummy
Author: Polly Williams
Genre: Chick Lit/Contemporary Fiction
Published: 2007
Obtained: 2008/Kindle
Completed: 7/18/07
No. of Pages: 384
Rating: 4/5*****
The title definitely screams chick lit, but this book was much more deeply layered than I expected, and quite enjoyable.
Amy Crane is a new mother, living with her six-month old daughter Evie and Evie’s dad Joe, Amy’s boyfriend. Amy is struggling with a bit of the baby blues and questions about her relationship with Joe, and whether or not they would be together if it weren’t for their daughter. She’s also caught between two sets of friends, her birthing class group, which consists of earth-mother types, and her newer friends, a group of Yummy Mummy’s. You know the type; lost their baby weight in ten days, have live in help so they can lunch, get their hair done, shop etc. When Alice, Amy’s newest friend takes on project Amy, she succeeds in turning Amy into one of the YM’s; as well as a MILF (Acronym for Mom’s I’d Like to ****). While Amy slowly begins to find her balance Joe is pulling farther away from her. Then there is the complication of the very hot Pilates instructor who has Amy in his sights.
Lots here to laugh at, but anyone who has gone through new motherhood will identify with many of Amy’s feelings, doubts, and qualms about her new life. There is quite a bit of poignancy here too, and Amy is someone you really care about. Another good summer beach read.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
#58 - Grimm's Fairy Tales
Book No: 58
Title: Grimm’s Fairy Tales
Author: The Brothers Grimm
Genre: Fairy Tales
Published: unknown
Obtained: 2008/Kindle
Completed: 7/14/08
No. of Pages: 560
Rating: 3/5*****
I read this as part of the Fairy Tale Tag challenge at Play Book Tag. What I didn’t know is that the Brothers Grimm didn’t actually write all these fairy tales- 64 of them- but actually collected them as a way of saving the oral traditional tales told throughout centuries. That would explain why many of the stories seem a little repetitious; they are often the same basic story told in different ways. While I enjoyed reading some of my childhood favorites, I was astonished at how violent some of these stories are. Disney may get bashed for sanitizing stories, but to be honest I would feel a little queasy reading some of these unvarnished stories to young children. It took me 2 weeks to get through all the stories, and many of them were a bit silly I did overall enjoy the experience of revisiting some old favorites.
#55 - The Idiot Girls Action Adventure Club
Book No: 55
Title: The Idiot Girls Action Adventure Club
Author: Laurie Notaro
Genre: Memoir
Published: 2002
Obtained: 2007/Kindle
Completed: 7/11/2008
No. of Pages: 240
Rating: 4/5*****
I seem to be on a roll, reading laugh out loud funny books by incorrigible women, first Jen Lancaster and now Laurie Notaro. This is Notaro’s first book and I literally laughed until I cried. The book is a collection of essays she wrote for the Arizona Republican; chronicling a few years in her life, through college and trying to become, more or less, a responsible adult. No one escapes unscathed; she targets not only herself, but friends, family and strangers. Her description of her teeth getting stuck in a caramel apple, while driving, is priceless. Another funny bit of great beach reading. I love summer!
Saturday, July 5, 2008
#51- Bright Lights, Big Ass
Book No: 51
Title: Bright Lights, Big Ass
Author: Jen Lancaster
Genre: Memoir
Published: 2007
Obtained: 2008/Kindle
Completed: 6/30/08
No. of Pages: 400
Rating: 3.5/5*****
She’s bbaacckkk! Jen Lancaster, of Bitter is the New Black fame, continues her totally irreverent view of the world in Bright Lights, Big Ass. Picking up pretty much where Bitter ended, Jen continues skewering anyone she finds pretentious, and gives you more of her wry and frequently convoluted take on the world. She and Fletch are slowly getting back on their feet after their financial meltdown and are still living in the city, which Jen make sure you know is nothing like Sex in the City. After receiving her advance to write what would become BITNB, Jen is still working temp jobs so she can write, still spying on her neighbors and still shopping-although her holy trio of stores is no longer Bloomies, Nordstrom or Neiman Marcus; it’s now Target, Trader Joe’s and Ikea. Her writing can sometimes seem way over the top, but her acute observations make you laugh in spite of yourself. Some of the best ‘beach reading’ I’ve done in a while. (Well since last week when I finished Bitter is the New Black). Also her wonderfully delicious and long subtitles really helped rack up the points for the Alphabet Soup Challenge!
Friday, June 27, 2008
#49 - Bitter is the New Black
Book No: 49
Title: Bitter is the New Black
Author: Jen Lancaster
Genre: Memoir
Published: 2006
Obtained: 2008/Kindle
Completed: 6/23/08
No. of Pages: 415
Rating: 4.5/5*****
Jen Lancaster’s memoir is funny, very, very funny. It may not be for everyone, but I laughed ‘til I cried while reading her story.
During the go, go dot.com craze at the turn of the millennia Jen Lancaster is living high off the hog. She makes a ridiculous amount of money, as does her live-in boyfriend Fletch. They have a spectacular apartment in the hippest part of Chicago and they spend money like crazy. Then comes the dot.com crash and before you know it Jen is out of a job and soon after so is Fletch. In the next two years, until re-employment comes her way, Jen mines her major lifestyle changes for some deliciously brutal comedy writing.
Jen doesn’t censor her thoughts and everything she thinks just comes out. Nobody escapes her wicked and wry commentary, not even herself. As she figures out how to go from the high life to please don’t turn my electricity off, she examines her irresponsible life-style and has an epiphany but it hasn’t changed her sardonic outlook one bit, she’s as caustic as before but now she is a bit more understanding of some of the plight of average wage earners. A bit!
I enjoyed this book so much I immediately got Bright Lights; Big Ass and will be back with that review fairly soon.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
#39 - Are You There Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea
Book No: 39
Title: Are You There Vodka? It’s Me, Chelsea
Author: Chelsea Handler
Genre: Humor
Published: 2008
Obtained: 2008
Completed: 5/21/08
No. of Pages:
Rating: 4/5*****
I laughed a lot while reading this book. Chelsea Handler’s series of essays is laugh out loud funny even if everything she does is so not right. She is completely not PC and is constantly getting herself into trouble, mostly because she lies a lot and drinks way too much. The book starts with Chelsea convincing everyone in her third grade class that she is going to have the role of Goldie Hawn’s daughter in the sequel to Private Benjamin, a movie that doesn’t even exist and ends with Chelsea pretending to be her dad’s trophy wife on their honeymoon to get an upgrade to first class. Along the way there is regifting, relationships with very young men, and Chelsea’s strange obsession with a midget who looks just like her. If you take offense easily this book is not for you, but if outrageous humor is your idea of fun then read this book.
#36 - The Secret History of the Pink Carnation
Book No: 36
Title: The Secret History of the Pink Carnation
Author: Lauren Willig
Genre: Historical Fiction
Published: 2005
Obtained: 2005/Kindle
Completed: 5/12/08
No. of Pages: 464
Rating: 0/5*****
Quite possibly one of the worst books I have ever read. I think the author may have been going for a satire of the Scarlet Pimpernel story, but this book is dreadful. Clichéd characters, people who speak and act like 21st century characters in a 19th century setting. Laughable dialogue, a contrived storyline, from start to finish there is nothing to recommend the book. I thought I was getting a good historical fiction, what I got was a bad romance book and most unbelievable of all to me is that this appears to be the first of a series. With all the wonderful writers out there, the fact that this book was even published is astounding.
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