Shannan's Review of "The Help"

This book was written by Kathryn Stockett, and was also recommended to me by Kaitlyn's school teacher. This is set in Mississippi in the 1960s, and is told from the perspective of three women, two who are black, and one white. I really enjoy stories from this era, so I really liked this book. It gives you a perspective of the relationships between blacks and whites, but also the way those relationships begin to change during this decade. I would recommend it and give it 4 stars.

Recommendations

I am trying to come up with a book to do for book club for my month next year. Does anyone have any suggestions? Have you heard of "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn"? I am thinking of that one, unless my friend choses it. What have you liked reading in your book clubs? What do you think about "My Name is Asher Lev" or "The Chosen" for book club?

Also, I heard of this new blog written by a girl who rates the books she reads for sexaul content, violence, and profanity. I checked it out and thought it was pretty cool. It is goodcleanreads.blogspot.com, just in case you might be interested!

Shannan's Review of "Elsewhere" by Gabrielle Zevin

This book was actually recommended to Kaitlyn by her 3rd grade teacher. But I figured I should read it first since I didn't know anything about it. And it really isn't quite appropriate for a 9 year old. There are a few swear words, not a ton, but still, I don't really want Kaitlyn reading those quite yet. And a couple of sex references. We haven't talked about that yet with her, so I didn't want it introduced to her by a book.

That being said, I didn't mind this book. The story is about a girl who has died and her journey after her death in Elsewhere, the place where you live after you die. It was an interesting idea about what happens after death, even though I didn't agree with some of the author's ideas. One I did like is that death is not the end of our life, just a part of it.

While this book was okay, I wasn't super into it and never really felt connected with the characters. I would suggest it if you just want a quick light read, but I wouldn't suggest running out and getting it right away. 2.5 stars

Adrienne's review of "The Scarlet Pimpernel"

After Jeff and I saw the play I really wanted to read the original book. It was a pretty easy read and one that I quickly got into. (Sometimes a concern for me with the "classics".) The book starts off at about halfway through the movie, with Marguerite and Percy already married and estranged from each other and you find out why as you read the book. It has a different story line and ending than the movie and the play. It is just the first in a series of books that Baroness Orczy wrote about The Scarlet Pimpernel and think that they might have mixed parts of different books together for the play and movie. I would give it 3.5 stars.

The Blue Sword

Yay, I finished the book this time! For some reason, it took me a while to get through the first part of this book again, even though I enjoyed the story. The ending went much quicker and I really liked it. I agree with Adrienne, that I love the main character of this story, Harry. I also loved reading this book just because I knew it was one of Adrienne's favorites. I would give it 4 stars. But take in mind that it is written by Robin McKinley, and her writing takes a little getting used to. (I am excited to read The Hero and the Crown now!)

Well you guys are much better at keeping up on this blog than I am. I have been reading but not taking the time to write anything down. Our book club read The Peacegiver last month which is an excellent read. It is a fictional book but gives you unique perspectives about the Atonement and applying it in your life. It is a quick read but very worthwhile so that is a bonus. I would give this 4+ stars.

I have also just read the Christmas Jars. It was a quick read as well (only about 100 pages) and a good book for the holidays. Nothing to astounding or anything but I did want to finish it. I would give it 3 stars.

Adrienne's review of "Love Comes Softly"

This is actually an eight book series written by Janette Oke that I stumbled upon at my library in the DVD section. Michael Landon, Jr. has directed a movie series based on the books and I started checking them out for something to watch while I worked on sewing and ended up checking out the books.

The first book is about 19 year old Marty Claridge, who just after arriving in the west with her husband Clem is left alone when he is killed in an accident. Marty has no money to get back home and doesn't know anyone. After her husband's funeral she is approached by Clark Davis. He's a young widower with a small daughter. He proposes a marriage of convenience. She would be a mother to his little Missy and he would give her a place to live. If she wanted to still go back home in the Spring he would pay her way if she would take Missy with her. Seeing no other way to survive she accepts his offer.

These books have a very similar feel to Little House on The Prairie (the show, I haven't read the books). It's set on the frontier and while it's about Marty and Clark, the story is also about those in their community.

I've only read the first two books in the series, Love Comes Softly and Loves Enduring Promise, but I really enjoyed both of them. I actually enjoyed the second book a little bit more than the first.

(Just an FYI, Janette Oke is a Christian author so there is a strong Christian influence to the books, which I really enjoyed.)

Adrienne's review of "Freckles"

This was a book recommended to me by Mom's friend Lee when we were driving to the put-in for Cat. It is written by Gene Stratton-Porter in 1904. Apparently Stratton-Porter was a pretty big author around the turn of the century and has written quite a list of books. She grew up in Indiana next to some woods called the Limberlost (which have long since disappeared) and became a lover of nature and was a pretty influential environmentalist for her day. Many of her books are about nature and most of the fiction books have a very strong nature theme in them as well.

Freckles is about a one-armed orphan who becomes the limber guard for the Limberlost. He is a wonderful character, full of courage and integrity. Because of the kind of person he is, those around him are drawn to him and grow to love him. While guarding the Limberlost he falls in love with a beautiful girl he calls the Swamp Angel.

This book took me a long time to get into, mostly due to the language and writing style that I'm sure was common for the time it was written. The ending didn't seem to really fit with the rest of the book. I found out later it was not the original ending, but her publisher made her change it to appeal more to the audience.

I give it 3 stars. I loved the story, but the style and language are a little difficult for me to get into. Enough so that I can't decide whether or not to start one of the other 2 books of her's that I have sitting on my desk waiting for me to read.

Adrienne's review of "Confessions of a Shopoholic"

We read this book for my book club last month, and I thought it was a fun and quick read. There is some language and sex, but I don't remember it being very bad. (The other ladies at book club seemed to remember more than I did.) The thing that I had the hardest time with in this book was the out of control shopping. It was making me a little stressed out at first.

Still, I thought it was a cute story and although Becky Bloomwood (the main character) is selfish and lies all the time, she's kind of endearing in a way and the situations that her lying puts her in are very humorous. The story line is completely different from the movie, so don't let that stop you from reading the book.

I give it 3 stars. - written by Sophie Kinsella

Shannan's Review of "The Red Tent"

This was our book club book for this month. I originally wasn't going to read it because of some reviews from other people, but then some other people told me that it was okay, as long as you get through the beginning. Let's just say, it wasn't my favorite.

This book is a fictional account of Dinah, the only daughter of Jacob in the Old Testament. It is written from her perspective and the author uses the Bible lightly as an outline for the story. That is one of the things that bothered me about the book. The way she portrays some of the people, especially the prophets like Jacob and Joseph were not accurate at all, at least the way that I have always thought of them. Because Dinah is telling the story, you never seem to get a very good idea of what kind of person she is. You never read a description of her or get a sense of her personality. Because of this, I never really felt a connection with her.

The Red Tent is a place where all the women in the camp spend their periods together, away from the men. The book focuses a lot on cycles and women giving birth. It reminded me a little of Snow Flower and the Secret Fan with the separation of women and men and the bonds the women form together.

I would only give this book 2 stars. My interest died out at the end. The author is a proclaimed feminist and seemed like a manhater to me. I didn't care for her depictions of a lot of the characters. Although I do have to say that after I went back and read some of the chapters in the Bible, I was amazed that some of the things she had written were actually true and really did happen. So, there you go! :)

Shannan's Review of "Hallelujah"

This book was recommended to me by a friend. It is written by J. Scott Featherstone, and is about Handel and his writing of the "Messiah". While it is based on actual history, there are many characters that are fictional. The author does a good job of explaining what is based on facts and what is not.

It is a long book, over 550 pages, and not an easy read. There is a lot of descriptions, and the plot just does not move quickly. My friend told me it took her half of the book before she got into it, but I never felt like I ever became attached to any of the characters or had a desire to know about anyone other than Handel. I did like it for that reason, and it did make me want to listen to "Messiah" with a new outlook on that amazing work. That was the only reason I kept reading this book. I would give it 2 1/2 stars and wouldn't really recommend it unless you wanted to get some insight into Handel.

Adrienne's review of "I am a Mother" by Jane Clayson Johnson

I've had this book on my to read list for a while and was thinking it was time I checked it off that list. I've also been trying really hard to be a more patient mother and to enjoy motherhood more. I really enjoyed this book. It was a quick, easy read. I didn't necessarily feel like I gained any great insights, but it touched my heart and helped inspire me to be a better mother and also helped me put into better prospective how important being a mother is. I would definitely recommend it and would give it 4 stars.

Adrienne's review of "Eat, Pray, Love"

This book is written by Elizabeth Gilbert and is her memoir of the year she spent living in Italy, India, and Indonesia. She goes on this journey as a kind of search for healing after a messy divorce followed by a period of deep depression. She spent four months in each country and splits the books up into the three parts, one for each of the countries she visited. She goes to Italy first to study the art of pleasure through food and the Italian language. Then she goes to India to spend four months in her Guru's Ashram to study the art of devotion. Lastly, she goes to Indonesia to find out how to balance pleasure and devotion in her life with the help of a local medicine man.

While I enjoyed reading this book I did not feel that it was life changing in any way, which I think is supposed to be the point of the book. I had a hard time with how hard it seemed for Gilbert to let go of things and be happy with her life and herself. I personally don't feel like life should be this much work. I also didn't agree with a lot of her opinions on religion and God, but that is not really that surprising. I would recommend it if you are just going into it for a fun read, but don't expect it to have much substance to it. I would give this book 3 stars.

Shannan's Review of "Catching Fire"

Okay, if you haven't read "The Hunger Games" yet, you must!!! (Here is the link to my first review, if you can't remember what it is about.) It is an amazing book. (Erin, if you can't find it in the next little while, you can borrow my copy when you are out here!) "Catching Fire" is the next book in the series. It was just released last week, so I don't know how hard it would be to get from the library. But I do know that I found "The Hunger Games" at Sam's Club a couple of weeks ago in hardback for $11.40. I haven't seen if the new book is for sale there yet or not.

This book has the same energy and pace as the first book, but is about what happens after the games. I don't want to give anything away, but I will tell you that I was could not put this book down and read it in a 24 hour period. It is intense and the story moves along quickly. I would highly recommend both of these books. So good!!!

Shannan's Thoughts on "The Glass Castle"

This is the book we are reading for book club this month, and I just finished it yesterday. I know everyone else has read it, but I just wanted to share my thoughts. While it was a quick read and very engaging, the more I have thought about it since I finished it, the more it makes me so mad! I cannot believe how selfish her parents were! I cannot imagine that they even loved their children to make them live like that. Personally, I think they both had mental problems, because their reasoning and thought processes were so far from reality. I still don't get how her and her siblings ended up successful and somewhat normal. It is even amazing that they actually made it to adulthood and didn't end up dying from who knows how many things that they were exposed to as children. Anyway, it was an interesting book, but makes me mad that there are people like that treating their children that way, with no thought or concern about them, and are only focused on themselves and what needs they have.

Shannan's Review of "Rachel and Leah"

This book was written by Orson Scott Card and is the third in the Women of Genesis series after "Sarah" and "Rebekah". It reminds me of other biblical fiction series, like "The Hero and the Crown". Card has taken the story or Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, and now Jacob and Rachel and Leah and created the rest of the story from what we know in the Bible.

Usually when reading books like this, I am constantly asking myself, could this have really happened, and what parts are actually real. But I do enjoy reading them and find myself able to picture these as real people in real life. He stays true to the facts in the Bible, but since there aren't too many, most of it I think is what the author thinks might have happened. Leah is quite whiny, and just when you have had enough, she ends up changing.

The only thing that bothered me about this book is that it didn't finish the story, which Card himself says that he knew he wouldn't be able to fit everything into one book. So there is another book planned, but no plans for when it will actually be published, if ever. So that is a little frustrating, since it ends after Jacob marries Rachel, and I was looking forward to seeing how the handmaidens fit into everything.

All in all, it was a quick and light read. I would recommend it, especially if you have already read the first two books in the series, and give it 3 1/2 stars. (Sorry my review is so choppy! I have been interrupted about 700 times.)

Adrienne's review of "The Only Alien on the Planet"

This is a young adult book written by Kristin D. Randle. It's about a girl, Ginny, whose parents decide to move their family across the country right before her senior year of high school. Ginny is less than thrilled about this move, especially since she is already having a hard time with her older brother being gone away to college. In her new town she ends up becoming friends with a boy called Smitty, who doesn't speak. No one is really sure what is wrong with Smitty, since he was a normal little boy until he almost drowned when he was two. He doesn't talk or look at anyone, but is brilliant in school. The other kids at school refer to him as The Alien. Ginny decided to become friends with Smitty, along with her good friend Caulder, but having friends might be more than Smitty can handle.

This book was an easy read and was pretty enjoyable. I loved the people in Ginny's life. She has great friends and a close, loving family which I really enjoyed given the way teen life is portrayed in the media these days. I would give it 3.5 stars.

Adrienne's review of "Magic Hour"

We read the book "Magic Hour" by Kristin Hannah a couple of months ago for my book club and I loved it. It's the story of Dr. Julia Cates who has been forced out of her practice working with troubled children in California after one of her patients goes on a killing spree and then kills herself. Shortly after this happens, an abandoned, mute girl is found in her small hometown in Washington State by her sister, who is the town sheriff. Julia goes back to her hometown to work with this young girl and to try and help her sister figure out who she is and where she came from.

One of the things I loved about this book was the subject matter. The young girl has been living in the woods for several years and is what is referred to as a feral child. It isn't a subject that you really come across very often and it was very interesting to learn about these children and how living in the wild without other humans affects them. I give it 4.5 stars.

Adrienne's review of "Me and Mr. Darcy"

I had heard about this book from several people and it sounded like a cute, easy read. The story is about a girl who has decided she's through dating because all the guys she goes out with are jerks. She wishes she could find someone like Mr. Darcy from "Pride and Prejudice". She ends up going on a Jane Austin tour for a vacation with a group of older ladies and one guy who is going on the tour to write a story. While she is on her vacation she ends up meeting the real Mr. Darcy through some weird twist of fate, and he falls in love with her but she finds out in the end that Mr. Darcy isn't really as perfect as most women think. The story follows the same basic storyline as "Pride and Prejudice".

I have to say that I found this book very predictable given that it had the same plot line as "Pride and Prejudice". I also felt that having Mr. Darcy fall in love with the main character was very unbelievable. She is a modern day girl, who dresses in clothes that were considered very immodest in the time of Mr. Darcy and she swears several times when they're together. It made me wonder if the author had even read "Pride and Prejudice" because Mr. Darcy would never have even been attracted to someone like that, especially since he felt like proper Elizabeth Bennett was not high bred enough for him . The rest of the story, although predictable, was a cute little love story and I enjoyed it okay. On the whole, I wouldn't recommend this book and would give it only 2 stars.

Meghan's Review of Jurassic Park

Jay and I read this book together, which was fun. This book is a lot more action packed and exciting than the movie, and the book had so many intense parts that I think would've made the movie better. The story line is pretty much the same as the movie, but more developed. It was very exciting and interesting, and it was a quick read. I liked it a lot more than I thought I would.

Meghan's Review of My Sister's Keeper

This book is about a family that has three children, the middle child having a rare form of cancer. The couple decides to have a third child and pretty much have her genetically made to be a perfect donor match for her sister so she will always have blood, bone marrow, organs, etc. that can be used to save the ill daughter. The youngest daughter is 13 when her parents want her to donate a kidney to save her sister and she decides to sue her parents for medical emancipation so she can decide whether or not she wants to donate her blood or organs to her sister, not her parents. But the real reason she sues her parents comes out at the end of the book, and I won't share it so that I don't spoil the story line.

The family's whole life really revolves around the ill daughter and when she gets sick, the parents always focus on her and kind of ignore the other two children. It's really sad to think that if that family were real, that those two kids would feel so unloved and unimportant. But the relationship between the two daughters is really touching and sweet. The movie actually ends differently from the book (at least that's what I've heard) and I wish the author would've ended the book the same way they decided to end the movie.

It was an easy read, pretty interesting, but there is language and a few intimate scenes. I wouldn't mind seeing the movie just to compare the two.

Meghan's Review of The Glass Castle

My friend recommended this book to me so I picked it up from the library without really knowing what it was about. This book is a memoir of the author, Jeannette Walls' childhood. She grew up with two parents who were extremely smart and could do anything if they actually tried, but they moved from town to town, living in run down houses or in their car, or in the California desert. Her dad never wanted to keep a job because he was an "entrepreneur" and said he needed time to research and invent and keeping a real job stopped him from that. Whenever he looked for work, he found it, but he always got himself fired and then spent most of the money he made on alcohol and cigarettes anyway. Walls has three siblings and they always lived in squalor- not because that was the only option they had but because her parents always made decisions that led them to that. They owned a house and also owned some property in Texas, but her parents would never even consider selling it even though they never had food or clothes, or place to live. They lived in the house after their grandma died for a while, but the parents didn't like living in the city, so they just up and left it one day and moved to a town where they didn't have anything and ended up in a broken down house that didn't have any plumbing or even a bathroom. I was just amazed that two parents who had every opportunity to provide for their children didn't do it. They were so caught up in living their dreams (her mom wanted to be an artist, her dad an inventor) that they never provided for their children. And they never took charity from anyone. The parents wouldn't go on welfare because "they didn't need it", but they also wouldn't provide their kids clothes or even food because they were too busy squandering the little money they did make on art supplies or alcohol. Walls doesn't tell her story as a way to say how horrible her life was, but just as a way to remember her experiences. It was a touching story and has humorous moments and sentimental moments. But it also infuriated me that two parents could act the way hers did. The wonderful thing about the book is that three of the four children actually find a way to make it out of the slum that their parents put them in and have wonderful lives. And even though the kids always asked their parents what they could do to help (by the end the parents were completely homeless), all the mom would say was how sad she was that her daughter had lost sight of her values because she lived on Park Avenue. I just wonder what is going through a mind of someone like that, and how many people are on the streets that have similar thinking. I guess at the end of the book, I'm just baffled how anyone could want to live like that. I wish I understood a little more of why the parents acted the way they did. There is some language and some perverse moments Walls was subjected to, but I was very intrigued by the book.

P.S. sorry if this review is too long or gives too much away. I never quite know how much to say in a review, but if you want to read it at least you know what you're getting, right? :)

Erin read Deerskin

Just thought I would let you all know. Adrienne and Shannan already reviewed this book so I won't go into the content. I will say that it was a good book. I enjoyed the story line and the author's writing style although the extent of the king's infatuation with his daughter caught me off guard and kind of freaked me out. It was pretty predictable, but I didn't mind that. The last scene with her father was a little over the top but I am not use to reading fantasy so maybe that is typical. I tried to read The Blue Sword but I usually get a few books from the library at a time and I wasn't able to give it enough time to get into it. Maybe next time.

Shannan's Review of "The Star Garden"

This is the 3rd book after "These is My Words". It reminded me a lot of the second book, "Sarah's Quilt". It takes place in one year, after the 2nd book, and is written in more of a narrative format, as opposed to the diary format in the first book. It doesn't have as many trials as in the 2nd, and is equally interesting to continue the story of Sarah and her family. I think that "These is My Words" can easily stand on its own and is by far the best out of the 3. But if you are interested in the continuing story of Sarah, it is worth the read.

Shannan's Review of "Sarah's Quilt"

This is written by Nancy E. Turner and is the 2nd book after "These is My Words" (which we just did for book club and I loved it even more reading it the second time). There are 3 books in this series, and I just picked up the 3rd book, "The Star Garden" from the library today.

Anyway, I really enjoyed "Sarah's Quilt", but it wasn't as good as the first book. The format is the same, although the entire book only covers 1 year, so there is a lot more detail about what is going on and I didn't feel like I had to be conscious of the date of each entry. It also is more like reading a novel, not so much a diary because of all the details.

It did take me a while to get into it, but once I did, I didn't want to put it down. It takes place five years after "These is My Words" ends, and mostly deals with Sarah and her children and Savannah and Albert's children. And also with Sarah coping with Jack's death. There is a lot of tragedy that seems to happen during this year, and there didn't seem to be as many funny parts as the first book, but I still enjoyed it and I am looking forward to reading the next book.

If you are interested in the continuing story of Sarah, I would recommend this book.

Shannan's Thoughts on "The Last Lecture"

Here is my cut and pasted review from Goodreads.

I had been excited to read this book from all I had heard about it. I started and was touched about the author's cancer diagnosis, and as I kept reading, I was expecting to be more emotionally touched, or inspired, or something. I just didn't feel much of anything. I did feel sad for him and his family, and also impressed with the attitude he had towards it all. And I had figured that this book was for his children. Maybe that's why I didn't connect with it, because I didn't know him or his family. I went into it thinking I would be inspired, but it really didn't do anything for me.

Needless to say, I thought this book was just okay. I saw that you are reading it again, Erin. Do you like it? Did I miss something?

Meghan's Review of "Outliers"

This is a non-fiction book that delves into the hidden reasons people become successful in life. Malcolm Gladwell focuses on how not only does someone need to be talented or smart, but they also must have ample opportunity and luck to become successful. He uses a lot of real life examples, such as The Beatles, Bill Gates, Canadian hockey players, successful lawyers, and he talks about how each person got to be so successful at what they do because of when they were born, who their parents were, where they went to school, etc. He states that to be truly successful at something, you need to put in 10,000 hours (roughly 10 years) of practice. And to be able to get in those 10,000 hours, you have to have opportunity that allows you to do that. When the Beatles first got together, they played at a club for 8 hours a night for many, many nights. That's a lot of practice time. Because of that opportunity to play at the club, when they finally made it big, they had already put in their 10,000 hours. Same with Bill Gates. He went to school at a time right when computers were becoming popular, and the school he went to had the resources to buy a personal computer and he was able to use it as much as he wanted because of the school he went to. So when he was older and the computer industry became big, he already had his 10,000 hours of practice and already knew what he was doing with computers. I thought this book was fascinating, and I usually don't really like non-fiction books. But I love the concept that not only do you have to have talent but you have to know how to use it, use it frequently and then have ample opportunity to make you successful at what you have. It's a fast read and was very thought provoking. I'm planning on reading his other books "Blink" and "Tipping Point".

The Kommandant's Girl by Pam Jenoff

This story is about a young woman, Emma, who married just three weeks before the Nazi invasion of Poland during WWII. Her husband, Jacob is involved with the resistance to the Nazi's and ends up disappearing in the middle of the night. She goes back to her parent's and ends up in the Jewish ghetto but then is smuggled out in the middle of the night by the resistance. She is taken to live with Jacob's catholic aunt and takes on a new identity as a gentile. Her situation becomes even more dangerous when she catches the eyes of Kommandant Richwalder, who is a high ranking Nazi official. He offer's her a job working for him and Emma is urged by the resistance to accept the job so that she can use her position to find information to help the resistance. Emma ends up having to compromise her safety and her marriage vows in order to help those that oppose the Nazi's.
While I enjoyed this book the story line didn't always feel believable to me. I think I wanted it to have a deeper message to it than it did. Because of this I would only give it 3 out of 5 stars.

Shannan's Review of "To Kill a Mockingbird"

I have wanted to read this book again for a long time. I know I read it in high school, but I couldn't remember much about it. I really enjoyed reading this again. The story is told from a little girl's perspective about her life and surroundings in Alabama in the late 1930s. The book synopsis says it is about a rape trial of a black man who is accused of assaulting a white woman. But that was only a part of the book. The whole story does deal with prejudicial issues, but not just those between black and white. I loved the character of the girl's father, Atticus Finch, who reminds his children to try and put themselves in others' shoes before making judgements on their behavior.

The only hard thing about this book was the racial language. It was written in 1960 or so, so the way people talk about black people is a lot different than today. But I would recommend reading this book. I could see why this book is so popular and considered one of the best books of the 20th century.

"The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society"

I know, another review from me. But for some reason, I have had some good books to read lately that are fairly quick. And I have found a friend, Melissa, who loves to read and she has been suggesting books to me and then we have been discussing them. It has been really fun! And, I got "laid off" last week from my job, so I feel like I have some extra time.

This book was a recommendation from Melissa. It is written by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. It is a book set right after World War II. A writer, Juliet, in London is contacted by a man who lives on one of the Channel Islands, Guernsey. He finds a book with her name and address in it and writes to her to ask about the author of the book. The story follows their letters and the stories of life on Guernsey during the German occupation. It was a really interesting story. The book is written all as letters, so that was a little hard to get used to. And you are just kind of thrown in at first and have to figure out who all the people are and what their relationships are with one another. It was also hard to keep track of all the characters. But now that I can remember them all, I would love to go back and re-read it. It wasn't a really fast read, but very enjoyable. I would give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Shannan's Review of "1984"

Okay, I am just cutting and pasting this from Goodreads, so I hope that is okay!

I have a hard time deciding whether to give this book 2 or 3 stars. I had a hard time getting into the story. I am not much for politics, so the over explanation of how the government worked at the beginning was a little boring. I didn't really care for Winston until he started actually doing something of his own will. Then he kept my attention until he started reading "the book". I had already got the idea of how things were, and that was just too much of the same repetition. Granted, I ended up skimming the pages until the part was over, so there could have been something I missed. But Winston says it wasn't anything he didn't know before. And even Julia fell asleep when Winston was reading it to her, so you can't blame me! The end was facinating, eerie, and depressing, and I liked it very much. But it wasn't enough to win me over with the entire book.

I would read this if you want to just for culture's sake. That's kind of why I read it, just because it is such a famous book and I had always wanted to. But I didn't really enjoy it that much. It is really political and I also had a few other books I was really wanting to read, so I just hurried to finish it.

So, I had my first book club meeting tonight and it was really fun! And you will never guess what book we are reading for next month - "These is My Words"! So I am already to go. Also, my friend found out there are 2 more books about Sarah. I think I might check them out soon! Do you guys have any good book club book suggestions?

1984

Meghan, I am finished, so let me know when you are so we can "discuss". Good luck!

Shannan's Review of "The Hunger Games"

This was recommended to me from one of my friends here in the desert. She has wanted to discuss it with someone and everyone she asks hasn't read it. So I read it so we could talk about it. Now I see why she needs someone to talk about it with! It was really good. (The author is Suzanne Collins, in case you wanted to know!)

The story reminded me a little of "Uglies" at first, just because it is set in the future. There has been a war and now all that remains of North America is the capital, Panem, and 12 districts that surround it. Basically, the capital has the best of everything and controls the districts. The people in the districts are poor and at the mercy of the capital. Every year, the capital holds The Hunger Games where 2 kids between 12 and 18 are chosen from each district to fight each other to the death until there is only one person remaining. The games are basically to let the districts know that the capital is still in charge and could wipe out everyone at any time.

It sounds a little gruesome, but it really isn't. It is a very intriguing story, and I really enjoyed it. I would definitely recommend reading this. I give it 4 out of 5 stars!

(Meghan, I am going to read 1984, too. I saw that you were reading it, and we have it, and I have always wanted to read it, so we'll read it together, if that's okay?)

Erin's Review of The Time Traveler's Wife

I have mixed feelings about this book. It was written by Audrey Niffenegger and it is pretty hefty at close to 600 pages. It is one of those books that once I started reading it and got into it I was too intrigued to put it down. The language (more specifically the f-word) was a little much for me and if I wasn't already into it by the time I figured out that the language was a little much for me I might not have read it although I did really enjoy it so I can't say I am sorry I read it. It also seems like some of the descriptions of the love scenes are a little over the top (see I have already tried blocking it out because I don't specifically remember even though I just finished it not too long ago).

Anyways, about the story - It is about a guy named Henry who has "Chrono Displacement Disorder" which means he has a hard time staying in the present, especially when he is under stress. With no warning at all he will find himself in the past or future. Nothing can travel through time with him so he finds himself naked in random situations and has learned how to steal money and clothing and pick locks, etc to help him get by until he travels back to the present. As a result of Henry's time travels, he meets Clare when she is 6 but at the present time he is already in his 40s and is already married to her. Clare essentially knows from the time she is a teenager that they will get married but Henry doesn't know until he meets her because all of their encounters while she is young is when he is older and already knows her. Confusing? I guess you will just have to read it. The story switches back and forth between being told by Henry and Clare. It is definitely an interesting concept and like I already said I was pretty captivated by the storyline from the beginning. I guess if you can look past the language and love scenes then I would recommend it because it is a good book, but don't say I didn't warn you.

"These is My Words"

I just finished this book and I loved it. Erin already did a review, but I wanted to say how glad I am that we have our reading blog. If we didn't, I wouldn't have known about this book, and that's what this is all for, right? I really enjoyed every minute of this book. It made me laugh and cry. Thanks for the recommendation, Erin! I know Adrienne has read this before, but if you haven't, Meghan, than you should, when you remember what reading is. :)

Shannan's Review of "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan"

This book I read fairy quickly. I am pretty interested in Chinese culture, so I think that is why it kept my attention. And it kept up at a good pace.

There is a girl, Lily, who comes from a poor family. Because of her feet, the matchmaker realizes that if they are bound properly, she could be married into a very well off family. (There were a couple of chapters about foot binding that were pretty intense. I just cringe to think that people actually used to do that!) Also because of this, Lily is able to make a laotong match, which is when two girls make a contract to be best friends forever, with a girl named Snow Flower. The book follows the story of these two characters' lives and their relationship.

There are a couple parts that were a little inappropriate, but other than that, it was an interesting story. I really liked it when I finished, but the more I have thought about it, I have realized that I really didn't like it as much as I thought. I seems that if I finish a book quickly and it keeps my attention, then I automatically think it was a good book. I am trying to change my way of thinking. So, I would say that this is a good book, especially if you want to read about Chinese cultures, but I wouldn't rush out to read it.

Shannan's Better Review of "Deerskin"

I am obviously terrible at writing reviews. I don't even know what I was trying to say in the first one I wrote about this book. I am going to try again and hopefully not be quite so vague.

Yes, this is a fairy tale, but Robin McKinley writes it so that it is very real. In that, I mean that it isn't all hearts and flowers and happily ever after like most fairy tales. In this book, there is a king and queen, and the queen is the most beautiful person in all of seven kingdoms. Because everyone is so obsessed with how beautiful she is, after she dies, a lot of people aren't even able to function any more because they just can't believe that this most exquisite lady could die. Even the princess, Lissla Lissar, is affected by this when her father becomes obsessed with her as he realizes how much she looks like her mother.

She ends up having to flee from the kingdom to get away from her father. She has to fight to stay alive with the help of her dog, Ash, the only true friend she has ever had. She is given a second chance at life by a sort of fairy godmother, and from then on we watch her struggle to make a new life, build new relationships, but also face the demons from her past.

It is a great story, and in writing this, I am already looking forward to reading it again. Don't give up on it yet, Erin! And I am not sure what book Adrienne is talking about that I didn't like, except maybe the Orson Scott Card book, "Pastwatch". I should give that one another try, too, as long as I don't read when I am tired!

Shannan's Review of "Deerskin"

This book was suggested to me by Adrienne, and she said if I didn't like it, she wasn't going to recommend any more books to me. Well, I really liked it, Adrienne!

I don't want to give too much away, since I would recommend you read it. Without giving too much away, there is something that happens in the book that affects the main character deeply. (Should I give more info, Ad?)

The story is a kind of fairy tale, which I didn't really get until they talked about dragons in the forest. In the middle, I got kind of confused about what happened to Lissar, the main character. But it gets explained later on (although much later). I would like to read it again now that I know what was going on, and it probably won't be so confusing. But, I think if you keep that in mind, the fairy tale thing, it might make more sense.

This is definitely a story of fear, love, survival, and emotional healing. I really liked the evolution of Lissar and how the book turns out in the end. So, I would give it 4 out of 5 stars, and am definitely planning on reading it again. I hope my review isn't totally confusing. Like I said, I don't want to give too much away.

By the way, some ladies in my ward are starting a book club, finally! Our first book is called "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan" by Lisa See. I have only had it since yesterday and I am totally enthralled. So, if anyone wants to read this with me, I would love it! (Just in case you were looking for a book to read right now!)

Shannan's Review of "Specials"

Okay, I finished this book forever ago, but didn't see Meghan's comment until the other night. I figured I better write this review before I have completely forgotten the whole book. (It has slipped a little from my memory.) But I will do the best I can!

This book was a little better going for me than "Pretties" was. I think I just had more time to read it. So that was good. But there were a few things I didn't like from the beginning. I didn't really like the fact that Tally was now a Special. The tatoos weren't my favorite thing. But the thing that bothered me the most was all the cutting they did. I guess I understood what the cutting was supposed to do, but couldn't the author have come up with a different way for them to feel "icy"?

I did like how they found a whole different civilization where people were normal again. And that she eventually turned on the Specials. And I thought it was interesting how she ended up "defeating" Dr. Cable. It was sad about Zane, but I was glad that she ended up with David and not totally alone in the end.

I liked this book and thought it ended well. But by the end, I was ready to be done with the whole idea. I tried to read "Extras" but just couldn't get into it. There was so much terminology to figure out in each book, that I was kind of tired of it. I think the best part about this series was that we all read it together!

These is My Words - Erin

I am feeling lazy so I am copying and pasting the following from our ward's book club blog.

These Is My Words, by Nancy E. Turner

This is a Historical Fictional Novel, written in a first person Narrative, inspired by her grandmother, Sarah Angnes Prine. Nancy Turner is compelling writer, and this book is full of wit, wisdom, spunk, and grit. It is a compelling book, with an excellent grasp and expression of emotion and reality.

I would probably list this book with my favorites. It did take me at least 20-30 pages to get into it (I even had to go back and re-read since I wasn't really paying attention). Once I got into it, I loved it. It is a good mix of romance and comedy. It isn't the type of romance where everything turns out perfect which is probably why I liked it so much, but I don't think I would have minded if it had a completely happy ending. This book is definitely worth reading.

Done with "Specials"

I am done with Specials. Are you Meghan? If you are, let me know so we can write our reviews. I tried to start Extras, but I am kind of bored with the future, hoverboarding iciness.

Meghan's Review of "Pretties"

I hope Erin is done with this book. If not, stop reading Erin! I was a little disappointed by this book, not because it wasn't good but because it wasn't what I was expecting. I really liked "Uglies" and had high hopes for "Pretties" but I kept waiting for something to happen and then realized I was half-way through the book and nothing had really happened.

I got pretty annoyed with the 'pretty talk' after the first two chapters, and I didn't like how the 'pretty' people in the second book didn't act anything like the 'pretty' people in the first book did. It wasn't consistent to me at all. I felt like the first book portrayed 'pretty' people as out of touch with reality, but not completely consumed with fashion and parties and getting surgery to look even prettier. I think the way the 'pretties' act in this book is pretty ridiculous. But it was encouraging that there were so many Crims that wanted to be able to think and focus more once they realized they could. And I still don't know if I quite understand what it means to be 'bubbly'.

I did like that the book was unexpected. I liked the relationship with Zane and Tally a lot more than the relationship she had with Peris or David, and it seems like once she becomes 'cured' she's a lot more mature than she ever has been, and less selfish. I'm sad that she's a special, but I'm hoping that she will remember everything that has happened so far and bring Dr. Cable and the other specials down. I'm interested in what will happen in the next book. Now if I can just find "Specials" at the library I'll be all set.

Done With Pretties

I finished Pretties on Monday, but don't know if everyone is done reading it. I'll wait to see if you guys are done, and then post my review. All the copies of "Specials" were checked out so I'm currently on the waiting list. Sorry about my lack of posts lately. I'll be better, I promise!

Shannan's Review of "Uglies"

I was hoping Meghan would write her review first, but she emailed and said she was done so I could write my review. It has been a little while since I finished, (I can only remember things for like a day), but hopefully I can write something.

I actually enjoyed reading this book. I didn't read it with the same vigor as the Twilight books, even though I liked it more than those. I thought the story was interesting and it kept me engaged. I guess young adult novels are the ones for me.

At the end of the book, I was really excited to find out what happens next! But I have been having a hard time getting into "Pretties", first because I am not a big fan of Pretty talk, and second, because we have had company. But I am hoping to get back into it and finish the rest of the series. Are there 3 books or 4?

Anyway, I know everyone else has read this, but I enjoyed it and would probably read it again. A very unique idea. And I really like Tally!

The Host

I really enjoyed The Host much more than the Twilight series. I thought Stephenie's writing was better and more engaging, although that could also have to do with the fact that the main character wasn't overly obsessed with a guy. I am not big into science fiction type books but it held my attention pretty much the whole time. It got a little old when the humans first found Wanda and then they treated her like a prisoner and then started being nicer to her only to have things regress back to the way they were when Jared came back from the raid - I thought that could have been condensed a bit. The whole concept of an alien species that needs a host in order to live was very interesting to me. I think I missed the explanation of why the souls couldn't just stay on their world - anyone else remember (I know, I should know since I am the one who just read it - kind of pathetic). What I don't get is how does an alien that looks similar to a centipede become developed enough the build space ships and take over other worlds in the first place? I was happy with the way the book ended in that it would have been sad to see Wanda die since she was such a likable character, but I am not really a fan of happily ever after endings so a part of me wanted her dying wishes to be carried out since she would have died for something she loved and believed in so much. I didn't like that they put her into a weak human body since she seems like a such a strong soul. If Meyers writes another book along these lines I would definitely read it. If she comes out with more Twilight stuff I would probably read it but wouldn't be in any big hurry.

Waiting on "Uglies"

I finished this book the other night, but I saw that Meghan was going to find it to read, so I won't write a review yet. Although I will say that I enjoyed it and I was eager to continue in the second book! It will be fun to see all our thoughts on this series.

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane

As you can all tell, I am really bad a reviewing the books I read/listen to. I am always reading something but am not so good at posting about it. I am trying to redeem myself with this post.

This was the book we read this month for our ward book review group and I thought it was worth at least saying a few words about. It is a children's story but is good for all ages and is a quick read (I finished it in about an hour or so). I thought it might be a good one for you to read out loud together with your older girls, Shannan. I will warn you that there is a pretty sad part. Basically, it is a story about a china rabbit named Edward Tulane who is owned and completely adored by a little girl named Abilene. One day, he becomes lost (you will have to read to find out how) and this is where his journey begins. He finds himself found in a fisherman's net, a garbage pile, traveling the country with a hobo, a source of comfort for a very sick little girl and even broken into little pieces. Along the way, he learns one of life's greatest lessons - how to love, lose love, and then love again. If you are looking for a quick read that touches your heart, read this book.

On a side note - how in the world did any of you who read the Host ever put it down? I am totally intrigued by it.

The Uglies Together?

Now that I see that Adrienne and Erin are reading the same book, do you think Meghan and I should pick up the first book, "The Uglies", and then we can all be reading the series together, like a book club? Just a thought. What do you think? I have just started a book, but could read it another time. How many books are in that series? Would you be interested in that, Meg?

Okay, so I just put both Uglies and Pretties on hold at my library, so I am going to read them with you no matter what you say, ha!

Adrienne's Review of "Plain Truth"

After reading the "Heritage of Lancaster" series I was really interested in reading a book that would give me a better glimpse into the Amish world. I wanted a book that would really make me get interested in the characters, which I didn't really feel like I got with Beverly Lewis' books. I have read a couple of books by Jodi Picoult before and have always really gotten into her books so when I saw she had written a book set in an Amish community I thought that would be a good place to look.

I really enjoyed this book and got very caught up in the characters and the story. I really like the way Picoult writes, even though you do have to watch out for some language. The language in this book wasn't as bad as some of her other books I've read, probably due to the fact of where the setting of the book was. (At least I think it wasn't. It's been a few weeks since I read it. I'm a little behind on book reviews!) :)

The book begins with a young Amish teen giving birth alone to a baby who is later found dead. She had hid her pregnancy and keeps denying that she ever was pregnant, even though all the evidence says otherwise. The lawyer that ends up defending her finds herself immersed in the Amish world and trying to find out what really happened.

I do have to say that I didn't love the way that the book ended, which seems to be common when I read a book by Picoult. I would give this book 4 stars.

Adrienne's Review of "The Heritage of Lancaster County" Serries

This is a series of three books written by Beverly Lewis. (The Shunning, The Confession, and The Reckoning) The main character in the book, Katie, is an Amish girl who finds out that she was adopted. Her birth mom is looking for her and this leads her to become torn between her Amish world and her desire to live in a modern world and get to know her birth mother.

I thought that these books were okay, but they were very predictable and I didn't really like the way that adoption was portrayed in these books. I guess I'm a little prejudice about the language, terminology, and viewpoints that are expressed when it comes to adoption. The one thing I really enjoyed was getting a glimpse into the Amish culture. I'm always very fascinated by religious groups that also have a very strong cultural element to them.

I enjoyed the first book enough to read the rest of the series, but I don't know that I'd really recommend it. I would give it 2.5 or 3 stars.

(I've decided to give my books a rating based on 5 stars because I think it helps to classify what books we really like. What do you guys think? I don't think we need to list them on the side bar, just when we write a review.)

Tess of the d'Urbervilles

I kind of wrote about this on my blog, but didn't really write my review about the book. It took me a while to get into this book, mostly because of the language and all the descriptive words that my mind tends to glaze over if it is not interesting me. It took me about 1/3 of the book before I was into it, and by about halfway, I really wanted to know the ending.

It is a sad story, and sad to think how unfair Tess is treated because of something that is done to her and is no fault of her own. Yet everyone treats her as though it were her fault. She has to deal with a lot of hard things and I guess the end didn't surprise me too much. It really isn't a happy story, if you are looking for that. And I would suggest seeing the BBC television version. It got me excited about finishing the book and would give you an idea if you would want to invest in reading it.