Shannan's Review of "Matched"

I read this book a month or so ago, but liked it and thought it would be one you would all enjoy. It reminds me a little of "The Hunger Games". It isn't quite as gripping, but still fun. The main character is a 17 year-old girl and the government controls everything, your occupation, who you marry, even when you die. The story is about her and dealing with being matched. I won't tell you much more, just give it a try. I think you will like it. It is also part of a series, but I think the next book won't be published until November of this year.

So the book is "Matched" by Allie Condie.

And does anyone have any great suggestions? I feel like I am dying for a great book, but haven't found one in a while.

Shannan's Review of "Drowning Ruth"

I bought this book, written by Christina Schwarz, at the library on their 3 for $1.00 table. I didn't know anything about it other than the book looked fairly new and taken care of and that it had been an Oprah's book club choice. Usually that deters me from reading a book, since I am not an Oprah fan, but I bought it anyway.

That being said, I really liked this book. It is a story about two sisters and a tragedy that happens between them. You don't find out the answer to the mystery until the end of the book, and up to that point, you are given bits and pieces of the story and have to put them together yourself. The book is written from different characters perspective, as well as in third person, which gives it an interesting twist. I would recommend it and give it 4 stars.

Moonraker's Bride

Okay, so I know that this is the last blog you are going to be reading right now, but I just wanted to say that I just finished Moonraker's Bride last night, and I loved it! I thought the main character, Lucy, was just a strong, amazing girl and I loved the romantic mystery angle. Thanks for the suggestion!

By the way...

I did read "My Name is Asher Lev" and "The Chosen" in the last couple of months, and I have to say that I really enjoyed Asher Lev. It was sad, but I felt like the book really made me think and just use my brain. I grew to love Asher and even though I am far from an artist, I felt his uncontrollable desire to draw and create. I really liked it. The Chosen was good, too, although I didn't like it as much as Asher, which I know most people feel the other way. I don't know. Just thought you might all like to know! :)

Shannan's Review of "Life of Pi"

I just finished this book this morning. Erin and I were talking about it and I was commenting on how slow the beginning was. But once I got past that, I really enjoyed this book. The beginning talks about how this book will make you believe in God, but I never really got that. At first, he talks a lot about his family and the zoo that his father takes care of in India. He also talks about how he believes in Christianity, Hinduism, and Buddism. I thought that would be a theme throughout the book, but I didn't really find that at all, which I am thinking I must have not thought about it too deeply, or I would have seen religion in his experience. That experience, which I don't want to give away, is really what the book is about, and quite amazing to read. I really did enjoy the rest, once I got past part one. I would give this book 3 and 1/2 stars.

Shannan's Review of "One Thousand White Women"

I just finished another recommended book by Kaitlyn's teacher called "One Thousand White Women" by Jim Fergus. This book is a fictional story about a government project in the 1800s that begins when the Cheyenne Indians request 1000 white women to become their brides in order for the Indians to be able to integrate themselves into the white world. The government agrees and finds women from prisons and mental institutions who will volunteer for this program and in return gain their freedom. It is written in a journal entry format by May Dodd, who has been institutionalized for being promiscuous. She is not insane, only immoral, and so she signs up for the program believing that after the promised two years, she will be free to go back to normal life.

It is an interesting idea for a story. I did like the book, although there were a couple of sex scenes that were a little much. I would give it 3 out of 5 stars.

Shannan's Review of "The Lovely Bones"

So, this is our book for book club this month. I think they picked it mostly because the movie is coming out in a couple of weeks. I didn't really care for this book. The first chapter is disturbing. The main character of the book is raped and murdered in it, although there isn't a ton of details, you do get the picture. And then the rest of the book is told from her perspective in heaven. It deals with her in heaven a little, but mostly is about how she views her friends and family dealing with their lives after what has happened to her.

I didn't feel like the girls really had anything to do with her family, other than just watch them. She didn't really help them cope. And I felt like there were too many story lines that were ended abruptly. I didn't feel closure to a lot of them, I guess is what I am trying to say.

The girl does get a chance to be in a body again on earth, kind of like in the movie ghost, and she uses that chance to get it on with her first crush, instead of be with her family. I didn't really like that either. It was an okay story, but not great. I give it 2/5 stars.

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.

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

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!)

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.

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.)

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?

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.