Monday, July 25, 2011
Borders book store closing
I am so sad that Borders is closing...I love bookstores and could spend days in them. And now the closest bookstore to me is closing. Where am I going to go to browse books?? I understand that most people buy online, but there is just something about feeling the books in my hands...
Book 29-Pope Joan by Donna Woolfolk Cross
This is the story of a girl who disguised herself as a boy in order to receive a decent education in a time where women were there for baby-making and man-taking-care-of. As she continues her education, she moves up the heirarchy of the Catholic church until she is eventually elected Pope.
I really enjoyed the history behind these tales and will admit that the storyline is very captivating. But...the storyline seemed pretty dang contrived. Everything happened so wonderfully by chance. Pretty far-fetched, if you ask me.
I would recommend this to someone interested in Catholic history (although this particular chapter either doesn't exist or was erased) or historical fiction.
I really enjoyed the history behind these tales and will admit that the storyline is very captivating. But...the storyline seemed pretty dang contrived. Everything happened so wonderfully by chance. Pretty far-fetched, if you ask me.
I would recommend this to someone interested in Catholic history (although this particular chapter either doesn't exist or was erased) or historical fiction.
Book 28-Prague by Arthur Phillips
I read this book on advice from my sister Emily. I don't know if I thought it was quite a great as she did, but it was worth the read.
This is the story of several ex-pats living in Budapest in a time when everything is happening in Prague. There is always this underlying idea that they are not living the best life they could be living because they are in Budapest and not Prague. The usual stuff happens: they get jobs, lose jobs, find girls, and get denied by girls. Usual plotlines for a book, but it all happens in a foreign country!
At the end of this book, there were only one or two characters that I didn't absolutely hate. In the quest for fame and fortune, some of the characters did some pretty crappy things. I'm having a hard time talking about this book without giving away too much of the plot. There is a lot there and it would be a great book club book.
This is the story of several ex-pats living in Budapest in a time when everything is happening in Prague. There is always this underlying idea that they are not living the best life they could be living because they are in Budapest and not Prague. The usual stuff happens: they get jobs, lose jobs, find girls, and get denied by girls. Usual plotlines for a book, but it all happens in a foreign country!
At the end of this book, there were only one or two characters that I didn't absolutely hate. In the quest for fame and fortune, some of the characters did some pretty crappy things. I'm having a hard time talking about this book without giving away too much of the plot. There is a lot there and it would be a great book club book.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Book 27-Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
Another YA! This one is nominated for the 2011-2012 Gateway Award. This is the love story of Grace and Sam. For Grace, it was love at first sight when she saw Sam for the first time...as a wolf in her backyard. Strange? Okay. But after all of the funky things that have been written for YA lately, I can buy it. When Grace sees Sam as a boy, the love is magnified...but then she realizes that Sam is running out of time to be a boy!
There, that's my summary. I liked this book, I guess. It was a page-turner, which is what I needed after trying to read some heavier stuff this summer while my kids run around and ask questions and watch iCarly. I need something a little easier. This is certainly easy. As a YA reader, I was glad that there wasn't a love triangle in this book. Those get sooooo tiresome. Yes, the heroine is so beautiful (but she never realizes it, of course) that she has multiple men who would lay down their lives for her. Yawn. Not in this book. The main characters only have eyes for each other. However, the absentee/oblivious parents were present. That's kind of a bummer...
I would pick this book up if you need something for a car ride or the beach (if you are so lucky)...
There, that's my summary. I liked this book, I guess. It was a page-turner, which is what I needed after trying to read some heavier stuff this summer while my kids run around and ask questions and watch iCarly. I need something a little easier. This is certainly easy. As a YA reader, I was glad that there wasn't a love triangle in this book. Those get sooooo tiresome. Yes, the heroine is so beautiful (but she never realizes it, of course) that she has multiple men who would lay down their lives for her. Yawn. Not in this book. The main characters only have eyes for each other. However, the absentee/oblivious parents were present. That's kind of a bummer...
I would pick this book up if you need something for a car ride or the beach (if you are so lucky)...
Bonus post-Books that stuck with me
After spending an hour in a bookstore with another reader friend (shout out Chris!), I thought I would blog about some books that I've read in years past that really stuck with me. The books that I still think about or that I would still recommend today after years of stagnation in my mind. Because some of them were read so long ago, the descriptions might be lacking...
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides-This book was a fantastic look into a family of recent immigrants who moved to Detroit to find work in the auto industry. Really good stuff about what life was like for them as Detroit grew...and then faded. Oh, and the main character is a hermaphrodite.
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe-I read this MANY years ago, but this is what I remember. This is the story of a village in Africa that is "invaded" by missionaries. The author does an amazing job of showing the similarities between the tribe's "pagan" religion and Christianity.
Life of Pi by Yann Martel-When I recommended this to Chris last night, I realized that you really shouldn't know anything about the book before you read it. It is fantastic. But if I tell you what it's about, chances are you won't pick it up. It's worth it!
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini-I think of the author's two books, this one was my favorite because it deals with female friendship. The Kite Runner is definitely worth reading, but if I had to choose again, I'd pick this one.
People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks-I love this book because of the way it is written. This is the story of a Jewish book of prayers and the woman who is trying to find its history through the tiny fibers she finds in the creases of the pages. Each fiber tells a different story in the life of the book and the life of a persecuted religion. But instead of being a "woe is me" story about the tragedies of Jewish history, there is hope in these pages of cooperation and peace and understanding between religions.
Let me know if you've read any of these or if you have a book to add!
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides-This book was a fantastic look into a family of recent immigrants who moved to Detroit to find work in the auto industry. Really good stuff about what life was like for them as Detroit grew...and then faded. Oh, and the main character is a hermaphrodite.
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe-I read this MANY years ago, but this is what I remember. This is the story of a village in Africa that is "invaded" by missionaries. The author does an amazing job of showing the similarities between the tribe's "pagan" religion and Christianity.
Life of Pi by Yann Martel-When I recommended this to Chris last night, I realized that you really shouldn't know anything about the book before you read it. It is fantastic. But if I tell you what it's about, chances are you won't pick it up. It's worth it!
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini-I think of the author's two books, this one was my favorite because it deals with female friendship. The Kite Runner is definitely worth reading, but if I had to choose again, I'd pick this one.
People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks-I love this book because of the way it is written. This is the story of a Jewish book of prayers and the woman who is trying to find its history through the tiny fibers she finds in the creases of the pages. Each fiber tells a different story in the life of the book and the life of a persecuted religion. But instead of being a "woe is me" story about the tragedies of Jewish history, there is hope in these pages of cooperation and peace and understanding between religions.
Let me know if you've read any of these or if you have a book to add!
Book 26-A Secret Kept by Tatiana de Rosnay
Boooooooooooooooooooooooooo. What a waste of time. I listened to this book the last month of school and then had to find time to be in the car alone to finish it this summer. First off, it's a story about a Parisian man, but the guy who read it on the CD was a pompous English man. Yuck. It made my skin crawl to listen to him...especially during the sex scenes, which were pretty explicit. Secondly, it was a bad book. I read it because I was looking for something light to listen to in the car and I had already read Sarah's Key by the author. Mistake.
This is the story of a Parisian man with old family secrets that he spends the length of the book trying to discover. No big crescendo of plot. No real character development. I would NOT recommend this book.
This is the story of a Parisian man with old family secrets that he spends the length of the book trying to discover. No big crescendo of plot. No real character development. I would NOT recommend this book.
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