Bride of Fortune
by Harnett T. Kane
Rating: 4/5
Grade: C - 14 and up (weighty themes involving war, slavery, and childhood death)
Book Reviews. Book News. Book Giveaways.
by Harnett T. Kane
Rating: 4/5
Grade: C - 14 and up (weighty themes involving war, slavery, and childhood death)
by Daniel Pool
Rating: 3.5/5
Grade: B - 8 and up
by Kate DiCamillo
Rating: 5/5
Grade: A (Appropriate for all)
Just finished reading this to the kids. It was a delightful read. One of those rare books that use a large and varied vocabulary, and yet manage to convey correct meaning, and compel interest in children. Elisabeth begged every night for 'one more chapter', even forgoing a song.
I will definately purchase this.
by Katie Fforde
Rating: 4/5
Grade: D - 18 and up (for slightly graphic sex)
This was a fun read. I like Katie Fforde, mainly for the fact that I can really relate to her characters. Half the time I fell like she is describing me. Very intelligent capable woman, who seem to end up looking like idiots half the time. Too kind for their own good, houses always a disaster, and trying to speed clean before someone comes. I read a review where someone bashed one of her woman charcters, but I think that person simply could not relate the characteristics.
by Stephanie Grace Whitson
Rating: 3/5
Grade: C - 14 and up
Good writing. Interesting story. One day I may have time to actually review a book. But today is not that day.
This book was a good mix of suspense and romance. It was surprisingly believable. Or maybe I just liked it because I wanted to be there; on a sheep ranch high in the Nevada Mountains, 60 miles from town. And that is all I have to say for the present. I have a horrible headache, and screaming children who won't leave me alone for 2 seconds. Trying to consentrate on typing compounds the pain!
by Marian Keyes
Rating: 3/5
Grade: D - 18 and up (for sex and language)
Fairly entertaining. Too much sex for my comfort.
Hmm. What to say about this book. Well, it was humorous, and very real. The flap of the book cover says that it is based on the life of the author. It is the diary of a 60th year, as it says on the cover. It deals with her giving up on having a man in her life, her best friends struggle with cancer, becoming a grandmother, living with a 19 year old french girl as a boarder, and coming up on old age.
Her view on age is very funny, and refreshing. She is happy to be 60, because she can know officially have and excuse to relax, to forget about trying to improve herself, learn a new language, travel. (apparently, in England, the Senior Citizen mile mark is 60, instead of 65 like in the US, because I don't view 60 as old at all)
It was slightly surprising to me for someone who views themselves as old to have lived a youth of free love, drugs, abortion, and atheism. Probably because the older generation with which I am familiar are faithful members of the LDS church, and mainly missed out on the whole 60's thing.
There was some bad language in the book, mainly involved with the bad neighborhood the woman lived in.
by Paul Torday
Rating: 5/5
Grade: B - 14 and up
This book was thouroughly engrossing. It caught my eye in the new book section in the library. What a hilarious title! I was afraid that it wouldn't actually live up to the title, that it would either be rather dull, or rather crude in humor. A resounding no to those worries. The book was very witty, funny in that delightful British way, and with events unfolding to pull you quickly through the book, waiting in delighted anticipation to figure out what is going on.
The books begins with Dr. Alfred, a very dedicated and staid scientist who works for the NCFE
(national center for fishery exelence) is requested to head a project funded by a Yemeni Sheik to introduce Salmon into a wadi in the Yemen. He refused, as he says the idea is unfesable, but is strong armed into it by government pressure. Amazing things happen as the faith of the sheik changes those around him, especially Dr. Alfred.
The book was written entirely in diary entries, e-mails, memo's, interveiws, and notes from the house of commons. Not the usual novel style, which helped to make it such a remarkable work.
I will be anxiously awaiting further work by the author. An amazing first novel.
The book left me with just one question: is there really a NCFE in the UK?
by Karen Kingsbury
Rating: 4/5
Grade: C - 14 and up (for thematic issues involved with 9/11)
Checked this book out from the library because I like the author. I didn't really pay attention to the cover, and didn't realize what it was about. When I began reading it, I was unsure that I really wanted to read a book about a women who lost her firefighter husband on 9/11. It was, however, a very good read. Had me crying in the waiting room of the doctor's office. Rather embarrasing. Especailly considering the unfriendly old couple sitting across from me. I mean really, who dosen't smile back when smiled out in a friendly, non-intrusive way? Well, I guess you never know what is going on in someone's life, maybe they had no smiles left.
Anyhow, this book was very well written, especially for Christian Fiction. The story was touching, and full of nearly unbelievable, God-driven, coincidences (for some reason I can not recall the spelling of that word today). The main theme: moving past tragedy, getting on with life, chosing to live your life fully despite past pain, and trusting God to bring good things to us.
I think I will now read the first part of the story, One Tuesday Morning.
Read more...I'm afraid I have a starve and binge personality. Only I am much better at the bingeing than the starving. I did not succeed in reading twenty-three non-fiction before reading any more fiction. I read a few and a few halfs of non-fiction, then devoured some fiction. So...
I think that a wiser and more doable resolve would be to read a non-fiction book for every two fiction books that I read. That way I will be a bit more balanced. And it really takes much longer to read a 400 pg. non-fiction book, than it does a 400 pg. fiction.
by Shmuley Boteach
Rating: 4/5
Grade: D - 18 and up
by Madeleine L'Engle
Rating: 4/5
Grade: C - 14 and up (for cancer, death, drugs)
by Jeff Talarigo
Rating: 4/5
Grade: D - 18 and up (for suicide, and graphic images of abortion death and disease)
I've started this blog to have a place to keep track of books that I am reading, and my opinions and thougths about those books.
I have recently resolved to read 23 non-fiction books before I read anymore fiction. I came to this decision after realizing that, of those I could remember having read, all 23 of the books I had read this year were fiction. Most of them were in the chick-lit genre. While I have always enjoyed, and do not disparage, this type of book, it seems very lazy on my part; consuming books for personal pleasure and feel goodness.
So, I am currently reading:
Who Moved My Cheese by Spencer Johnson, M.D.; I actually read all of this book today, and will do a review of it if I get the mountain of laundry in my living room folded.
Longitudes and Attitudes: Exploring the World After September 11 by Thomas L. Friedman
A Million Little Pieces by Paul Frey; which maybe should not be counted as non-fiction, as it has come out that he embellished and changed many of his experineces, but I find it to be a compelling read, gets into the mind of the recovering addict whether all of the info is actual or not. (my only complaint is constant use of the F-word, if it was a movie I would have turned it off, but can kindof skim over the profanity)
Toxic Relief: Restore health and energy through fasting and detoxification by Don Colbert, M.D.
On my list of things to read next:
Potatoes not Prozac by Kathleen DesMaisons, Ph.D, Addictive Nutrition
The Abolition of Man by C.S. Lewis
Ideas and Opinions by Albert Einstein
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