Book: The Rebellion of Jane Clarke
Author: Sally Gunning
Pages: 320
I resisted reading this book until it was the last one left on my bedside table from the library. While I really enjoy history, I haven't delved much into the Revolutionary War and so I wasn't as anxious to read this one as I usually am when it's about World War II.
However, I found this to be a very interesting read that I learned a lot from. Jane lives on Cape Cod with her father, her step mother and a host of siblings that she helps tend for. Her father has arranged a marriage between "aging" Jane (22 years old) and his new business partner, but Jane is apprehensive about the set up. She refuses the proposal and is sent by her father to Boston, headquarters of the brewing Revolutionary War, to make her own way in life.
I only have my basic high school education in the Revolutionary War and I didn't know that there was such opposition among the colonists. Some were Loyalists to the British rule and others were anxious to make their own country. The picture that is painted in school is that everyone who came over to America wanted to leave the rule of the British empire and that isn't so true.
Weaved among this story is the underlying tensions that existed between the Torys and the Rebels. While I think Jane took a long time deciding which side she was on, it wasn't paramount to the story. She thinks everyone is human and deserves the same basic rights, regardless of what side they're on. In the end that's what prevails.
This book was a definite surprise and I'm glad I resisted the urge to return it to the library unopened.
Showing posts with label Book Reviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Book Reviews. Show all posts
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Book Review Sunday
Book: Between Two Worlds
Author: Roxana Saberi
Pages: 305
You know how you read articles about the Middle East and it seems so...foreign to you. Like how the women have to live in seclusion and the government is corrupt and you can't seem to wrap your mind around the whole thing. And then you read other articles that say that those articles aren't true and you have no idea what to believe, but since you have your own drama to contend with you just shake your head and move on to the next story about Prince William getting married.
Oh, not you?
Well, then let me enlighten you.
Prince William is getting married. Like fairly soon, if the number of articles about the wedding and every minute detail is of any indication. Though, why I should care is beyond me.
Oh, you don't care either.
Hm...
Oh. The book.
So, this book was a fascinating look at Iran, which is admittedly not a country that (a) I know a lot about and (b) a country I want to visit. However, upon recommendation from a friend I read the book and realized some important things. Mainly, that I'm stupid about the Middle East. I don't know nearly as much as I should. Probably none of us do really. And if I were to ever find myself in Iran, I'd probably be jailed on suspicion of espionage. Like the author did. Just because I wouldn't know if I was or wasn't spying. Their logic was so confusing and berating.
Saberi, an American who had been living in Iran for six years, was jailed one day because the regime thought she was a spy. She had been researching for a book on Iran, but was thought to be spying for the US government. However, no matter what she said, or who she told, no one believed that she wasn't. It was a terrifying look at the paranoia that is running a country completely capable of annihilating the entire globe.
Though Saberi didn't encounter many of the troubles that face female prisoners in Iran, she talked with many who did, and the book is mostly to bring awareness to those who aren't privileged enough to have an entire government behind them urging for their release. Many of the women who were jailed with Saberi were jailed for minor infractions such as religious protesting. Some were there on bogus charges like Saberi's espionage charge. I don't believe she met a single person who had been jailed for a valid reason.
It's scary really. The paranoia. The lies. The breach of human rights. It was like reading about a junior high school and the manipulative stuff that goes on between friends and supposed enemies. Yet, it's a major military force we're talking about.
Eek.
So yeah, it was an eye opener for sure.
Author: Roxana Saberi
Pages: 305
You know how you read articles about the Middle East and it seems so...foreign to you. Like how the women have to live in seclusion and the government is corrupt and you can't seem to wrap your mind around the whole thing. And then you read other articles that say that those articles aren't true and you have no idea what to believe, but since you have your own drama to contend with you just shake your head and move on to the next story about Prince William getting married.
Oh, not you?
Well, then let me enlighten you.
Prince William is getting married. Like fairly soon, if the number of articles about the wedding and every minute detail is of any indication. Though, why I should care is beyond me.
Oh, you don't care either.
Hm...
Oh. The book.
So, this book was a fascinating look at Iran, which is admittedly not a country that (a) I know a lot about and (b) a country I want to visit. However, upon recommendation from a friend I read the book and realized some important things. Mainly, that I'm stupid about the Middle East. I don't know nearly as much as I should. Probably none of us do really. And if I were to ever find myself in Iran, I'd probably be jailed on suspicion of espionage. Like the author did. Just because I wouldn't know if I was or wasn't spying. Their logic was so confusing and berating.
Saberi, an American who had been living in Iran for six years, was jailed one day because the regime thought she was a spy. She had been researching for a book on Iran, but was thought to be spying for the US government. However, no matter what she said, or who she told, no one believed that she wasn't. It was a terrifying look at the paranoia that is running a country completely capable of annihilating the entire globe.
Though Saberi didn't encounter many of the troubles that face female prisoners in Iran, she talked with many who did, and the book is mostly to bring awareness to those who aren't privileged enough to have an entire government behind them urging for their release. Many of the women who were jailed with Saberi were jailed for minor infractions such as religious protesting. Some were there on bogus charges like Saberi's espionage charge. I don't believe she met a single person who had been jailed for a valid reason.
It's scary really. The paranoia. The lies. The breach of human rights. It was like reading about a junior high school and the manipulative stuff that goes on between friends and supposed enemies. Yet, it's a major military force we're talking about.
Eek.
So yeah, it was an eye opener for sure.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Book Review Sunday
Look at me! I'm back on the wagon for April.
Book: Stones Into Schools
Author: Greg Mortenson
Pages: 420
I'm a little embarassed to admit that I started this book back in November. I even carted it with me to Cabo and back. My biggest hang up was that I couldn't seem to keep everyone separated in my head and where they were from or headed and I'd get overwhelmed by the shear magnitude of it and put the book down.
Come February, I forced myself to stop going to the library to find other books and concentrate on this one because it was borrowed from a friend and I needed to return it. Like 5 months ago. So now that it's April and I've read very little because of my self imposed ban on the library, I sat down last Sunday night out of desperation and gave myself permission to skim over the names of people and places and just focus on the broader picture.
Once I did that, I really got into the book and had it finished by Monday afternoon. (Kids? What kids?)
This is the follow up to Three Cups of Tea and I was apprehensive that perhaps Mortenson wouldn't be as good of a writer as the person who wrote down the story of Three Cups of Tea from conversations with Mortenson, but it turned out to be really good. A little wordy in parts, and as I mentioned, overwhelming with the names and the places, but otherwise a really good read. A definite must read if you're a fan of Three Cups of Tea (see my review for Three Cups here (I just reread my review and am quite surprised at how...good it is. Probably the best review I've ever written.)) If you haven't picked up Three Cups, you should definitely read it. It's a must-read for any special ops headed to Afghanistan, plus for a host of students across the nation.
Back to Stones though. The story picks up where we left off in Three Cups, about 2003 and continues the frenzied approach at which Mortenson is building schools in the Middle East. It's mind boggling to think that one ordinary person--a former nurse--has achieved this more or less by himself. He has bridged cultural, racial, and religious lines and has assembled a supporting cast that transcends the same boundaries. It's truly remarkable. He's wide known in the region and people spend days trying to reach him in order to request that a school be built in their community.
Mortenson's love for the people of the Middle East is tangible throughout the book. He would gladly give the shirt off his back if it meant that someone from a small village cut off from the rest of the world got the chance to follow their dream.
As in Three Cups, I was constantly surprised at the primitive conditions that the majority of the countries of the Middle East live in. Many villages are cut off from everyone at the first snowfall until the spring melt, and many more still are hours away on the most inhospitable roads imaginable. It's amazing to see clusters of groups survive in the harshest of conditions.
I marvel at how Mortenson has maintained a marriage and a family with his constant traveling and speaking arrangements. I'm not sure I would be that gracious to have my husband gone most of the time, but I commend his wife for allowing him to continue on with his work. As with the first book, there is a vast difference in what is being reported from the media and what is actually happening.
This is another testament to how one person really can make a difference.
Book: Stones Into Schools
Author: Greg Mortenson
Pages: 420
I'm a little embarassed to admit that I started this book back in November. I even carted it with me to Cabo and back. My biggest hang up was that I couldn't seem to keep everyone separated in my head and where they were from or headed and I'd get overwhelmed by the shear magnitude of it and put the book down.
Come February, I forced myself to stop going to the library to find other books and concentrate on this one because it was borrowed from a friend and I needed to return it. Like 5 months ago. So now that it's April and I've read very little because of my self imposed ban on the library, I sat down last Sunday night out of desperation and gave myself permission to skim over the names of people and places and just focus on the broader picture.
Once I did that, I really got into the book and had it finished by Monday afternoon. (Kids? What kids?)
This is the follow up to Three Cups of Tea and I was apprehensive that perhaps Mortenson wouldn't be as good of a writer as the person who wrote down the story of Three Cups of Tea from conversations with Mortenson, but it turned out to be really good. A little wordy in parts, and as I mentioned, overwhelming with the names and the places, but otherwise a really good read. A definite must read if you're a fan of Three Cups of Tea (see my review for Three Cups here (I just reread my review and am quite surprised at how...good it is. Probably the best review I've ever written.)) If you haven't picked up Three Cups, you should definitely read it. It's a must-read for any special ops headed to Afghanistan, plus for a host of students across the nation.
Back to Stones though. The story picks up where we left off in Three Cups, about 2003 and continues the frenzied approach at which Mortenson is building schools in the Middle East. It's mind boggling to think that one ordinary person--a former nurse--has achieved this more or less by himself. He has bridged cultural, racial, and religious lines and has assembled a supporting cast that transcends the same boundaries. It's truly remarkable. He's wide known in the region and people spend days trying to reach him in order to request that a school be built in their community.
Mortenson's love for the people of the Middle East is tangible throughout the book. He would gladly give the shirt off his back if it meant that someone from a small village cut off from the rest of the world got the chance to follow their dream.
As in Three Cups, I was constantly surprised at the primitive conditions that the majority of the countries of the Middle East live in. Many villages are cut off from everyone at the first snowfall until the spring melt, and many more still are hours away on the most inhospitable roads imaginable. It's amazing to see clusters of groups survive in the harshest of conditions.
I marvel at how Mortenson has maintained a marriage and a family with his constant traveling and speaking arrangements. I'm not sure I would be that gracious to have my husband gone most of the time, but I commend his wife for allowing him to continue on with his work. As with the first book, there is a vast difference in what is being reported from the media and what is actually happening.
This is another testament to how one person really can make a difference.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Book Review Sunday
Book: Heidi
Author: Johanna Spyri
Pages: 188
This is kind of a weird book review, but hear me out.
We read this for book club this last month and I'll admit I thought it was a little strange of a pick. I mean, we probably all read Heidi as little girls, but we're adult women now. Yet, I went along with it because that's kind of the point of book club--to read books we wouldn't otherwise read.
I did read this as a little girl and I remember loving it. I wanted to be like Heidi and live in the mountains.
As an adult some other things popped out. Like how Heidi's grandpa isn't as mean as everyone in the village thinks. And doesn't come across as mean as I think the author intended either. And the improbabilities of miraculous healings and the intentions of old men. I guess, as an adult I've kind of grown skeptical and untrusting.
But, this review isn't so much about Heidi itself. But rather, that every once in awhile, you should take yourself back to your childhood and pick up some of those great children classics like Heidi and The Secret Garden and The Little Prince and relive those innocent years where miracles happened and old men had no other intentions than to befriend everyone, including young girls. It's a welcome reprieve from the murder and mayhem and awfulness that fills the books and the airwaves today.
Author: Johanna Spyri
Pages: 188
This is kind of a weird book review, but hear me out.
We read this for book club this last month and I'll admit I thought it was a little strange of a pick. I mean, we probably all read Heidi as little girls, but we're adult women now. Yet, I went along with it because that's kind of the point of book club--to read books we wouldn't otherwise read.
I did read this as a little girl and I remember loving it. I wanted to be like Heidi and live in the mountains.
As an adult some other things popped out. Like how Heidi's grandpa isn't as mean as everyone in the village thinks. And doesn't come across as mean as I think the author intended either. And the improbabilities of miraculous healings and the intentions of old men. I guess, as an adult I've kind of grown skeptical and untrusting.
But, this review isn't so much about Heidi itself. But rather, that every once in awhile, you should take yourself back to your childhood and pick up some of those great children classics like Heidi and The Secret Garden and The Little Prince and relive those innocent years where miracles happened and old men had no other intentions than to befriend everyone, including young girls. It's a welcome reprieve from the murder and mayhem and awfulness that fills the books and the airwaves today.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Book Review Sunday
Book: Daughter of Helaman
Author: Misty Moncur
Pages: ??
So this week, I cheated. I'm trying to catch up on novels I need to read for my writing group and I thought I'd give a shout out to the person who got a signed deal. Her book should be out in May. And it's SO good. It's about a young girl who joins the Army of Helaman. Of course, there's love and romance and all that gushy stuff involved too. Plus there are 2 more books from her point of view and another two books from other characters' points of view in the works.
It should be noted that this is not my usual preferred genre. I tend to shy away from "churchy" books. But Misty definitely did her research and the storyline is very compelling. I was hooked from the first chapter.
It's a young adult read and a great girl-power novel set during the Book of Mormon times. It will be a good way to introduce teenage girls to the stories in the Book of Mormon by putting one of them as the lead character.
Awesome job, Misty!
Author: Misty Moncur
Pages: ??
So this week, I cheated. I'm trying to catch up on novels I need to read for my writing group and I thought I'd give a shout out to the person who got a signed deal. Her book should be out in May. And it's SO good. It's about a young girl who joins the Army of Helaman. Of course, there's love and romance and all that gushy stuff involved too. Plus there are 2 more books from her point of view and another two books from other characters' points of view in the works.
It should be noted that this is not my usual preferred genre. I tend to shy away from "churchy" books. But Misty definitely did her research and the storyline is very compelling. I was hooked from the first chapter.
It's a young adult read and a great girl-power novel set during the Book of Mormon times. It will be a good way to introduce teenage girls to the stories in the Book of Mormon by putting one of them as the lead character.
Awesome job, Misty!
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Book Review Sunday
Book: Heart in the Right Place
Author: Carloyn Jourdan
Pages: 297
This was such an interesting find, I can't believe my good fortune. I literally ran into the library one Wednesday afternoon while my mom sat with a sleeping A. and a talking J. in the car and grabbed this off the nearest shelf. I love it when a gamble plays off.
At first, I thought the book would be a snoozefest. Another memoir proclaiming how "changed" someone was because they returned home. However, I was quickly chastised.
What this turned out to be was a rare gem. Jourdan, an attorney on Capitol Hill, has been called home to the hills of East Tennessee to help her parents out for what she thought was going to just be the weekend. Her dad was the only doctor in town and her mom, receptionist and aide to Jourdan's father, had just had a heart attack. Jourdin prepared to take over receptionist duties until her mother was released from the hospital.
However, nothing could prepare Jourdan for what laid ahead. The cast of characters that come through the revolving doors of this one-man outfit is something straight out of fiction. Everything is represented in full force; hypochondriacs, cancer, geriatrics, workplace hazards, pysche problems, drug addiction.
Days stretch into weeks then months and Jourdan grapples with the desire to return to the life that she left behind in DC or to stay at her childhood home, where she was needed the most. There was some criticism on the goodreads.com site that maybe she spent a lot of time grappling with what seemed like an easy decision, but I personally felt like it gave it some credibility. What might seem like an easy decision between the pages isn't always that clear cut when played out in real life.
My most favorite character of the book was Jourdan's dad's best friend, Fletcher. He always seemed to be waiting at the family barn with some gem of wisdom to bestow upon Jourdan after a tough day at the office. One thing he shared was very profound:
"You know how in Bible stories whenever an angel shows up, the first thing he always says is, 'Fear not!'"
"Yeah."
"Well, it took me most of my life, but I finally figured out that he's not trying to comfort us when he says that. He's giving us an order. It's a command given more than 300 times in the Bible. The Lord's telling us not to let ourselves be afraid. We can't afford to be scared. It just gets in the way of us doing whatever it is that we're suppose to be doing."
Bingo! Wow. What an eye opener.
This book saw it's share of tragedy. How to do know how much to charge someone for telling them they're going to die? But, amidst the tears, there were laugh-out-loud moments and you saw a resounding theme emerge:
Sometimes, the best thing you can do for someone else is to just show up.
Author: Carloyn Jourdan
Pages: 297
This was such an interesting find, I can't believe my good fortune. I literally ran into the library one Wednesday afternoon while my mom sat with a sleeping A. and a talking J. in the car and grabbed this off the nearest shelf. I love it when a gamble plays off.
At first, I thought the book would be a snoozefest. Another memoir proclaiming how "changed" someone was because they returned home. However, I was quickly chastised.
What this turned out to be was a rare gem. Jourdan, an attorney on Capitol Hill, has been called home to the hills of East Tennessee to help her parents out for what she thought was going to just be the weekend. Her dad was the only doctor in town and her mom, receptionist and aide to Jourdan's father, had just had a heart attack. Jourdin prepared to take over receptionist duties until her mother was released from the hospital.
However, nothing could prepare Jourdan for what laid ahead. The cast of characters that come through the revolving doors of this one-man outfit is something straight out of fiction. Everything is represented in full force; hypochondriacs, cancer, geriatrics, workplace hazards, pysche problems, drug addiction.
Days stretch into weeks then months and Jourdan grapples with the desire to return to the life that she left behind in DC or to stay at her childhood home, where she was needed the most. There was some criticism on the goodreads.com site that maybe she spent a lot of time grappling with what seemed like an easy decision, but I personally felt like it gave it some credibility. What might seem like an easy decision between the pages isn't always that clear cut when played out in real life.
My most favorite character of the book was Jourdan's dad's best friend, Fletcher. He always seemed to be waiting at the family barn with some gem of wisdom to bestow upon Jourdan after a tough day at the office. One thing he shared was very profound:
"You know how in Bible stories whenever an angel shows up, the first thing he always says is, 'Fear not!'"
"Yeah."
"Well, it took me most of my life, but I finally figured out that he's not trying to comfort us when he says that. He's giving us an order. It's a command given more than 300 times in the Bible. The Lord's telling us not to let ourselves be afraid. We can't afford to be scared. It just gets in the way of us doing whatever it is that we're suppose to be doing."
Bingo! Wow. What an eye opener.
This book saw it's share of tragedy. How to do know how much to charge someone for telling them they're going to die? But, amidst the tears, there were laugh-out-loud moments and you saw a resounding theme emerge:
Sometimes, the best thing you can do for someone else is to just show up.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Book Review Sunday
Book: Justin Case: School, Drool, and Other Daily Disasters
Pages: 256
Author: Rachel Vail
Okay, for starters, I don't generally like it when authors try to write a first person narrative about the other sex. For example, if you, the author, are female and you attempt a book from the viewpoint of a third grade boy. I just don't think you get the whole picture. No matter how many questions you ask to a 10 year old boy, you are just missing part of the equation.
With that being said, for what it was Justin Case turned out to be a pretty good book. It wasn't technical reading by any means. It's probably geared for a 10 year old boy to read, considering it's written about one. But, I read it anyways.
And I'm not going to apologize either.
So the book chronicles a day-by-day existence of Justin through his third grade year. The boy is neurotic. If David Sedaris (one of my most favorite authors, but please don't blame me for any content if you choose to read him.) were to publish his diaries from his third grade year, this would probably be it. The boy has some issues. But, amid those issues, you get the sense that we are all still struggling with variations of the same things--do they like me? Why does the teacher (boss) want to see me after school (work)? What am I doing here? Why won't the bullies leave me alone? You get the drift. As it turns out, we're all still stuck in some limbo between third grade and the rest of our lives.
If I were of the persuasion to censor the books my children read (or will read, given that they aren't exactly reading novels at this point), this book would make the cut. It had great illustrations that were funny and the issues that Justin grapples with like bullying and parents and girls are all things that will eventually creep into my own children's lives and reading about someone else tackling the same situations will hopefully make it more bearable.
But I'm not of the book censoring persuasion (a post for another day), so hopefully, my children will find, if not this book, then another book that will help them out. I guess I could suggest it though...
Pages: 256
Author: Rachel Vail
Okay, for starters, I don't generally like it when authors try to write a first person narrative about the other sex. For example, if you, the author, are female and you attempt a book from the viewpoint of a third grade boy. I just don't think you get the whole picture. No matter how many questions you ask to a 10 year old boy, you are just missing part of the equation.
With that being said, for what it was Justin Case turned out to be a pretty good book. It wasn't technical reading by any means. It's probably geared for a 10 year old boy to read, considering it's written about one. But, I read it anyways.
And I'm not going to apologize either.
So the book chronicles a day-by-day existence of Justin through his third grade year. The boy is neurotic. If David Sedaris (one of my most favorite authors, but please don't blame me for any content if you choose to read him.) were to publish his diaries from his third grade year, this would probably be it. The boy has some issues. But, amid those issues, you get the sense that we are all still struggling with variations of the same things--do they like me? Why does the teacher (boss) want to see me after school (work)? What am I doing here? Why won't the bullies leave me alone? You get the drift. As it turns out, we're all still stuck in some limbo between third grade and the rest of our lives.
If I were of the persuasion to censor the books my children read (or will read, given that they aren't exactly reading novels at this point), this book would make the cut. It had great illustrations that were funny and the issues that Justin grapples with like bullying and parents and girls are all things that will eventually creep into my own children's lives and reading about someone else tackling the same situations will hopefully make it more bearable.
But I'm not of the book censoring persuasion (a post for another day), so hopefully, my children will find, if not this book, then another book that will help them out. I guess I could suggest it though...
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Book Review Sunday
Book: Sleepwalk With Me and Other Painfully True Stories
Author: Mike Birbiglia
Pages: 191
Man, I must be on a non-fiction kick or something!
I LOVE stand up comedy. LOVE it. And in my recent conversion to NPR and it's likes, I have run across Mike Birbiglia here and there. And he's always been funny. So funny in fact, that for a 20 mile run I was doing in marathon training this last summer, where I ran the last 10 miles alone, I had downloaded a CD of his and ran to that. At one point, I was laughing so hard I had to stop because I couldn't breathe.
In hindsight, I think at that point, 15 miles into a run in August at 80 degrees, anything would have been funny.
But, I'm sure it was a sight to see. Much like the time I was crying so hard because of the book I was listening to while I was running an 18 miler (though, it wasn't ALL the book, come to think of it.)
So, I was REALLY excited when I heard he was coming out with a book. What could be better than a book by a stand up comic that I like?
But, sadly, the book was almost all of the stories I had already heard. :( I was a little disappointed in that. I was hoping for some new stories and I almost returned the book to the library without finishing it. However, I'm still a huge fan, so I kept reading on and came across some new stuff I hadn't heard. In the end, it was worth it. I could hear the nuances of his voice as I read the stories and that made it just a tad bit funnier. I like that he takes some serious issues--like religion and health--and manages to poke a little fun at the trivial things that get us all uptight.
The reality is, though, stand up is more than just words. There's a lot to do with how the story is told and I think the stories are funnier when I'm listening to them rather than reading them.
So why the book review about a book I wouldn't necessarily recommend to anyone? Who knows. Maybe, if you're a huge stand-up fan like I am, you'll look up Birbiglia and get hooked on him too.
Or maybe it was just because this week, I read two books and the other one was one of those books you'd never admit to reading.
Author: Mike Birbiglia
Pages: 191
Man, I must be on a non-fiction kick or something!
I LOVE stand up comedy. LOVE it. And in my recent conversion to NPR and it's likes, I have run across Mike Birbiglia here and there. And he's always been funny. So funny in fact, that for a 20 mile run I was doing in marathon training this last summer, where I ran the last 10 miles alone, I had downloaded a CD of his and ran to that. At one point, I was laughing so hard I had to stop because I couldn't breathe.
In hindsight, I think at that point, 15 miles into a run in August at 80 degrees, anything would have been funny.
But, I'm sure it was a sight to see. Much like the time I was crying so hard because of the book I was listening to while I was running an 18 miler (though, it wasn't ALL the book, come to think of it.)
So, I was REALLY excited when I heard he was coming out with a book. What could be better than a book by a stand up comic that I like?
But, sadly, the book was almost all of the stories I had already heard. :( I was a little disappointed in that. I was hoping for some new stories and I almost returned the book to the library without finishing it. However, I'm still a huge fan, so I kept reading on and came across some new stuff I hadn't heard. In the end, it was worth it. I could hear the nuances of his voice as I read the stories and that made it just a tad bit funnier. I like that he takes some serious issues--like religion and health--and manages to poke a little fun at the trivial things that get us all uptight.
The reality is, though, stand up is more than just words. There's a lot to do with how the story is told and I think the stories are funnier when I'm listening to them rather than reading them.
So why the book review about a book I wouldn't necessarily recommend to anyone? Who knows. Maybe, if you're a huge stand-up fan like I am, you'll look up Birbiglia and get hooked on him too.
Or maybe it was just because this week, I read two books and the other one was one of those books you'd never admit to reading.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Book Review Sunday
Book: The Council of Dads
Author: Bruce Feiler
Pages: 234
This was on the Readers Choice List for the library and it turned out to be pretty good. It went a different direction then I had originally anticipated, but overall, it was very thought provoking and a stark reminder that life is short.
Bruce Feiler, an author and journalist, found out that he had a rare form of bone cancer in his femur in 2008. His twin daughters had just turned three and he was afraid of leaving them without a father figure in their lives, so he set out to find a "Council of Dads", a group of men that were instrumental in his own live, to help steer his daughters in theirs should he pass away.
The book was very interesting in that the people he chose to be in his "Council" weren't necessarily the people you'd think. He didn't choose his brother or his own father, though both were huge parts of his life. He, instead, chose six friends from different areas of his life that embodied his own spirit so they could pass on that to his girls. Feiler figured family members would be a constant in the girls' lives and so he bypassed them to find other men who maybe wouldn't be as involved.
In the end, the book served as a reminder that life is indeed very short but our impact is huge. It got me thinking about who I might ask to be on my "council" should I find myself staring death in the eye. Who would I want my kids to turn to in times of trouble or question. What answers would I give them if I were there to give it to them myself.
This was a fast read and while not necessarily the best book I've ever read, it certainly was a good book to devote a few hours to.
Author: Bruce Feiler
Pages: 234
This was on the Readers Choice List for the library and it turned out to be pretty good. It went a different direction then I had originally anticipated, but overall, it was very thought provoking and a stark reminder that life is short.
Bruce Feiler, an author and journalist, found out that he had a rare form of bone cancer in his femur in 2008. His twin daughters had just turned three and he was afraid of leaving them without a father figure in their lives, so he set out to find a "Council of Dads", a group of men that were instrumental in his own live, to help steer his daughters in theirs should he pass away.
The book was very interesting in that the people he chose to be in his "Council" weren't necessarily the people you'd think. He didn't choose his brother or his own father, though both were huge parts of his life. He, instead, chose six friends from different areas of his life that embodied his own spirit so they could pass on that to his girls. Feiler figured family members would be a constant in the girls' lives and so he bypassed them to find other men who maybe wouldn't be as involved.
In the end, the book served as a reminder that life is indeed very short but our impact is huge. It got me thinking about who I might ask to be on my "council" should I find myself staring death in the eye. Who would I want my kids to turn to in times of trouble or question. What answers would I give them if I were there to give it to them myself.
This was a fast read and while not necessarily the best book I've ever read, it certainly was a good book to devote a few hours to.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Book Review Sunday
Book: Unbroken
Author: Laura Hillenbrand
Pages: 398
Ah, the first book of a new year. Some years they're duds, but not this year. This year the first book was a winner.
I belong to two book clubs. The first one is a club where I'm the youngest member by about 20 years. There are six of us and four of the ladies are older than my mom. The fifth lady is the daughter of one of the other ones, but I'd say she's around 50. At first, I felt funny going. They are part of the other kingdom but the offending "princess" moved away. But, as it turns out, I really like going. They are people I wouldn't really socialize with outside of the book club because of our huge generational gap, but we all come from different walks of life and the discussions are both interesting and entertaining. Plus they tend to read books that are vastly different than the ones we read in Book Club #2.
Book Club #2 was the one that I helped organize on my side of the street. We have about five faithful members, though others will flit in and out during the year. We're all about the same age with about the same story and tend to read the same types of books every month. And so, while I really enjoy it, I enjoy it for different reasons than I do the first one.
To be honest, I thought one of the book clubs would flounder and I wouldn't have to choose, so I just kept going to both of them. But then, I really started getting into both of them and I realized I didn't want either of them to fail. So I've just been going to two book clubs a month.
What does this have to do with the book? Nothing really. Just that it was Bookclub #1's pick for January.
And I LOVED it. LOVED, LOVED, LOVED it. When it was picked, I hadn't heard anything about it, but over the last month, it's picked up some serious press. It's by the same person who wrote Seabiscuit. I hated the movie Seabiscuit, so I was a little nervous to pick up this book, but I'm glad I did.
What's it about? It's about Louis Zamperini, who was one of America's best middle distance runners in the mid 1930's. He went to the Olympics in Berlin in 1936 at just 19 years old. He was rumored to be closing in on the four-minute mile--a benchmark previously thought humanly impossible--when he enlisted in the air force in 1941 for World War II.
What happened after that is unbelievable. He went from being a hometown hero to being stranded out in the shark-infested Pacific Ocean on a lifeboat to a POW in Japanese labor camps. His family wouldn't hear from him in nearly 2 1/2 years. His experiences are a harrowing reminder of the sacrifices our military has made over the span of many years and wars to ensure our freedoms today.
With so much written about Germany's hand in the war and the atrocities that occurred under Hitler, it's easy to forget that Japan was just as cunning and evil. Zamperini's stories gave me goose bumps and I teared up on more than one occassion. It's hard to fathom that a person, or group of people, could be so mean and degrading to other human beings.
This book read almost like a novel. I found myself so nervous to see if someone made it out of the camps alive or not, I had to flip to the back of the book. I loved that Hillenbrand dove into Zamperini's history, before the war, and after. I got a true sense of who he really was outside of his experiences in the war, as well as how those experiences changed him when he returned home. She definitely did her research--it took her a reportedly 7 years to write the book--and the book is peppered with facts and statistics that really brought the whole thing full circle. It really hits home that he was younger than me when all this was happening.
Unbroken is a definite read. Obviously, I loved it because it combined two passions--running and World War II--but even if running isn't your thing, you would still find this to be interesting and, strangely enough, uplifting. If Zamperini survived what he did, then I can most definitely survive my trials. I love that Zamperini took up skateboarding in his seventies and is still alive at 93. However, it's a reminder that the last of those who fought in World War II are nearing the end and soon there will be no more survivors to tell these stories.
Author: Laura Hillenbrand
Pages: 398
Ah, the first book of a new year. Some years they're duds, but not this year. This year the first book was a winner.
I belong to two book clubs. The first one is a club where I'm the youngest member by about 20 years. There are six of us and four of the ladies are older than my mom. The fifth lady is the daughter of one of the other ones, but I'd say she's around 50. At first, I felt funny going. They are part of the other kingdom but the offending "princess" moved away. But, as it turns out, I really like going. They are people I wouldn't really socialize with outside of the book club because of our huge generational gap, but we all come from different walks of life and the discussions are both interesting and entertaining. Plus they tend to read books that are vastly different than the ones we read in Book Club #2.
Book Club #2 was the one that I helped organize on my side of the street. We have about five faithful members, though others will flit in and out during the year. We're all about the same age with about the same story and tend to read the same types of books every month. And so, while I really enjoy it, I enjoy it for different reasons than I do the first one.
To be honest, I thought one of the book clubs would flounder and I wouldn't have to choose, so I just kept going to both of them. But then, I really started getting into both of them and I realized I didn't want either of them to fail. So I've just been going to two book clubs a month.
What does this have to do with the book? Nothing really. Just that it was Bookclub #1's pick for January.
And I LOVED it. LOVED, LOVED, LOVED it. When it was picked, I hadn't heard anything about it, but over the last month, it's picked up some serious press. It's by the same person who wrote Seabiscuit. I hated the movie Seabiscuit, so I was a little nervous to pick up this book, but I'm glad I did.
What's it about? It's about Louis Zamperini, who was one of America's best middle distance runners in the mid 1930's. He went to the Olympics in Berlin in 1936 at just 19 years old. He was rumored to be closing in on the four-minute mile--a benchmark previously thought humanly impossible--when he enlisted in the air force in 1941 for World War II.
What happened after that is unbelievable. He went from being a hometown hero to being stranded out in the shark-infested Pacific Ocean on a lifeboat to a POW in Japanese labor camps. His family wouldn't hear from him in nearly 2 1/2 years. His experiences are a harrowing reminder of the sacrifices our military has made over the span of many years and wars to ensure our freedoms today.
With so much written about Germany's hand in the war and the atrocities that occurred under Hitler, it's easy to forget that Japan was just as cunning and evil. Zamperini's stories gave me goose bumps and I teared up on more than one occassion. It's hard to fathom that a person, or group of people, could be so mean and degrading to other human beings.
This book read almost like a novel. I found myself so nervous to see if someone made it out of the camps alive or not, I had to flip to the back of the book. I loved that Hillenbrand dove into Zamperini's history, before the war, and after. I got a true sense of who he really was outside of his experiences in the war, as well as how those experiences changed him when he returned home. She definitely did her research--it took her a reportedly 7 years to write the book--and the book is peppered with facts and statistics that really brought the whole thing full circle. It really hits home that he was younger than me when all this was happening.
Unbroken is a definite read. Obviously, I loved it because it combined two passions--running and World War II--but even if running isn't your thing, you would still find this to be interesting and, strangely enough, uplifting. If Zamperini survived what he did, then I can most definitely survive my trials. I love that Zamperini took up skateboarding in his seventies and is still alive at 93. However, it's a reminder that the last of those who fought in World War II are nearing the end and soon there will be no more survivors to tell these stories.
Friday, February 26, 2010
2010 Book Review #3
Book: The Help
Author: Kathryn Stockett
Pages: 451
LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this book. This is a definite must-read. I was a little apprehensive because it sounded like it could go either way, but from the get-go it was amazing.
The story is set in the early 1960's in Jackson, Mississippi. It follows three narrators: Aibilene, a black maid who is raising her 17th white baby, Minny, another maid who keeps losing her job thanks to her wise-cracking mouth, and Skeeter, a white gal who returns home after graduating from college and suddenly finds her maid, Constantine, has mysteriously disappeared and no one will tell her why. Skeeter decides it's time for the rest of the nation to see what's going on in Jackson and sets out to tip the town upside down.
The book had every southern thing imaginable in it--from the snotty rich girls to the cooking. It fit every notion of Jackson, Mississippi I could've imagined. However, it was hard for me to reconcile my brain to accept that this is what life was like just a mere 50 years ago in the United States. I kept thinking of it being in the late 1800's and would be jolted back when they talked about watching TV and riding in cars.
I don't know of anyone who grew up with a black maid, but in talking with some of the older ladies at Book Club, some of them knew of people, though it was almost unheard of here in Utah and really the west.
This is a definite must-read for everyone. I gained a whole new appreciation for the civil rights era and how hard blacks have been working to be treated equally.
Author: Kathryn Stockett
Pages: 451
LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this book. This is a definite must-read. I was a little apprehensive because it sounded like it could go either way, but from the get-go it was amazing.
The story is set in the early 1960's in Jackson, Mississippi. It follows three narrators: Aibilene, a black maid who is raising her 17th white baby, Minny, another maid who keeps losing her job thanks to her wise-cracking mouth, and Skeeter, a white gal who returns home after graduating from college and suddenly finds her maid, Constantine, has mysteriously disappeared and no one will tell her why. Skeeter decides it's time for the rest of the nation to see what's going on in Jackson and sets out to tip the town upside down.
The book had every southern thing imaginable in it--from the snotty rich girls to the cooking. It fit every notion of Jackson, Mississippi I could've imagined. However, it was hard for me to reconcile my brain to accept that this is what life was like just a mere 50 years ago in the United States. I kept thinking of it being in the late 1800's and would be jolted back when they talked about watching TV and riding in cars.
I don't know of anyone who grew up with a black maid, but in talking with some of the older ladies at Book Club, some of them knew of people, though it was almost unheard of here in Utah and really the west.
This is a definite must-read for everyone. I gained a whole new appreciation for the civil rights era and how hard blacks have been working to be treated equally.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
2010 Book Review #2
Book: Dog On It
Author: Spencer Quinn
Pages: 305
If you're a dog person--which, surprisingly, considering the two cats inhabiting my home, I am--you will LOVE this book.
Bernie--and Chet--of Little Dectective Agency and is called out on a missing person's case of a 15 year old. Mixed into the scene are a bunch of Russian thugs, a father deep in debt, and some other crazies that play minor parts. Pretty much PI normal.
But, what makes it so unique is that it's told from the viewpoint of Chet. A dog. And if you've ever had a dog, you can totally relate to the stream of consciousness that the book follows. It bounces all over the place. Also, dogs like to nap. And Chet was no exception. Especially during really crucial parts in the investigation when Bernie is talking to someone about the case and they're about to say something.
Grrr...
But a good grrr...
Because the book was really funny. And reminded me so much of my dog growing up I couldn't help but wonder if this is how all dogs think.
Loved it! Great, fast, easy read.
Author: Spencer Quinn
Pages: 305
If you're a dog person--which, surprisingly, considering the two cats inhabiting my home, I am--you will LOVE this book.
Bernie--and Chet--of Little Dectective Agency and is called out on a missing person's case of a 15 year old. Mixed into the scene are a bunch of Russian thugs, a father deep in debt, and some other crazies that play minor parts. Pretty much PI normal.
But, what makes it so unique is that it's told from the viewpoint of Chet. A dog. And if you've ever had a dog, you can totally relate to the stream of consciousness that the book follows. It bounces all over the place. Also, dogs like to nap. And Chet was no exception. Especially during really crucial parts in the investigation when Bernie is talking to someone about the case and they're about to say something.
Grrr...
But a good grrr...
Because the book was really funny. And reminded me so much of my dog growing up I couldn't help but wonder if this is how all dogs think.
Loved it! Great, fast, easy read.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
2010 Book Review #1
These probably won't be weekly like they have in the past. Things are pretty hectic now that my chore time, computer time, reading time and nap miscellaneous time has been pared down to when Aunika is asleep. That little monkey! But, I'd like to review a book at least twice a month. We'll see.
Book: Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen
Author: Christopher McDougall
Pages: 304 pages
This book was SO interesting. I first heard about it from my older brother, who thought it was about runners from Africa, so I was very surprised to find that it was about a hidden tribe of Indians in Mexico's Copper Canyon.
However, the story was enthralling. The author goes deep into this drug runner's lair to find this mysterious tribe and their one "gringo" follower, Caballo Blanco (White Horse). His story is truly fascinating. Check out his website for some cool pictures. http://www.caballoblanco.com/
Interweaved in the story of this amazing supertribe of endurance athletes are tangents that spurt left and right. It was a little hard to keep on track, especially when all I wanted to read about was this crazy ultramarathon the author was going to participate in with the Tarahumara Indians and a few crazy, elite ultramarathoners from the states. But, naturally, the sidenotes were very informative.
However, there were a few things I took away from the book. (a) I should stop paying $$$ for my shoes and be happy with what I have. Maybe it will even help me in the long run. (b) Eat less meat. Buy chia seeds. Or, as McDougall put in his book, eat like I'm poor and (c) Running doesn't have to be punishment for eating and once you strip away all the gadgets and the gear and truly get back to your four-year old self, you're just one step closer to being like the Tarahumaras.
I probably won't become a barefoot, vegetarian ultramarathoner anytime soon, but if life could be anything like what the author experienced, it's tempting.
Book: Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen
Author: Christopher McDougall
Pages: 304 pages
This book was SO interesting. I first heard about it from my older brother, who thought it was about runners from Africa, so I was very surprised to find that it was about a hidden tribe of Indians in Mexico's Copper Canyon.
However, the story was enthralling. The author goes deep into this drug runner's lair to find this mysterious tribe and their one "gringo" follower, Caballo Blanco (White Horse). His story is truly fascinating. Check out his website for some cool pictures. http://www.caballoblanco.com/
Interweaved in the story of this amazing supertribe of endurance athletes are tangents that spurt left and right. It was a little hard to keep on track, especially when all I wanted to read about was this crazy ultramarathon the author was going to participate in with the Tarahumara Indians and a few crazy, elite ultramarathoners from the states. But, naturally, the sidenotes were very informative.
However, there were a few things I took away from the book. (a) I should stop paying $$$ for my shoes and be happy with what I have. Maybe it will even help me in the long run. (b) Eat less meat. Buy chia seeds. Or, as McDougall put in his book, eat like I'm poor and (c) Running doesn't have to be punishment for eating and once you strip away all the gadgets and the gear and truly get back to your four-year old self, you're just one step closer to being like the Tarahumaras.
I probably won't become a barefoot, vegetarian ultramarathoner anytime soon, but if life could be anything like what the author experienced, it's tempting.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Book Review Friday 11/27/09
Book: The Goose Girl
Author: Shannon Hale
Pages: 400
This is a retelling of the fairy tale by The Brothers Grimm. To be honest, I had never heard of the story before, though at the book club this was discussed at, some of the older ladies had.
Princess Ani is sent to a neighboring land to be married, but comes upon a plot for her righteous place in the kingdom. She is then forced into hiding and must get the King to see that she is who everyone says she isn't.
All in all, the plot was pretty predictable, though there were a few windy turns here and there. I wasn't surprised at anything that happened. However, a few ladies at the bookclub were taken by surprise. My theory is that I've read so many books, that there really isn't much left to surprise me anymore. Or I'm pretty good at sniffing out the twists. Who knows?
This book took me about 1/3 of the way to get really into it. In fact, I hadn't even read it all before I showed up at book club because I just couldn't bring myself to sit down and read it. However, after hearing what they had to say about it at book club, I finished and I'm glad I did.
The story is written for a younger crowd and princesses aren't really my thing, so I have a bias going into it, but I thought Shannon Hale did an excellent job of crafting the story to fit into the young adult genre. There's definitely a strong female presence in the book and it's nice to see the females empowered instead of oppressed.
By the end of the book, I was intrigued enough to maybe pick up the next book in the series, so that says something. I didn't devour the book, but I enjoyed it for what it's worth.
Author: Shannon Hale
Pages: 400
This is a retelling of the fairy tale by The Brothers Grimm. To be honest, I had never heard of the story before, though at the book club this was discussed at, some of the older ladies had.
Princess Ani is sent to a neighboring land to be married, but comes upon a plot for her righteous place in the kingdom. She is then forced into hiding and must get the King to see that she is who everyone says she isn't.
All in all, the plot was pretty predictable, though there were a few windy turns here and there. I wasn't surprised at anything that happened. However, a few ladies at the bookclub were taken by surprise. My theory is that I've read so many books, that there really isn't much left to surprise me anymore. Or I'm pretty good at sniffing out the twists. Who knows?
This book took me about 1/3 of the way to get really into it. In fact, I hadn't even read it all before I showed up at book club because I just couldn't bring myself to sit down and read it. However, after hearing what they had to say about it at book club, I finished and I'm glad I did.
The story is written for a younger crowd and princesses aren't really my thing, so I have a bias going into it, but I thought Shannon Hale did an excellent job of crafting the story to fit into the young adult genre. There's definitely a strong female presence in the book and it's nice to see the females empowered instead of oppressed.
By the end of the book, I was intrigued enough to maybe pick up the next book in the series, so that says something. I didn't devour the book, but I enjoyed it for what it's worth.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Book Review Friday 11/13/09
Book: The Gardner Heist
Pages: 226
Author: Ulrich Boser
I was more than pleasantly surprised by this book. I had grabbed it off the shelf at the library because I was in a hurry and it was the nearest book.
It took me a while to get into it, but once I did, I couldn't put it down. The book is a written account of the investigation in to the world's largest art theft, the Gardner Art Museum, in 1990. I wish I still had the book in my possession to spit out the facts, but something like 14 paintings were stolen, worth more than $500 million, in an 88 minute time span. As of today, none of it has been recovered.
The book detailed a world that I didn't know even existed in real life; the Boston Underworld of mafias and hit men. I assumed that the viciousness of it was Hollywoodize, but if what the book protrays is true, then it's straight from the movies.
The cast of characters woven into the account are intriguing, though I wouldn't want to ever meet them. I loved the descriptions the author used to accurately portray the main players in the investigation.
I would definitely recommend this book to most anyone, art lover or not. I'm not familiar with a lot of art but I found the book to be beyond fascinating for the understory it told.
This book proves that some of the best stories aren't made up.
Pages: 226
Author: Ulrich Boser
I was more than pleasantly surprised by this book. I had grabbed it off the shelf at the library because I was in a hurry and it was the nearest book.
It took me a while to get into it, but once I did, I couldn't put it down. The book is a written account of the investigation in to the world's largest art theft, the Gardner Art Museum, in 1990. I wish I still had the book in my possession to spit out the facts, but something like 14 paintings were stolen, worth more than $500 million, in an 88 minute time span. As of today, none of it has been recovered.
The book detailed a world that I didn't know even existed in real life; the Boston Underworld of mafias and hit men. I assumed that the viciousness of it was Hollywoodize, but if what the book protrays is true, then it's straight from the movies.
The cast of characters woven into the account are intriguing, though I wouldn't want to ever meet them. I loved the descriptions the author used to accurately portray the main players in the investigation.
I would definitely recommend this book to most anyone, art lover or not. I'm not familiar with a lot of art but I found the book to be beyond fascinating for the understory it told.
This book proves that some of the best stories aren't made up.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Book Review Friday 10/30/09
Book: Queen of Babble in the Big City
Author: Meg Cabot
Pages: 307
This is the follow-up to Queen of Babble, which I read earlier this year. I am a HUGE fan of Meg Cabot. She's the author behind The Princess Diaries series (which I haven't read) and a slew of other books, some of which I have read. It's her style I love. If my brain were an open book (heaven help us all), it would read like a Meg Cabot book.
Well, maybe like a Meg Cabot book on steriods because of all the math thingies going on in there.
But still...it's me, in book form.
Queen of Babble in the Big City picks up from when Lizzie returns to the states after a summer stay in France, where she meets Luke, her now-boyfriend (subject matter of Queen of Babble). She decides to move to New York from her homestate of Michigan to fulfill her dreams of opening a wedding dress refurnishing shop in lower Manhattan while Luke is attending medical school at NYU. However, Lizzie doesn't realize how hard it is to make it in New York and she tends to open her mouth at all the wrong times and places, making it doubly hard.
I'll be honest--there's not much depth here. But it was the perfect book for a week of de-stressing. Or what was suppose to be de-stressing, but actually quite stressing with two Halloween costumes to make, a pot of chili to make and a host of other, less fun activities.
I would kill at this point to have a weekend to myself where I could hole up somewhere and just read. Or watch tv or take a nap.
A nap would be nice.
But I digress.
Meg Cabot has quickly become one of my most favorite authors and I can't wait to pick up the next book in the Queen of Babble series.
Author: Meg Cabot
Pages: 307
This is the follow-up to Queen of Babble, which I read earlier this year. I am a HUGE fan of Meg Cabot. She's the author behind The Princess Diaries series (which I haven't read) and a slew of other books, some of which I have read. It's her style I love. If my brain were an open book (heaven help us all), it would read like a Meg Cabot book.
Well, maybe like a Meg Cabot book on steriods because of all the math thingies going on in there.
But still...it's me, in book form.
Queen of Babble in the Big City picks up from when Lizzie returns to the states after a summer stay in France, where she meets Luke, her now-boyfriend (subject matter of Queen of Babble). She decides to move to New York from her homestate of Michigan to fulfill her dreams of opening a wedding dress refurnishing shop in lower Manhattan while Luke is attending medical school at NYU. However, Lizzie doesn't realize how hard it is to make it in New York and she tends to open her mouth at all the wrong times and places, making it doubly hard.
I'll be honest--there's not much depth here. But it was the perfect book for a week of de-stressing. Or what was suppose to be de-stressing, but actually quite stressing with two Halloween costumes to make, a pot of chili to make and a host of other, less fun activities.
I would kill at this point to have a weekend to myself where I could hole up somewhere and just read. Or watch tv or take a nap.
A nap would be nice.
But I digress.
Meg Cabot has quickly become one of my most favorite authors and I can't wait to pick up the next book in the Queen of Babble series.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Book Review Friday 10/23/09
I know. Finished a basement AND a book this week. Will I ever cease amazing you?
Book: Alicia
Author: Alicia Appleman-Jurman
Pages: 448 pages
A friend let me borrow this a while ago and it's been sitting on my nightstand for a long time. I just wasn't in the place mentally to where I could read about the Holocaust, although it is one of my most favorite topics to read about. Last week, I was finally there, and so I picked it back up and finished it.
The story is the memoir of a 12 year old Polish Jewess who was living through the German occupation. While she never is sent to a concentration camp, she does live in the ghettos in Poland and witnesses a lot of horrible things. The things she endured over the course of the war are incredible and her fortitude is amazing. I kept imagining some of the girls that come over and babysit for me who are about the same age and wondered if they would be as resilient. It's always amazing what you can make yourself do if you are put in certain situations. Your instinct to survive is a lot stronger than I think we give it credit.
By the time she is 15, the war is over and she becomes one of the displaced. She has no family or home to return to. But she makes her way back to Poland and starts up an orphanage for children who lost their entire families in concentration camps.
From there she goes on to work in the underground movement to move the Jewish out of Poland and into Palenstine.
Alicia endures heartbreak and illness, but manages to make it through in one piece without losing her faith in God or for the human race.
The story was incredible. I really can't say enough about it. We should be required to read stories like this to remind us that our troubles are merely bumps in the road.
Book: Alicia
Author: Alicia Appleman-Jurman
Pages: 448 pages
A friend let me borrow this a while ago and it's been sitting on my nightstand for a long time. I just wasn't in the place mentally to where I could read about the Holocaust, although it is one of my most favorite topics to read about. Last week, I was finally there, and so I picked it back up and finished it.
The story is the memoir of a 12 year old Polish Jewess who was living through the German occupation. While she never is sent to a concentration camp, she does live in the ghettos in Poland and witnesses a lot of horrible things. The things she endured over the course of the war are incredible and her fortitude is amazing. I kept imagining some of the girls that come over and babysit for me who are about the same age and wondered if they would be as resilient. It's always amazing what you can make yourself do if you are put in certain situations. Your instinct to survive is a lot stronger than I think we give it credit.
By the time she is 15, the war is over and she becomes one of the displaced. She has no family or home to return to. But she makes her way back to Poland and starts up an orphanage for children who lost their entire families in concentration camps.
From there she goes on to work in the underground movement to move the Jewish out of Poland and into Palenstine.
Alicia endures heartbreak and illness, but manages to make it through in one piece without losing her faith in God or for the human race.
The story was incredible. I really can't say enough about it. We should be required to read stories like this to remind us that our troubles are merely bumps in the road.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Book Review Friday 10/16/09
So, it's not like I haven't been reading. I have. But this week, I've spent a lot of time researching a speech I did on the Japanese Internment of World War II on Thursday. And it was a big hit. I was surprised that not a lot of people knew much about this particular incident in our nation's history.
By surprised, I mean that I thought maybe it was my supposedly sub-par West Side education that failed me, but apparently, it's one of those incidents that we, as a nation, have swept under the rug. How disgusted we must have felt when we came to learn of Hitler's atrocities of imprisoning people in camps based solely on their race...
I read a few books (parts of them anyways) and what not. Even read one while I was blowdrying the basement. (Don't ask.)
But I didn't read anything that was spectacular. Not that there probably isn't something out there that is spectacular. Just that, I picked up what the Magna Library had on the Japanese Internment and it wasn't a lot (Magna being on the west side, I imagine). So I didn't have a lot to choose from.
One day soon, I'll bestow upon you my new found knowledge. But it's late, and I'm tired, so I'm not going to do it tonight.
But I will leave you with words of wisdom.
You're welcome.
Read. Read lots. Because when you read, you find things you want to learn about. Like the Japanese Internment stemming from a book I reviewed a few weeks back called Picture Brides. And that fosters more reading and you become smart.
Or smarter. More smart?
And people will bow down to you, and hail you as their intellectual goddess (god?) and you will feel great about yourself and then you will want to impress them even more, so you'll read other things and learn big words and sound as though you know what you're talking about at social gatherings.
And all this because you picked up a book.
Reading is power people. So read.
*end Public Service Announcement*
By surprised, I mean that I thought maybe it was my supposedly sub-par West Side education that failed me, but apparently, it's one of those incidents that we, as a nation, have swept under the rug. How disgusted we must have felt when we came to learn of Hitler's atrocities of imprisoning people in camps based solely on their race...
I read a few books (parts of them anyways) and what not. Even read one while I was blowdrying the basement. (Don't ask.)
But I didn't read anything that was spectacular. Not that there probably isn't something out there that is spectacular. Just that, I picked up what the Magna Library had on the Japanese Internment and it wasn't a lot (Magna being on the west side, I imagine). So I didn't have a lot to choose from.
One day soon, I'll bestow upon you my new found knowledge. But it's late, and I'm tired, so I'm not going to do it tonight.
But I will leave you with words of wisdom.
You're welcome.
Read. Read lots. Because when you read, you find things you want to learn about. Like the Japanese Internment stemming from a book I reviewed a few weeks back called Picture Brides. And that fosters more reading and you become smart.
Or smarter. More smart?
And people will bow down to you, and hail you as their intellectual goddess (god?) and you will feel great about yourself and then you will want to impress them even more, so you'll read other things and learn big words and sound as though you know what you're talking about at social gatherings.
And all this because you picked up a book.
Reading is power people. So read.
*end Public Service Announcement*
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Book Review Friday 10/02/09
Ha. But it's Sunday you say.
So.
Book: The Virgin Queen's Daughter
Author: Ella March Chase
Pages: 347
I was a little hesitant to pick up this book. For starters, I know next to nothing about the Elizabethian era. I have heard a few of the more famous names throughout my (very limited) history education: King Henry VIII, Ann Boleyn, Katherine Parr (maybe?). But that was it.
By which I mean, that was all I knew.
Secondly, I'm not really into historical fiction...blah, blah, zzzzzzzzz.
And so with these two strikes against me, I'm now breaking with Friday tradition to write a review on Sunday for this book that I just finished.
(And you thought I took the week off.)
Because I enjoyed it that much.
The story follows Nell, a country borne girl who grew up in a family with some ties to the Royal family (or something. I enjoyed the book, but I didn't get all of the formalities.) Nell's father taught her everything he could, breaking mold with the notion that women weren't as intelligent as men. From an early age Nell wanted to escape her small town(?) and become a servant(?) for Queen Elizabeth I, who was educated much the same way that Nell was.
Nell, against her mom's greatest wishes, leaves to go to court (Queen Elizabeth I's) and once there discovers secrets that threaten to unravel her and perhaps end her life.
The story line itself was intriguing. It held my interest for sure. But what I really liked about this read was the historical backgrounds thrown in. I was especially pleased that you didn't have to have much of a previous knowledge of Queen Elizabeth I, the Tudors (Queen Elizabeth I's bloodline) or her reign to fully appreciate the story . The inner workings of the court and the reign of Queen Elizabeth I FASCINATED me.
The characters were well developed and you had a definitive sense of like/dislike for each one of them.
I don't want to give away any more of the story, so I'll leave it at that, but suffice it to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone and everyone. If not for the story itself, then definitely for the in depth study of life at that time during Queen Elizabeth's reign. Note, however, that the author makes no secret that she took liberties with the historical aspect for the sake of the story, so it's not all true. Which is why it's historical fiction. But there was definitely a lot of research involved.
So.
Book: The Virgin Queen's Daughter
Author: Ella March Chase
Pages: 347
I was a little hesitant to pick up this book. For starters, I know next to nothing about the Elizabethian era. I have heard a few of the more famous names throughout my (very limited) history education: King Henry VIII, Ann Boleyn, Katherine Parr (maybe?). But that was it.
By which I mean, that was all I knew.
Secondly, I'm not really into historical fiction...blah, blah, zzzzzzzzz.
And so with these two strikes against me, I'm now breaking with Friday tradition to write a review on Sunday for this book that I just finished.
(And you thought I took the week off.)
Because I enjoyed it that much.
The story follows Nell, a country borne girl who grew up in a family with some ties to the Royal family (or something. I enjoyed the book, but I didn't get all of the formalities.) Nell's father taught her everything he could, breaking mold with the notion that women weren't as intelligent as men. From an early age Nell wanted to escape her small town(?) and become a servant(?) for Queen Elizabeth I, who was educated much the same way that Nell was.
Nell, against her mom's greatest wishes, leaves to go to court (Queen Elizabeth I's) and once there discovers secrets that threaten to unravel her and perhaps end her life.
The story line itself was intriguing. It held my interest for sure. But what I really liked about this read was the historical backgrounds thrown in. I was especially pleased that you didn't have to have much of a previous knowledge of Queen Elizabeth I, the Tudors (Queen Elizabeth I's bloodline) or her reign to fully appreciate the story . The inner workings of the court and the reign of Queen Elizabeth I FASCINATED me.
The characters were well developed and you had a definitive sense of like/dislike for each one of them.
I don't want to give away any more of the story, so I'll leave it at that, but suffice it to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone and everyone. If not for the story itself, then definitely for the in depth study of life at that time during Queen Elizabeth's reign. Note, however, that the author makes no secret that she took liberties with the historical aspect for the sake of the story, so it's not all true. Which is why it's historical fiction. But there was definitely a lot of research involved.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Book Review Friday 9/25/09
It was a toss up this week...should I review the creepy one or the silly one? And the verdict is:
Book: In This Way, I Was Saved
Author: Brian DeLeeuw
Pages: 320 pages
This book was creeptasic. Told from the viewpoint of an unlikely narrator, the book follows a family through it's madness. The overall feel of the book was dark so I wouldn't necessarily suggest it to most people I know, but it was an interesting read nonetheless.
Six year old Luke befriends Daniel at a playground outside the Metropolitan Museum. What ensues is a friendship that borders--no, definitely crosses the line--of bizarre and strange.
As Luke matures into adolescence and adulthood, Daniel takes on a less dominant role in his life, but is always in the wings waiting for the right moment to reinsert himself as Luke's somewhat controller. The moment comes when Luke is in high school, and Daniel takes center stage again.
In a classic story of good vs. evil, this book takes a hard look at what the assumed outcome is going to be and twists it. Maybe good doesn't always win, but then again, maybe it does.
I didn't think I would like this book as much as I did, but I was thoroughly engrossed from the first chapter. Word of caution: The language is a little strong and so are some of the situations. But it does fit the book, if that makes sense. Sometimes, authors put in language and situations because they think they can and it detracts from the overall feel of the book. However, in some plots, these elements are warranted.
Definitely, a good book for a first novel.
Book: In This Way, I Was Saved
Author: Brian DeLeeuw
Pages: 320 pages
This book was creeptasic. Told from the viewpoint of an unlikely narrator, the book follows a family through it's madness. The overall feel of the book was dark so I wouldn't necessarily suggest it to most people I know, but it was an interesting read nonetheless.
Six year old Luke befriends Daniel at a playground outside the Metropolitan Museum. What ensues is a friendship that borders--no, definitely crosses the line--of bizarre and strange.
As Luke matures into adolescence and adulthood, Daniel takes on a less dominant role in his life, but is always in the wings waiting for the right moment to reinsert himself as Luke's somewhat controller. The moment comes when Luke is in high school, and Daniel takes center stage again.
In a classic story of good vs. evil, this book takes a hard look at what the assumed outcome is going to be and twists it. Maybe good doesn't always win, but then again, maybe it does.
I didn't think I would like this book as much as I did, but I was thoroughly engrossed from the first chapter. Word of caution: The language is a little strong and so are some of the situations. But it does fit the book, if that makes sense. Sometimes, authors put in language and situations because they think they can and it detracts from the overall feel of the book. However, in some plots, these elements are warranted.
Definitely, a good book for a first novel.
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