Little Thoughts About Books and Stuff

Isn't It Time for a Coffee Break?: Doing Life Together in an All-About-Me Kind of World by Amelia Rhodes My rating: 3 of 5 stars I have mixed feelings about this book. I really liked the concept and the writing but I felt it was a little to heavy with the Scriptures and pushing of God.  Let me explain... I do believe I am blessed to call my friends, my friends.  They are two women who I've known for a number of years and are my support and cheering section when I need them. I truely believe that God has given me these friends as support for the tough times in my life and celebrate my achivements.  I really took to heart the theme of this book, of taking time away from everything that consumes us to spend time with friends and reconnect and build on that bond. I know God is a part of my life, but I question my faith.  I personally have a limit of when Christian books push too far in praising God and quoting scripture.  This is where my mixed feelings come...

Epic Fail by Claire LaZebnik My rating: 3 of 5 stars Epic Fail is a modern, young adult adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. I thought it was a cute and funny take on P&P. Derek Edwards is our Darcy and Elise Benton is our Elizabeth and unlike the original characters thier pride and prejudices are the results of high school.  Derek is the son of Hollywood royalty and while everyone can agree his attitude is due to his parents, what they don't know is the real reason he keeps himself apart from those around him.  Elise is the daughter of the new princepal and awkward teacher at school, she may be embarassed by her parents and her overly hyper younger sister, but hey who wouldn't be during thier high school  years. I really liked these two.  They were great modernzations of the orignal characters and I got sucked into thier story.  I think all the characters were wonderfully adapted.  I think Webster Grant (Wickam) and Chelsea (...

The Smart One and the Pretty One by Claire LaZebnik My rating: 3 of 5 stars This book made me think of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility . Ava was the grounded daughter like Elinor and Lauren was the up in the sky one like Marianne. Russell is Edward, at least the was he was described as a child when the engagement agreement was written up.  Lauren even get involved with a man who clearly represents Willoughby. While the book as aspects of Jane Austen's novel, it doesn't read like an adaptation, which I really liked since S&S I my least favorite Austen novel. At times I wanted to strangle Laura and even Russell. They both seemed a little too concerned aboutlooks and appearance. While I didn't want to strangle Ava I did want to hit her for being so closed mined about change.  Some of what I disliked about the interactions between Ava and Lauren might simply be that I don't have a sister and I don't understand their dynamics. I think they have a great...

Why We Write: 20 Acclaimed Authors on How and Why They Do What They Do by Meredith Maran My rating: 4 of 5 stars To any author, whether you are published or not, the answer to why do you write is simple and these authors are not any different.  We write because we have to. This book takes that answer a step further.  They just don't answer ' Because we have to! ' They answer " Because I have to... " It's what comes after the ellipsis that makes this book a must read for aspiring authors.  We get an insight into some of the best literary minds.  We look up to these authors, we want their success and we want to know their secrets. The book is nicely broken down so each author gets his or her own chapter.  There is a quote from one of thier works and brief background information including the authors vitals. The vitals include information on thier birth, family, schooling, honors and awards, and anything else that might be no...

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie My rating: 4 of 5 stars Here is an edited down version of the review I had to submit to my publishing class. Have you ever felt alone, left out, or as if you haven’t belonged?  You are not alone.  Arnold Spirit, Jr. (Junior) is at that point in his life and  The Absolutely True Story of a Part-Time Indian  is the story of his journey to find out who he is and where he belongs.  Sherman Alexie’s new novel is a coming of age story about a 14-year-old boy living on the Spokane Indian Reservation in Washington.  This semi-autobiographical novel, Alexie’s first foray into Young Adult literature, evokes the same themes as his award winning poetry and short story fiction; poverty, alcoholism, and despair. Junior, like Alexie, was born with a condition called hydrocephalus.  They both had surgery when they were six months old and spent their childhoods being teased by other kids and ...

TBR Challenge - Book #1 Jack's Widow by Eve Pollard My rating: 3 of 5 stars It's not really what I was expecting. It read more like a brief biography of her life after Jack's death with some story elements thrown in, instead of a story with some reality in the mix. The story starts off with Jackie's life right after Jack's death and her quick transition from First Lady to widowed mother of two.  This is interspersed with reflections on their trip to the White House and the connections Jackie made that would later set up the life she will end up living. The middle of the book lost my interest.  I felt that the way it was written was backwards.  There was a lot of political discussion and talk between minor characters and Jackie was just a passing mention.  Yes this is also a lot of set up, but it got to the point where I had to force myself to pick the book back up.  I would have liked a few scenes of these dinner parties she threw at her NYC apartment i...

Here's  my post from last year  with the displays from my first two years of Blind Date with a Book. Since I noticed a number of patrons checking their checkout slips for book titles and then returning the books unopened I changed things up this year to try to cut out that habit. I picked 10 books all about the same size, wrapped them and numbered them. When they get checked out it will be by number only until they get it home and unwrap the book. This year's books are: Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins Persuasion by Jane Austen A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare The Blind Side by Michael Lewis Blockade Billy by Stephen King One for the Money by Janet Evanovich The Glass Castle by Jaennette Walls Abraham Lincoln by James McPherson A Slice of Murder by Chris Cavender