Little Thoughts About Books and Stuff

I love scarfs and I'm always trying new ways to wear them, this book 'sepaks' to me! 

Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg My rating: 4 of 5 stars I have had this book on my To Be Read list since it came out, but because of all the mixed reviews when it came out I never got around to reading it.  This is one of the things I love about book clubs, I get to read books that I never would have picked up, or that I've put off reading. I didn't know how the book would translate into information I could use, I'm not on an upward climb to the top of the corporate ladder. I'm surprised at how much I was able to take from the book, just the idea of sitting at the table and leaning in, is something that can be applied no matter what job a woman holds. At the discussion I found that a lot of us were able to apply some of the basic concepts to our jobs. We all agreed that we liked the idea of work being like a jungle gym rather than a ladder.  The idea that we can make those lateral transitions and still have access to growth is a bet...

This meme is hosted by  Mr. Knowitall . Just spent 15 mins on the phone explaining how I just know a text about winning a million bucks at random is fake. #librarianproblems — b cote (@nojustbeth) February 21, 2014 So I was trying to figure out what to write for today's Flash Fiction Friday and was coming up blank.  Then I saw the above Tweet show up in list for #librarianproblems and knew right away what I would write! “Hi how can I help you?” “I won some money and I need to go online to fill out the paper work to claim the money. Can you help me?” “Ok what’s the web address?” She hands me her phone and I read the text message. “This is a scam.” “But it says I won!”

The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman My rating: 3 of 5 stars Book Description: After four harrowing years on the Western Front, Tom Sherbourne returns to Australia and takes a job as the lighthouse keeper on Janus Rock, nearly half a day’s journey from the coast. To this isolated island, where the supply boat comes once a season, Tom brings a young, bold, and loving wife, Isabel. Years later, after two miscarriages and one stillbirth, the grieving Isabel hears a baby’s cries on the wind. A boat has washed up onshore carrying a dead man and a living baby. Tom, who keeps meticulous records and whose moral principles have withstood a horrific war, wants to report the man and infant immediately. But Isabel insists the baby is a “gift from God,” and against Tom’s judgment, they claim her as their own and name her Lucy. When she is two, Tom and Isabel return to the mainland and are reminded that there are other people in the world. Their choice has devastated one of them. I could ...

I wrote this poem in a creative writing class in college.  The prompt was to compare two things in a Venn diagram . I compared a kiss and a shot of whiskey.  I no longer have the diagram I came up with, but this poem has to be one of my favorite things I've written.  Whiskey I can’t forget the events of those nights The taste of whiskey in your kisses The smell of it on your breath I’m haunted by the feel of your hands And the soft curses spoken I remember every whispered promise Those of love, marriage and a family I remember the night those promises stopped And all that remained was the whiskey The burn of it all going down I’ve tried to drink away these memories But nothing can burn them away When I drink rum I only get sick The same with vodka and tequila I’ve tried whiskey, but it reminds me of you Taking a shot of whiskey is like kissing you My whole system is affected by it My mouth goes numb and Everything tastes weaker after It’s a taste that can never be forgott...

This meme is hosted by  Mr. Knowitall . In honor of Valentine's Day I paired down a poem I wrote in college.  So here is the shorter version of Whiskey I remember my first shot of whiskey Just like I remember our first kiss My whole system is affected by it My mouth goes numb and Everything tastes weaker after It’s a taste that can never be forgotten  I’m haunted by our last kiss I swore never shoot whiskey again But I crave the burn Tomorrow I'll post the whole poem.

Friends with Benefits SUCKS by Lynn Gilliard My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars Lynn Gilliard calls herself the 'Big Sis' of dating advice. While reading this short book, I thought more like that sassy friend who has an answer for everything.  Gilliard uses her past experiences in love/dating to dish out advice on why women shouldn't let themselves get involved in a Friends with Benefits relationship. I don't have a Big Sis or a sassy friend who's been there, but when I was younger I wish I had someone there to guide me.  While I never ended up in these situations, I can see how this book could benefit someone who needs to quick kick in the butt to start respecting herself. Things I disliked about this book were the sweeping generalizations that weren't backed by any research or solid facts. Lines like this: Low self-esteem starts with feelings of being unwanted and unloved by a father or mother. (Loc 34)  and this: The problem is that the high levels of tes...

The Good Luck of Right Now by Matthew Quick My rating: 5 of 5 stars Matthew Quick writes some of the best quirky and unique characters.  Bartholomew's world is turned upside down when his mother passes away. As he's going through her stuff he discovers a letter sent to supporters of The Gere Foundation in support of protesting the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. His mother was a HUGE Richard Gere fan and raised her son to be a big fan too. (I mention this because it's important but I'm not going to tell you why it's important you need to read the book to find out!)  Besides being a Richard Gere fan, Bartholomew is a regular at both the library and church. Father McNamee is trying to help during this difficult time and enlists the help of Wendy to help Bartholomew through his grief.  Bartholomew is reluctant to see that Wendy is any help, since she wants him to change. When Father McNamee defrocks himself and moves in with Bartholomew things go from quirky to stran...

This meme is hosted by  Mr. Knowitall . Okay so this is a day later than I had wanted to post it, but I couldn't get my wording quite right.  This is a story that is loosly (very loosely) based on fact. I did question the existance of dinosaurs in the bible, and I was told it was the 'beasts' mention in the creation story and I do have a great uncle we call Uncle Father. Besides all that, completely made up! “But where are the dinosaurs?” She clutched the stuffed raptor to her chest. “Right here niña.” Tío Padre pointed to the passage he just read. “God created the beasts of the earth, sea, and air.” “Does it say why God killed the dinosaurs?” Tío Padre chuckled, “No niña, God doesn’t have to explain his actions.”

I've changed up my display again this year.  It makes for a really cute design, but it was a pain to print on the paper bags. Click here for past year's displays.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green My rating: 5 of 5 stars I loved this book.  We had a great discussion (is it a discussion when it's only 2.5 people?). I say 2.5 because one woman had only read part of the book and was only there for part of the meeting. I have the Exclusive Collector's Edition from B&N that features a Q&A with John Green.  This really added to our discussion to have his answer to some of our discussion topics. We also used the questions to facilitate our discussion. For example in discussing the way Augustus misuses big words and how Hazel is wrong about infinite sets. I'm really excited for the movie too! View all my reviews