Little Thoughts About Books and Stuff

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson My rating: 4 of 5 stars This summer's Adult Summer Reading Theme is Literary Elements.  We've taken a science/science fiction approach to the theme.  I decided that for July and August my book club would pick two classic science fiction books. I unfortunately had to cancel our July meeting but I wanted to share some thoughts on the novel.  I couldn't remember if I had read the book or not as part of a school assignment, but it's a story most people at least know the basics of, (at least I hope they do!). The only thing I really disliked about the book was the point of view Stevennson used to tell the story.  I would have liked to have been with Dr. Jekyll when he tried his experiments and been there after he had woken up from being Mr. Hyde. I think the story is a great discussion on the ideas of good and evil in humanity.  It was interesting to note that Mr. Hyde was smaller than Dr...

Tea and a Book: Palisades Park by Alan Brennert My rating: 5 of 5 stars Tea and a Book didn't meet, because no one showed up. I loved the book and was so happy I picked it as our June book.  I became invested in the characters and would get angry when my lunch breaks would end or it got so late I couldn't keep my eyes open to read even one more page. Mercer County Girls Just Wanna Have Fun: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot My rating: 4 of 5 stars We had a great discussion with this book, a lot of talk about ethical and moral standings with regard to science.  We also talked about how much has and hasn't changed since Henrietta's life in regards to medical coverage. We can't wait to see the movie (whenever it gets made). Forever YA: The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater My rating: 1 of 5 stars DNF I just couldn't get into this story. It felt like I was dropped into the middle of the story and I just couldn't get ...

Beautiful Ruins  by  Jess Walter My rating:  4 of 5 stars I originally read this book back in December for the Winter Book Club . Since we were moving Tea & A Book from Tuesday afternoons to Saturday mornings. I wanted to pick a popular book that I knew a lot of people had read, so patrons would feel more comfortable stopping in (you know in case they wanted to join us!). The switch didn't go smoothly. I thought I could get some computer updates done before our 11 am start time, but the last 3 computers were not updating nicely. Since just one person showed up, I apologized and asked if he wanted to stop back later and sit with me at the Ref Desk and discuss the book and he was okay with that (I love how flexible he is to changing book day/time).  At around 11:45 a woman came in and asked about the book club and we explained that we didn't really have it, but I could ask the other interested person and we could meet at 1. That worked for everyone and we held...

I just haven't been motivated to write reviews. I wrote a really brief one for CNJ JASNA and feel kinda bad about it. Here's what I read and a brief review of the books. First up Forever YA: The Tyrant's Daughter by J.C. Carleson My rating: 5 of 5 stars I wasn't 100% sure about this book since I wasn't there when they picked the book. I have to say it was a great book, one that has the reader asking a lot of questions.  I liked that we got to see her life, it's a life that most of us question a person living. We ask "How does (the person) not know what's going on around them?". This book shows us that even though Laila's father was a tyrant, she was brought up with lies and to her they were the truth.  Until she comes to the U.S. she lives in a carefully constructed world. While Laila is trying to fit in with a life that is so very foreign to her, her mother is trying desperately to find a way to fix their lives. For her, that's ...

Since I fell behind in my posts for March I missed posts for my various book clubs. Here's what I read and a brief review of the books. First up here are February and March's books for Forever YA: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell My rating: 5 of 5 stars I really loved this book. I can't wait to get my hands on the rest of Rainbow Rowell's work. The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson My rating: 4 of 5 stars I enjoy Laurie Halse Anderson's books, I think she writes some of the best YA fiction.  I enjoyed this book, but struggled a bit some of the plot. For our last Winter Book Club* meeting in March we read: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern My rating: 2 of 5 stars I could not get into this book.  I thought the plot was a great idea, but I just felt like everything dragged. For Tea & A Book** we read: Suite Francaise by Irène Némirovsky My rating: 4 of 5 stars This book is in two parts with the author originally pl...

My Beloved World by Sonia Sotomayor My rating: 5 of 5 stars This book was a hit! We liked that it was about her life leading up to her appointment on the Supreme Court and not just a brief biography and then a detailed about her time on the bench.  We enjoyed being able to see similarities between our diverse backgrounds and her family, it really connects that no matter what the nationality/ethnicity families are similar. When the evening book club read this book, I heard a lot of comments like, "Wow, I can't believe how much she overcame" or "to think she grew up in the projects."  I was expecting a story somewhat similar to From Homeless to Harvard , but that's not really Sonia's story. As I read I realized, that if my family hadn't settled in the suburbs, portions of my life would have mirrored her life. In our discussion we talked about how it doesn't matter the where a person lives, they can accomplish great things with the right suppo...

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 ...

The Magic of Provence: Pleasures of Southern France by Yvone Lenard My rating: 3 of 5 stars Yvone Lenard tells stories about her journey of finding herself owning a second home in Southern France and the interesting cast of people who occupy the village and surround areas.  Yvone and her husband Wayne were not looking to buy a second home, especially not in France, but at the end of an assignment in the country they quickly found themselves searching for the perfect place.  Not finding what they were looking for they had an old house rebuilt and renovated into their dream vacation home. I found the stories charming, but struggled with the vagueness of her writing. It bothered me that I didn't know what decade these stories took place in or even really a solid timeline of events. There was also a vagueness in the relationships she writes about, between her and her husband and her and others.  I also felt the stories were just a bit too idyllic, even if her story was ...

Ford County by John Grisham My rating: 4 of 5 stars With the buys holiday season, I thought it would be easier for my book club members to read a collection of short stories.  I'm not a big John Grisham fan, I've seen the movies based off his books, but have never read one of his books.  That being said, when this book first came out, I was interested but just never got around to reading it. Because of the bad weather on Tuesday, only one person showed up, but we still had a great conversation.  Both of us were surprised at how much we enjoyed the book (like me he wasn't a fan of Grisham).  Of the seven short stories we both enjoyed: Casino In this story we meet Bobby Carl Leach, who is one of those slimy business men. He'll do anything to make a buck, including claiming to be of Native American decent so he can open a casino.  The star of this story is Sidney, who's wife leaves him (she ends up with Bobby Carl) because he's boring.  Sidney finds a...

Blood, Bones, and Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef by Gabrielle Hamilton My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars I enjoy reading biographies of chefs.  I like to see their journey's to becoming chef and the different things in their lives that lead to that career.  In the past I've read them about the celebrity chefs that I watch on TV so reading one by a chef that I had never heard about was a little strange for me.  So add Gabrielle's strange journey and it was a wholly unique experience.  One where I enjoyed reading about her journey, but by the end of the book, I didn't much care for her. We didn't have a real group meeting this month. I was out sick on both our originally meeting date and our followup date.  Luckily, our evening book discussion group has also read this book and someone was able to cover for me to lead the discussion.  I'm told it wasn't a well liked book.  Knowing my members, I think they probably felt like I did that...