BookClubbin'

Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother - Amy Chua

2011-05-15T12:28:00.000-07:00

Well this was certainly a converstation getter!!!

I first heard about this book from a friend of ours (who doesn't even have kids!). She's the hip Mahnattan-living fashionista younger sister of my very good friend J.

She was telling us about how this book was stirring up controversy everywhere and it was a hot topic on all the major morning news shows.

Well, if you know us well, you know that we do not have TV.

No, it's not that we don't watch TV.

We don't HAVE a TV.

We live under a rock and we like it that way.

She was pretty much stunned that we'd never heard of this book and she said it was a must read.

What I appreciated most about her telling us about this book was HOW she told us. She told us in a way that was not for or against the book. She didn't love it and she didn't hate it, but she was fascinated by it and highly recommended it!

Fast forward to a few weeks later and some one else (who I can't remember now) brought it up again! They also pressed on how fascinating it was. I was sold.

I downloaded the Kindle sample and after reading the first chapter, I wanted more. I started reading this book before our bookclub group had met to decide on our next selection. I'd decided that I was going to read it with or without them.

When we finally met, it was my suggestion for the basket and it was picked! Some rolled their eyes at it. Some were excited.

We all agreed that it would be a great conversation getter for us as 2 of them have daughters (2 each) so it would be interesting.

Well I really enjoyed this book.

Not only did I think it was a good read (well written, a page-turner, witty, funny, etc), I liked some of what she had to say!

I liked that she worked hard to not speak in generalizations (ie - "All Americans are lax with their parenting").

Whether people took it that way (and I can see SOME people being that way), it was not her intention.

She was very clear to mention that not all parents are this way or that.

Or, she was clear to say that the term "Chinese Mother" is an idea specific to how a person parents, regardless of their nationality or gender.

She said she knows some Western parents that are total "Chinese Mothers" and she knows some chinese parents that are not "Chinese Mothers" at all.

As for all the scandal and hub-bub... I will admit, I did not see any of it on the morning shows or on the talk radio so I can't speak to exactly what they were so scandalized about but for me, I did not find anything particularly shocking or scandalous in this book.

The example I'd heard of was when she was given a handmade birthday card by one of her daughters and she kicked it back.

Upon hearing it put that simply, sure... that might sound harsh.

But when you read the entire paragraph, the entire chapter and the whole context, it makes so much sense! She had a real legit reason why she did that and it was simply that she ~~thought~~ knew her daughter could do so much better. And she was right.

If anything, I think this book as taught me how to push myself more. I don't see why we can't each be our own Chinese Mother (to ourselves).

For the past 5 years, I have been trying to perfect Tart Tatin. I don't know why. I got a bug up my butt and it's just something I feel I need to perfect.

Every time El Hub sees me pull out the cast iron skillet, he's like, "Oh geez... not that apple thing again..."

But I'm glad that I push myself to try and perfect it and I do think that everytime I make it, it does come out a bit better.

What if I'd given up after the first try, when it was basically a carcinogenic burnt charcoal mess.

The kicked-back Birthday card is no different. She just wanted her daughter to do better cause she knew her daughter could do better.

I hope when people read this book, they'll enter it and read it with an open mind.
Nothing bums me out more than when people are so closed off and closed minded that they miss the whole point of the story.

In the end, only 3 out of the 4 of us read the book. Two of us really liked it and one of us thought it was a bit too much. But that's cause her parenting style would be what the Chinese Mother would epitomize as 'typical Western parenting' - focusing all on the emotion of the child and not on their betterment...

Water for Elephants - Sara Gruen

2011-02-06T11:40:00.000-08:00

Well, I didn't read this one...

Not for any other reason than that I just wasn't in a reading mood.

Everyone else read it for January's bookclub book and no one was crazy about it!

Everyone just kept saying, "Well... it's the circus..."

Bottom line - none of us were excited about the circus.

I was kinda bummed to hear that they didn't really care for it because I had heard so many great things about it!

One person even told me that 'it really is a book with a happy ending'.

Well... I'm guess I'm glad I didn't read it.

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn - Betty Smith

2010-12-26T20:54:00.000-08:00

Well I ended up really enjoying this one!

This one was for book club and I was a bit worried at first cause this was my pick and it started off real slow...

I had mixed feelings on this one early on.

At first, I could not get into it at all. I found it to be waaaaaay too much detail.

Then, I found myself just powering through, just to get it done.

But after awhile, I really wanted to know what was going on with Francie and the people in her life.

While it was sad at times and times were tough, I liked that it wasn't completely depressing (like some of the other books we've read).

There was a hopefulness in every part of the story and kept me wanting to know more.

I think the author did a nice job of balancing between Francie's growing up and out of Brooklyn with not leaving her Brooklyn roots behind.

She wanted more for herself, but she did not let go of herself or lose herself.

I really ended up enjoying this book and am so glad I finished it! I'm glad I didn't let myself get caught up in the slowness of the detail in the beginning! :)

Half Broke Horses - Jeannette Walls

2010-11-21T23:23:00.000-08:00

Love! Love! Loved this book!

Another great story from Jeannette Walls.

This one was for Book Club and we all LOVED it!

I'm so glad we read The Glass Castle last year because it really helped set the scenery & characters for this story.

Jeannette's grandmother really was quite a woman and a character!

She was very strong and modern for her time.

Even if this story is embellished, it is a great tale of a different time and place!

Their life on the ranch is so fascinating to me just 'cause it's so different than what I know. And I find it even more interesting that they found 'city life' so odd!

I'm really glad we read this book and I'd absolutely read it again.

I'd read more from Jeannette Walls! Tell us more great stories!!! :)

Mennonite in a Little Black Dress - Rhoda Janzen

2010-10-14T12:39:00.000-07:00

Well this is terrible but, I did read this and I didn't give it my all...

I read this as a filler between 'Bookclub Books' and I was dying to try something on the new Kindle!

I did enjoy this book and I did finish it!

It just took me waaaay longer than it should have.

And not 'cause of the book, either!

But just 'cause it ended up being a crazy-busy time.

I started this book around the time that my hubby busted his ankle surfing and my dad went into the ICU (both on the same weekend).

You'd think that I'd have had plenty of reading time at the hospital while visiting my dad but I really didn't!

I'd read this in bits and pieces whenever I could...

Like while waiting for hubby at his Physical Therapy appointments, or while waiting a few minutes at the hospital while my dad was sleeping.

Needless to say, I didn't give this book my full attention and it's safe to say I wasn't really 'all there' while reading it.

I did like it though! She is witty and funny. Her story is quite interesting. I thought this would be more "Eat Pray Love"-ish and it's not quite. But that's not a bad thing.

It's just another type of interesting story told in a different way.

I did enjoy reading about her mother and her sister. If she really does have that kind of relationship with both, then I do envy her! They sound and seem great and I'm glad for her that she has them in her life, especially during her hardest times.

As for reading on the Kindle... I love it!

I will say though... It's a bit of a double-edged sword on the whole dictionary thing.

It's great that the feature exists (where you can move the cursor in front of the first letter of any word and it'll give you a mini definition). I loved learning new words.

The downside is that her book had a TON of words that I didn't know (or I'm just that dumb) but I was stopping every few minutes to see what a word meant!

That was great and slowing all at the same time.

:)

Amazon Kindle

2010-09-15T08:33:00.000-07:00

It's here! IT'S HERE!!!

Our new baby! The 6" Kindle (with 3G and Wi-Fi) is here!!! It came and I am so excited!!!

I'd been tracking it's progress and when I knew it'd be arriving this week, I really started powering through my existing 'book' book so that once it showed up, I could start fresh with a new Kindle book!

I will admit... I had been hesitant about the Kindle (or any e-reader for that matter).

El Hub has been asking me since February if I wanted one and I just kept being wishy-washy and saying "I dunno..."

Well he finally got so sick of my flip-flopping that he just went ahead and made the decision for me and ordered it!

I have (or had) my reasons for being unsure about it.

I love feeling books. You know... those square papery things they still sell at Costco. Nothing makes me happier than browsing books for hours at Barnes & Noble or the book section at Costco. I love feeling them. I love holding them. I love the smell of the paper. I was afraid I'd really miss that!
The Library... I grew up at the library. I remember when I was little, my mom would take me all the time! And we'd sit there, between the rows of books and the homeless people. I loved it!!! AND! The city also had a Book-mobile! I dunno if they still do that but I LOVED the book-mobile! I just thought that was the most fascinating thing every! I traveling library! They'd stop at the local park by my house and my mom would walk me down there & let me pick out a few books to check out. Loved It! I hope such a thing still exists.
Do I really need another gadget. Between the phone and the ipod (which I rarely use anymore as I am going a bit deaf... too much of the Rock 'n Roll...) and the laptop. Did I/we need another techy gadget with wires and cables laying around the house? Well to El Hub, the obvious answer was Yes. :) But I wasn't sure.

Well... let me just say, I am over ALL of that!

I quickly got 'over it' the day our new baby came! :)

It is easy to hold. I like being able to hold it with just my left hand and flip pages forward with my thumb (of my left hand) and the little 'forward' button.

It is easy to read. I like that you can make the font bigger or smaller. It seems that reading goes a bit quicker and is a bit more fluid as you don't think twice about flipping to the next page. You just keep reading and before you know it, you've read so much!

I do like that the cute bright pink case El Hub got me for the Kindle comes with a light. That has been a tough thing for us in that, if he wants to sleep and I want to read a book at night, I'd need to leave my bedside light on and he'd bury his head under the covers.

I am LOVING the definition feature! I can't tell you how many times I've wondered what a word meant and was just too lazy to stop reading and go look it up.

I was able to learn 2 new words yesterday and continue reading my Chapter without even stopping or thinking twice about it! That, for me is huge!

I am most excited about it being a space saver for us. As much as I love having books around and I want our house to be a home of books, there are just so many you can keep and only so much space (at least for us) that we can give to our books!

There are some books I'll NEVER part with (like my whole Anne of Green Gables series which I still have from when I was in the 8th grade) or my favorite Catcher in the Rye.

El Hub loves his computer books and I love my old Art History books from school.

But the rest just end up being big paperweights and space takers. I have tried passing them along and they end up coming back!

Both my sis-n-law and my good friend Dianne are readers and I always pass my books along to them. They read them and then they give them right back!

I have tried selling my books on Amazon and it's fine when they sell but when they don't, then they just sit here. I recently sold a book and it had been the first time in like 4 months! (I'd actually forgotten that I even had a little Amazon 'book store'). :)

I was really getting to the point of just donating my books to the Library, which I'll most likely do with the books I have left to pass along.

I am really excited about the Kindle. I read so much (about 1-2 books a month) that it just makes sense for us.

And everyone we know who has one, just loves it! So that is good to know!

As I read it more, I'll let you know how I'm liking it and what I'm learning about it! :)

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society - Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

2010-09-14T08:01:00.000-07:00

Ok, how cute was this story?!?!?!

I really enjoyed this one and I was sad to see it end.

This one was for book club and I'm so glad it was chosen 'cause I really enjoyed it!

What a charming story!

I wasn't sure, at first about it being in 'letter form' and I did get a bit confused in the beginning with who's who...

I wished that I had made myself a lil cheat sheet of all the characters just 'cause they are all so charming and I didn't want to miss anything on any of them!

I love! love! love! the letters back and forth (and the relationship) between Juliet and her male BFF, Sidney. They had such a witty and funny repartee and I loved those letters in particular between the two.

The main gal, Juliet is a great character! I guess that's to say that she has a lot of personality! She's a real character... ;-)

I really enjoy these stories that incorporate real life events into an attention-keeping setting and, it's true what I once read somewhere which is that...

(To paraphrase) - When done/written well, sad or depressing can be really good and fun to read!

There's no doubt that the war (WWII) was incredibly sad and to read the things that went on during the German Occupation of Guernsey (or any place, for that matter) is an important reminder of our history and the past.

But it's done so well here! It's told in a way that doesn't dismiss the sadness of the reality of our history. But it doesn't make you depressed and want to hide your head under the covers and forget the whole thing!

It's done with wit and charm... and hope and inspiration.

This makes me think of Jeannette Wall's The Glass Castle, which I also loved and could not put down.

And even Katheryn Stockett's The Help, which again, I could not put down and could not get enough of.

These stories are so incredibly well told and filled with hope, even in their darkest reality.

The Help - Kathryn Stockett

2010-07-21T23:14:00.000-07:00

Wow...

Incredible.

What can I say?! This was soooooo good that I finished it in just one week!

I could not put this one down. At all!!!

My house is a mess. Kitchen is a disaster. Laundry is not washed.

I literally could not put this one down.

I don't even know where to begin on how good it is or why it's so good.

This one was for bookclub and I have to admit, when it was first picked, I rolled my eyes and was like, "ugh..."

I guess I thought it was gonna be another depressing bummer story (um, much like our last one).

It was far from it though!

While the general history in the story is sad, this story itself is very inspiring and hopeful.

It is amazing to think that this really was only about 40 years ago... It's a bit scary.

More scary is the knowledge that this old thinking still goes on in some places.

Not to get off on a random tangent but, I was reading (my news source) People.com over the weekend and there was a quick story about one of the members of Def Leppard that got married over the weekend (congrats to them! I love Def Leppard!). :) With the article is a photo of the newlyweds. They are an interracial couple.

Anyway, I was reading the comments at the bottom (as I like to do) and there were so many well wishers saying their congrats to the new couple. So cute! Then, all of a sudden, the comments turn ugly towards one person who's comment obviously did not sit well with all the other commenters.

Well naturally I need to see what this person said and sure enough, this one person had to write in their comment that "Marriage should only be between opposite sex and same race." They also said that "inner racial marriage" is wrong.

(I just looked now to try and pull the exact comment up but they've taken them down.)

Inner! I'm not sure which is scarier. The fact that this kind of thinking still does exist. Or that our educational system is so bad (or this person really is such an idiot) that they think it's "inner racial" and not interracial.

The big long point is... that it was terrible thinking 40 years ago and it's terrible thinking now.

The terrible thinking being that there's no seeing beyond our own closed mindedness. Terrible that there is injustice because of age or race or sex (or even religion, for that matter).

Where/when does it end? I dunno.

I've completely gotten off topic and onto some crazy tangent. Sorry!

I'll stop here. Read the book. It's EXCELLENT!

:)

The Carrie Diaries - Candace Bushnell

2010-07-11T14:45:00.000-07:00

Well this was a nice quick fun summer read! :)

This one wasn't for bookclub. Just for me. I bought this as a B-day gift for two of my BFF's as we are all crazy SATC fans!

Now, I've never read the actual Sex and the City book by Candace Bushnell but I know it is quite different than the series (from what Amazon readers have posted in comments).

So I wasn't surprised or bothered that there are differences between things in this story vs. the TV show (for example - towards the end of Season 4 on the show, it is revealed that Carrie's father skipped out on her when she was little. In this book, Carrie is raised by her father, as her mother has passed away).

Anyway, don't get caught up in all that. Just enjoy the book for what it is. A fun summer read.

I like that Candace Bushnell didn't mold the High School Carrie into the TV version of Carrie.

This makes me want to read the SATC novel to see how the author portrays Carrie and the rest of the characters (as opposed to the TV show).

I will say, I find it interesting that this book is categorized under "Young Adult".

I supposed that's because when I was a 'young adult' I was busy reading Anne of Green Gables. :)

Never Let Me Go - Kazuo Ishiguro

2010-06-27T21:33:00.000-07:00

Well, hmm... Let's see...

What to say on this one...

Alright. I'm just gonna say it.

This was not one of my favorites.

So this one was for bookclub. And this one came highly recommended by some of the co-workers of one of our bookclubbers.

I'm not sure why.

Keep in mind that this could just be me, though.

First of all, I am not a sci-fi gal AT ALL... I just don't get into it.

Second, I really just wasn't sure sometimes what we were talkin' about!

I tried explaining the book to El Hub and I couldn't even put it into words.

He was like, "Are you sure you're reading it?" :+)

So me not being into the sci-fi, on top of me being confused... yes it could just be me.

We meet day after tomorrow (here this time!) to discuss it so I'm dying to hear what everyone else thinks and has to say about it.

I had a really hard time getting into this one. From the beginning, I just wasn't into it.

I got through the first chapter and then just set it down for about 2 weeks.

Then, one of our other bookclubbers said to keep going and power through cause it gets interesting.

And so I did! And it never got interesting!!!! (for/to me, anyway)

You know what bums me out the most? I was gonna check this one out from the library and instead I went and bought it.

And not even at Costco for cheap! I bought it at B&N at full-price!

UGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you've read this and have some huge/great insight into it, PLEASE let me know!

I am begging you!

:0)

On a side note, they have made a movie of this book which is to be released soon...

I watched the trailer thinking it would give me some great clue... And it didn't!

x-(

Here it is... (this book has me slightly bitter...)

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency - Alexander McCall Smith

2010-05-23T21:52:00.000-07:00

How sweet is this story?!?!?!!

This is just about the nicest, most charming read I've read in awhile.

It's quaint! If a book can be quaint, this is the book!

I have been wanting to read this for awhile now and I'm so glad I finally did!

This one isn't for bookclub. It's just for me.

I absolutely loved the simplicity of this story.

That's not to say that this is a simple story. It is just written in a simple manner that is to the point, yet incredibly descriptive and lovely.

I love love love the cuteness and sweetness of the characters.

I also love reading about the pride and beauty of the land. How nice!

I am tired so I can't go on much more but I absolutely loved this one and I could not put it down.

I like that these mysteries are solved in a very sweet manner. They are mysterious, though! It keeps you guessing.

I think I'll run to Costco tomorrow and buy the next one!

I have to see what happens between Precious and Mr. JLB Matekoni!

:)

And on a side note, I know there is the show on HBO. We do not have cable (as we do not have TV) so I can't see it.

I wish I could , tho.

Everything I've read about it seems to give it good reviews.

In the meantime, here's a nice trailer of the HBO show.

I think Jill Scott is a perfect pick for Mma Ramotswe (not to mention that I've loved her since her "Who is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds Vol. 1)... :)

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet - Jamie Ford

2010-05-02T22:55:00.000-07:00

Aww...

This was a nice one.

And it reallly is a bittersweet story!

This one is for bookclub and I finished it in like 2 weeks!

I dunno if it's the short quick chapters, or that it really is a good story (or both) but I read through this one fast and I could not put it down!

Again, I feel like I'm surrounded by Identity Politics and roles within roles.

Henry was an American born Chinese boy. At school he was the only Chinese boy in an all white school. In his Chinatown neighborhood, he was an American schooled boy. His parents wanted him to only speak English at home, though they only spoke Chinese.

I really appreciate and relate to this aspect of the story (especially these days!). I myself don't seem to have a 'box' that I fit in.

Anyway, the sweet friendship and love story between Henry and Keiko is charming and frustrating!

Frustrating in that it would be terrible to want so much to be with someone and know you can't. I could not even imagine not being able to be married to El Hub because of our uncontrollable differences.

I have to admit, I didn't really know much about the Japanese Internment camps during World War II... It is incredibly sad that they were treated that way as they were Americans themselves!

Makes me think of post 9/11 and how there was a bit of a lash out towards Middle Easterners, even if they really weren't Middle Eastern but just had dark hair and dark skin... (again... something I've come across.).

Anyway, I really enjoyed this one and I'm most happy that I finished it early enough to allow me time to read a non-bookclub book, which I'll tell ya about next/when I'm done with it! :)

Eat Pray Love - Elizabeth Gilbert

2010-04-03T10:25:00.000-07:00

Well... For someone who was dragging her feet on reading this one, I now can't seem to walk away from it!!!

Writing this opinion/review would be like closing the door on it and moving on.

And I'm not ready to leave it!

This one wasn't for bookclub. It was just for me.

Since we had so much time between our last book and our next meeting (oh let's see... we chose the book in December and we met last week - March 23rd!!!), I needed something else to read in the meantime.

I'd always heard good things about Eat, Pray Love and I'd seen it everywhere!

But for some reason, it just wasn't grabbing my attention. I thought it would be frou-frou or shi-shi... like fluff and earthy granola-ness...

While on a 3 hour layover in Baltimore and bored outta my mind, I picked it up and then could not put it down!

Anyway, the second we got home, I ran right out (to Costco, of course) and bought it!

Her story is amazing! It's broken down into three parts and it's the first part that's the real reason I picked it up to begin with!

Italy
I love Italy! Unfortunately, I've only been there once, but I'm grateful I've even been and it is one of the most amazing, wonderful, beautiful, delicious places I've ever seen! (Florence, in particular!) :)

I thought she did a great job of describing the wonderful culture that is Italy! From the food to the handsome men! The stylish women. She was able to put into words all the things I came to love about Italy!

There is definitely a culture to it that is beautiful and simple. They do have a love for living that comes in the pleasures of food and good company!

Where else can you enjoy a four hour meal where the food is so good, you don't want it to end?!?!

I have to admit, I didn't want her time in Italy to end and I was hungry the whole time I read this section! :)

Thank you, Liz Gilbert for making food the 'pleasure' and not sex. There's nothing wrong with crying over the best pizza ever... :)

India
I had a bit of a hard time getting into the India part. Ashrams and Meditation... so not me.

But I came to enjoy this section of the book because of her search for prayer.

It's funny how things come together sometimes.

Around the time I started reading this book, I found myself trying to understand how to pray better and learn more about it.

And it's not even why I picked this book up!

Anyway, I love how simple she is with her approach to speaking to and with God.

With her trusty journal and pen, she just writes to Him with very clear and simple intentions or requests.

Something I've started trying to be better at myself, thanks to her!

On a random side note, two things talked a lot about in Art (or Art History anyway) are the In Between and Identity Politics.

Since studying these things in school, I am super aware of them now not only in Art but in life (Identity Politics in particular... something I'd like to study more!).

I was so happy to find her paragraph at the end of # 69 (pg. 204) describe these exact things!

She finds herself in the In Between in her life! In between places both physically (towards the end of India and close to the beginning of Indonesia) and emotionally (in between prayer and devotion)!

She questions what she is supposed to be.

"I've spent so much time these last years wondering what I'm supposed to be. A wife? A mother? A lover? A celibate? An Italian? A glutton? A traveler? An artist? A Yogi? But I'm not any of these things, at least not completely."

It's like a page right outta my Conceptual Art studies book, with Adrian Piper in mind!

I love it!

Indonesia
I enjoyed this section of the book and I'm so glad she met Felipe! We all need a Felipe! :)

I'm glad she was able to enjoy this time in this place with just being. She allowed herself to just Be... and it all came together, once she let go.

Just wonderful.

Obviously, my favorite part of this book was Italy but I really enjoyed all of it!

I am a bit hesitant about the movie version of this book.

For one, I'm not a big Julia Roberts fan... But I'm also afraid they will leave out the best parts/concepts/ideas of this book.

How can all of this wonderful emotion be summed up into two hours?

I dunno but, if they can do it, great!

In the meantime, here's a nice Q&A video with Elizabeth Gilbert from the Authors@Google series!

Thank you, Liz Gilbert!

Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons - Lorna Landvik

2010-01-29T15:04:00.000-08:00

I just finished this today!   YAY!!!

I know it seems like forever since we've had a bookclub meeting but with Christmas and New Years & all that, it's just been a busy time.

And this book is a thick one!!!   It took me this long to get through it!

I will say, when I first started this (um, let's see... in early December!) I couldn't seem to get into it.

I got through the Prologue and then just set it down.

Since hubby and I have been in New York for the past 3 weeks, I brought it with me (thinking, 'geez.. if I don't finish it here, then I dunno what...') and then I couldn't put it down!

I had not been in the mood to read and this put me back in the mood!

I wouldn't say this was a page-turner for me 'cause it's the best book or necessarily thought provoking. I just found it to be a nice read.

I got into the characters. I enjoyed a characteristic of each of them in different ways.

Does that makes sense?

So, for example, I liked Faith in that I found her to be fairly real... (or maybe she's like me...?) :)   She could be huffy and she had moments of jealousy. She had resentment towards her hubby, who traveled (he was a pilot) while she stayed home to raise their twins.

She wasn't perfect. And that's what I liked about her.

I liked Audrey's larger-than-life-ness. Audrey's the gal you always want at your party 'cause you know the fun (and the boys) will follow. :)

Anyway, I found things I liked in each of them.

I found it interesting (and I'm curious as to why) the author chose to give some characters their voice in first person (like Slip, Audrey and Grant) but spoke in 3rd person for others (like Merit and Keri).

And Faith's first person voice only came through her letter's to her 'mama'...

Not bad, or good... I'm just curious as to why.

Anyway, as usual, when you give quite a bit of your time to a book and spend time with characters, you get bummed that it's over. Or at least I do.

I was sad that this book ended. And I'm proud that I finished it!

For being a book about a bookclub, they never address if one of them never finished their book (ahem... like I tend to...)    :)

A Killer Stitch - Maggie Sefton

2009-11-12T20:00:00.000-08:00

This month's book is A Killer Stitch by Maggie Sefton.

So far, so cute.

It took me a bit to get into this one. It was a lotta talk at first of knitting and coffee.

Once we had a mystery on our hands, it definitely picked up.

This is a cute read and it was chosen cause everyone knows I love to knit!

This book comes with a cable scarf pattern as well as a fudge recipe!

I'm gonna try and make the scarf, but not til after I finish this book.

I didn't even read the last one so I wanna be good and finish this one. Also cause it was kinda picked for me... ;-)

UPDATE: Well, I finished it... I did! And... it was ok... Out of the four of us, only two of us read it! We (two) both agreed that it just had no 'umph'... No kick! No mystery!

I will say, though... I was surprised at who 'did it' but only because I forgot they were even a character!

There were way toooooo many characters in this story. And I'm not quite sure why.

Oh well... It was an easy read.

And I did start the pattern just to see what it would be like. Much like the story, the pattern doesn't have much 'umph' either.

A cable on each side of the edge. It would make a cute basic scarf.

I'm glad I didn't make the fudge. ;-)

Francesca's Kitchen - Peter Pezzelli

2009-10-02T22:28:00.001-07:00

Alright, well...

I didn't read this one.

This one was for Bookclub, which met this past Wednesday night.

Everyone else read it and they all loved it!

So I'll give you their feedback. :)

They said this was a nice light read. They enjoyed the main character (Francesca) and they were impressed that a man wrote this store with the two central characters being women (just like A Thousand Splendid Suns).

They all said I should read it 'cause it's worth the read and they think I'd like it.

I'll have to borrow it from one of 'em and get into it one of these days.

I didn't not read it 'cause I wasn't interested. I didn't read it 'cause I'm in the process of reading a couple of books on my two loves...

Crafting and Blogging. :)

Unfortunately, I'm not very good at book-multi-tasking so as a result of trying to read 2-3 books at once, I end up reading nothing all at the same time...

0:-)

My Life in France - Julia Child

2009-09-15T21:47:00.000-07:00

Adorable!

Totally totally adorable!

This wasn't for bookclub, but after seeing the movie and being so charmed by Julia Child as a person, I wanted to know more about her!

After seeing the movie Julie & Julia, I think Meryl Streep hit it head on as Julia!

I still think the movie would have been just fine had it been just about Julia Child and just with Meryl Streep (and Stanley Tucci - LOVE!)

Anyway, this book is great and it just really captures her essence and Full of Life-ness! (I know... not a real word...)

I think I'm particularly charmed by Julia's love story with Paul Child. She really conveys how much he supported her and just how much they loved each other.

The other thing I'm so charmed by is her love of France! Not just the food but the culture and the people... The environment! All of it!

She felt a connection with French culture that was specific to her. She understood it.

How nice... Good for her!

Marley & Me

2009-09-03T00:08:00.001-07:00

This wasn't for bookclub (as one of us who shall remain nameless isn't an animal person... ahem...) but I'd been dying to read this since forever!!!

And since I finished Joy Luck Club early, I took my opportunity! :)

I LOVED this book!

Again, hubby was like, "how can some of those stories be for real?!?!"

(like Marley dragging a restaurant table across a lot...)

Regardless! Whether they're real or embellished or whatever, I loved the story!

I laughed... I cried... (no, seriously... I cried at the end).

I really enjoyed this author's writing style. Not too wordy, yet very expressive! Does that make sense?

Said a lot with very little and he's quite witty and funny!

Just a great story.

Now... I have not seen this movie (cause we never see movies) and from those I've spoken to who have seen it, it seems like I'm better off not seeing it!

But the book was great. I loved it!

I have to say, tho... I'd definitely think twice about getting a Lab Retriever. ;-)

The Joy Luck Club

2009-06-17T23:14:00.000-07:00

Up next...

The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan.

I can't tell you how long I've been wanting to read this!

And fortunately, one of us Bookclubbers accidentally started reading this, instead of A Thousand Splendid Suns, so we decided to stick with it!

Yay for me!

Update: I finished it! I really enjoyed this read and couldn't put it down. The writing is beautiful... I love how descriptive her words are in the simplest ways.

I loved all eight stories (four mothers & four daughters) though I will say... I had to make a little cheat sheet for myself to keep them all straight!

Who's mother was who's? Who's daughter was who's?

I was so afraid that I'd lose out on the meaning through the beautiful writing so I kept my cheat sheet with notes so I could relate it all back as I read.

Beautiful story of mothers and daughters. How does anyone really know each other, regardless of how they are related...

A Thousand Splendid Suns

2009-06-08T15:03:00.000-07:00

What can I say...

This book is AMAZING!!!

I can't tell you how many people have stopped me (while I'm reading it) to tell me how great it is and how it's sooooo much better than The Kite Runner.

I thought that would be nearly impossible since I LOVED The Kite Runner... but I can see why they say it.

It's something in the author's writing. It keeps you wanting more.

It's also very clear and concise, yet so descriptive (if that makes any sense).

For ex... in descriptive scenes of war and death, it is so beautifully said, with very few words, yet you totally get what is being described and with full clarity.

It's beautiful.

This story has me gripped and I feel like I know these people.

I think that's the other thing that's amazing about this author's writing.

I really feel like I'm a part of the lives of these characters... Like, I'm shouting out what I think they should do, as if they can hear me! :)

I can't wait to hear how these stories end, and I can't wait to hear what the rest of the group thinks of this one. Hopefully they are loving it as much as I am. :)

UPDATE: Finished this book this morning and I absolutely LOVED it! I don't know that it is better than The Kite Runner... But I will say that I did like it BETTER! I could not put it down. An amazing story told in a beautiful way. Definitely read it!

Shopaholic and Baby - Sophie Kinsella

2009-05-20T12:33:00.000-07:00

Thanks to school, I didn't read this either...

And it was my pick!

But everyone in the group liked it and said it was a fun read.

I'd still like to read this since I've read the rest of the series and would like to finish it out.

The big bummer was that I couldn't find questions for this one.

This will be a fun summer read. :)

Becky Brandon (nee Bloomwood) is a the best!

The Purpose of Christmas - Rick Warren

2009-01-01T12:33:00.000-08:00

I didn't read this...

Actually, I don't think anyone read this.

It was Christmastime... we were all busy-nuts...

Maybe next year...

:)

We still got together, but just to eat and talk.

;-)

The Glass Castle - Jeannette Walls

2008-10-01T23:18:00.000-07:00

I LOVED this book!!!!

I couldn't put it down and I was bummed when I finished it!

What a wild adventure!

The story itself is soooooooo interesting and I think the fact that it's true makes it all the more crazy & fascinating!

I really enjoyed the author's writing style. I feel like she said so much with few words. Very expressive in a simple way.

Even in the parts that were a bit more sad than normal, she explained in a way that were to the point, and yet still expressed the seriousness of the statement.

I'd love to read some of the author's other writings to see if this is just how she writes. I'm impressed that she was able to just tell the story... not in an angry way or sad way... Just in a way where she's just telling it. Almost like it isn't her story... just a story.

I have to admit, the mother in the book really bothered me. Out of everyone, she really seemed the most out-to-lunch. Actually, I found her to be quite selfish. Just flat-out selfish.

The other thing I found to be such a bummer was how much abuse these poor kids had to deal with.

Being attacked by the neighbor boy, being felt up by the evil grandma, being hit on while hitch hiking and by crazy uncle... Terrible!!! These poor kids!

It's amazing that 3 of these 4 kids grew up to have fairly normal lives. It's actually amazing that any of these kids made it to adulthood.

Good for them.

This is the first book in a long time that I just could not put down. It's so good and I've told everyone about it!!!

Emma

2008-06-26T13:24:00.000-07:00

Ok...

I love Jane Austen...

And absolutely LOVED Pride and Prejudice...

But for some reason, I am having the hardest time getting thru this one!

I think I'm about to Chapter 10 and I feel like I've barely gotten anywhere!

It's not the author. It's not the story. I dunno what it is!

Anyway, this is gonna be put 'on hold' for awhile... :)

Thank God there's a wonderful wiki on the novel.

Meanwhile, maybe I'll just watch the movie instead...

Three Cups of Tea

2008-04-30T22:26:00.001-07:00

Well...

I didn't finish it.

But! I don't feel so bad... None of us did!!!

We all agreed that none of us could figure out why but none of us could finish it!

I started off strong on this one too... Cause I didn't wanna be the one to not finish (as I always am).

But about 1/3 of the way thru, I just put it down one day and never picked it back up!

Anyway...

I know I'll never finish this one.

I have to admit, I don't even know where my book is!

The Kite Runner

2008-02-09T23:38:00.000-08:00

What can I say...

I LOVED this book...

I can't even remember the last book that's actually made me cry!

I thought everything about this book was great. The story! The characters! The way it was written!

I loved the use of words and how he put them together to make wonderful descriptions and pictures.

I appreciate that they weren't big fancy or wordy words... Yet simply put, the words were so expressive and clear...

So beautiful.

I absolutely Loved Loved Loved Baba... It's when Baba died that I cried so much!

I just pictured this great tall rugged handsome man with so much character and personality!

I was so on edge when he stands up for that young mother when they're trying to get out of Afghanistan.

But I just pictured him so fearless, strong, tall and tough... With such great conviction and character!

He was by far my favorite of 'em!

But they were all great and it was all good and told soooooo well!

This was one that we all liked!

I'd recommend this book to anyone!

Inside Islam: A Guide for Catholics

2008-01-30T11:38:00.000-08:00

Well...

I didn't finish this one...

Not cause I didn't like it or couldn't get into it.

Just cause I was obsessed with knitting (Twinkle book again).

Anyway, from what I did read, I liked this.

I liked that it seems like a fair Q&A session...

The author presented answers and compared them to our faith, but not in a way where he was saying that our way was better or worse.

Just presenting the differences. We all agreed we still have questions. But this is a good start!

I think this is a good book to have on file as a reference guide for when a question does come up!

Pride and Prejudice

2007-12-12T23:29:00.000-08:00

Aww...

Lizzy! Darcy! Jane!

The whole bunch of 'em... too cute for words!

I read this book in HS... Loved it then. Love it now!

I have to admit, I didn't finish this in time for bookclub (cause I got side tracked and became obsessed with knitting and the Twinkle book), but I did finish it!

Better late than never, right.

It's just too sweet to not finish. I think A said it best when she said it is a very charming book. I agree.

Was inspired then, to watch the latest Pride & Prejudice movie, which I had not wanted to see, and which I ended up enjoying...

Also, was inspired to rewatch Bride & Prejudice, for the 100th time... I don't care what anyone says. I love that movie! :)

Four to Score

2007-10-18T17:25:00.000-07:00

Finished this last night and all I have to say is...

I love Lula!!!! :)

She makes me laugh soooooooo much! I am really enjoying that character so much!

I enjoyed this one, over all...

I had a bit of a hard time following it and sticking with it, but that's only cause I was trying to read 2 other books too (and only wanted to read this, but needed to finish those)...

I liked the story and the fact that this time the FTA was a woman... just to shake things up a bit.

I also liked that I was truly surprised at the end. I didn't expect the bad guys to be who they were!

I think the only thing I really didn't care for was the intro of the new character, Sally...

Sally was ok, but I felt just a little over the top. Just a bit too 'too'... Too much... Too much cussing... Too much weirdness...

Other, than Sally, I enjoyed this one! Again, Lula makes me laugh...

And I still love Joe Morelli! I love that their relationship (he and Stephanie) is moving forward and getting funnier!

Can't wait for the next one!

One to Number Six!

90 Minutes in Heaven

2007-10-16T17:13:00.000-07:00

Alright... I didn't finish it...

I tried! I really did! AND! I did get to Chapter 15 (out of 18)...

I think I would have finished this one if I'd had more time, or started sooner...

We all agreed... We all liked the story, we just didn't care for how it was written.

I understand this person isn't a writer/author.

It just could have been written in a more interesting way...? Or in a way that could have made the story more interesting!

Actually, the story itself IS interesting.

It's not every day someone dies, goes to Heaven (or his version of it), comes back to life and lives to tell about it. That is truly fascinating!

Too bad it couldn't have been shared better...

He did say (quite a few times) that it was never his intent to share his experience. So maybe what he's sharing is just bits and pieces. Or it's with reluctance?

Either it should have been told, or not told at all... Not half done and not half-a**...

I wish (and thought) that he'd spend more time sharing his actual Heaven experience and less on what happened after.

The Heaven part is what I was looking forward to learning about!

Anyway, it was fine. I'm glad I read it for a few (personal) reasons that I won't share... ;-)

Three to get Deadly

2007-10-01T17:07:00.000-07:00

I have to say, this one, by far, is my FAVORITE!!!

This book actually made me LOL!

I LOVED Lulu in this one... She was making me laugh so hard I was actually crying at one point!

The story itself was ok.

I did have a bit of hard time getting into the story with Uncle Mo and all that. It took me awhile to really get into it.

I still love Morelli and was happy that they came close to have their romance move forward. I do like that tease!

I liked that Stephanie was considered a bit of a suspect in this one. And that she was pepper sprayed! Not that I want her to be pepper sprayed. I actually felt really bad for her in that part and was scared for her!

But what I like is that it's not just the pretty funny girl getting the mystery solved while staying clean and pretty...

Things happen to her and they are scary! I think that's good! It's not predictable, at all!

So, far, this one has really stood out in my mind and made me laugh sooooooo much!

Two for the Dough

2007-09-29T16:16:00.000-07:00

Again, I LOVED this one!

Funny, smart, adventurous, witty, romance, cuuuuuute!

Stephanie is hilarious and I continue to fall in LUV with Joe Morelli!

I'll say who's character I really enjoyed in this one was Lulu!

I LOVED Lula! She cracks me up!

The things she says and the visuals I get from the descriptions of what she wears and how she looks! Too much! I love it!

I also really enjoyed Grandma Mazur in this one. She's too funny and I was genuinly worried about her and Stephanie at the end!

Thank God they are both ok! ;-)

I liked the mystery and how it involved Morelli's cousin and Stephanie needing his help again. I really like their relationship and their flirting!

Can't wait to read the next one!

Skinny Dip

2007-09-19T15:35:00.000-07:00

So...

I didn't dislike this book... (I know... probably not the best way to start this off...) ;-)

I did read the whole thing... I finished it.

I liked the description. I thought it sounded cute. I'd just finished reading "One for the Money" (which I LOVED) and thought this was along the same lines.

Funny, cute mystery with a bit of romance and adventure.

It did have all of those elements in it...

So I'm not quite sure why I wasn't completely sold on this one.

It started off well. It caught my attention right away and I was totally interested in what was gonna happen to the bad guy.

I think it was the writing itself that I wasn't crazy about. It wasn't as witty and funny as I thought it would be. OR, if it was, maybe it's just not my type of humor?

I dunno...

I will say, I did enjoy the character of Tool and reading about his parts in the book. He was the only character that I liked reading about and wanted to know what was gonna happen to him!

Again, I didn't dislike it... Just don't know if I'd pass this one along to anyone. I'd originally intended to suggest this one to bookclub but after getting 1/4th thru it, quickly changed my mind.

One for the Money

2007-09-15T14:59:00.000-07:00

Ok... I LOVED this book! LOVED it!!!!

I couldn't put it down!

I think Stephanie is HILARIOUS! She's smart and fast and witty and has flaws like everyone else!

She never gives up!

She charges forward like she knows she can! It's great!

I love the slight romance between her and Joe Morrelli!

Ok, I just LOVE Joe Morrelli!

I've been trying to think of who would play him if if this were a movie, but can't really think of anyone! He's funny and manly and super handsome! And he always comes to her rescue which is sooooo sweet!

I think this book has all the elements of a good read! Action, mystery, romance, laughter.

It definitely has it's serious parts and I can honestly say I was truly surprised at the end. I didn't expect it to be who it was!

I would totally recommend this book to EVERYONE and can't wait to read the rest of the series!

By the Light of the Moon...

2007-08-09T13:48:00.000-07:00

I finally finished it last night! YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So, this book wasn't for bookclub, but a friend let me borrow it and I had time in between bookclub readings so I started it!

It was good... I liked it!

I know I could say that with more enthusiasm.

It starts off fast right away, which is good! So I didn't have a hard time getting into it!

The chapters are small so they move fast and you feel like you're reading alot at a time.

I really liked the main characters. Dylan and Jilly were too cute and funny!

I think what bummed me out from time to time was a little tooooo much detail. In general I tend to fade out easily on too much detail so when I see 2 paragraphs full about trees or mountains or desert, my eyes just glaze right over!

I think the other thing that got me a bit down was that some of it was a bit over my head... Nothing against the author! It's not him! It's me...

I am not the sharpest knife in the drawer so when it goes off on nanobots and scientific stuff, again, eyes glaze right over...

I did enjoy how there was that teeny-tiny potential for romance between Dylan & Jilly, but he didn't fully go there...

And at the end, the book left me wanting more! Which I am guessing would be a good thing! I think he left it in a way where there could be a follow up, and I would read it!

After reading this book, I'd definitely like to read more from Dean Koontz. I found his writing mostly witty and funny (which I always like!) and enjoyed the suspense!

YAY!

And now, on to One for the Money!

Second Chance...

2007-07-19T16:13:00.000-07:00

So I finished Second Chance last night, which is great considering Book Club isn't until next week! YAY!

I'm working hard to not be the big loser who doesn't finish her books (especially if she suggests them...)

Well... I didn't dislike this book...

We picked it 'cause we liked Jane Green's writing style and we all really enjoyed The Other Woman. It was funny and witty and a total page turner!

This was a page-turner, too... but, for me, more so just to be done with it...

Again... I didn't dislike it. It just ended up being different than what I thought... And I only thought it was going to be something else, cause of the description in the book jacket...

I expected it to be more about how 4 friends deal with the loss of their friend in a terrorist attack. I thought there would be more emotion put into where things are in the world and how people react to loss and especially sudden loss... I guess I even expected it to be about people deciding to take a 'second chance' on life after being affected by someone's death...

Well... no...

I think what bums me out is that this ended up being more about Holly... Holly and her totally unhappy marriage and her lack of happiness in life and her being lost in her unhappy marriage and her terrible husband and blah blah blah...

These 4 friends reconnect after this death and do a good job of staying in touch... I guess they all feel they need a second chance at life... but life seemed ok for them in the first place...

Holly wanted (and eventually got) a second chance at love... (not at being a good mother to her two little kids, who were more accessories than anything). Saffron got a second chance at her acting career... a first chance and marrying the love of her life... I'm not sure what Olivia's 2nd chance was... She had a baby after being the one who never wanted kids... she had a 2nd chance at having kids? Or she changed her mind... Or getting preg after a one-night stand changed her mind for her... Which is funny cause it's Olivia's line at the end when she brings up "second chances"...

I also am not sure at what Paul & Anna's 2nd chance was either... Anna quit her good and successful job... which is fine... Maybe she got a second chance at success? I dunno...

Overall, a fine read... It kept my attention... Would I read it again? I might give it a Second Chance...

hee...

(Sorry... I had to)

:+)

True Believer

2007-06-22T14:57:00.000-07:00

By - Nicholas Sparks

I have to admit, when this book got picked for last month's choice, I wasn't too excited...

I wasn't motivated to read it at all, and, in fact, even read another book (The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri) before getting into this one...

It took me awhile to get into it but I have to say, about half way thru, I could not put it down!

It's an easy-breezy read... a nice combo of romance and a little mystery (which really ends up being no mystery at all)!

I liked the personality of Mr. Jeremy Marsh... He sounds quite handsome and smooth... A suave New Yorker, dressed in black all the time. His counterpart, Lexie Darnell is a modern southern belle... I liked her name! ;-) I thought she could be a little too "too" at times (if that makes any sense).

The surrounding characters are fun, especially Lexie's Grandma Doris. I didn't dislike Jeremy's buddies from NY but I did find they way they spoke with each other as a bit hard to believe... It just seems that guys don't really talk to each other that way! At least the guys I know... ;-)

Overall, I enjoyed this book and I'd recommend it as a good, easy, fast, fun read! I mostly got into it once it became more about Jeremy and Lexie!

;-)