Read-A-Thon

Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

2010-11-25T21:39:00.000-08:00

This book was amazing! It's 1000 pages that spans 30 years in the 12th century, following several different characters all based around the building of this one cathedral. The historical detail is like nothing I've ever read and being so long, it really gives you a sense of place and time from each character's point of view. I can't wait to read the sequel. If you like historical fiction, this is totally for you.

Ava's 1st Dance Class

2010-09-06T15:54:00.000-07:00

The Accidental Tourist

2010-09-04T21:35:00.000-07:00

The Accidental Tourist by Anne Tyler.

I love Anne Tyler.

This is one of her older books and I've always wanted to read it, ever since I worked at a video store and saw it on one of the shelves.

From Amazon:

Scarred by grief after their 12-year-old son's senseless murder (he was shot by a holdup man in a Burger Bonanza), Macon and Sarah Leary are losing their marriage too. Macon is unable to cope when she leaves him, so he settles down ``safe among the people he'd started out with,'' moving back home with two divorced brothers and spinster sister Rose. Author of a series of guidebooks called ``Accidental Tourist'' for businessmen who hate to travel, Macon is Tyler's focus here, as she gently chronicles his journey from lonely self-absorption to an ``accidental'' new life with brassy Muriel, a dog trainer from the Meow Bow Animal Hospital, who renews and claims his heart. Not a character, including Macon's dog Edward, is untouched by delightful eccentricity in this charming story, full of surprises and wisdom. All of Tyler's novels are wonderful; this her tenth is the best yet."

The ending surprised me. And I was surprised by how I liked the ending! I really loved how she wrote each of the characters and how involved I became. A good read!

Now I'll have to rent the movie.

I Capture the Castle, by Dodie Smith

2010-06-17T18:22:00.000-07:00

I loved this book! It had me laughing out loud and reading into the wee hours of the night (11:30 pm). It was first published in 1949 and is written by a British author, so there are words like "boot" instead of "trunk." It's a fun read.

Here is the synopsis from Amazon.com:

I Capture the Castle tells the story of seventeen-year-old Cassandra and her family, who live in not-so-genteel poverty in a ramshackle old English castle. Here she strives, over six turbulent months, to hone her writing skills. She fills three notebooks with sharply funny yet poignant entries. Her journals candidly chronicle the great changes that take place within the castle's walls, and her own first descent into love. By the time she pens her final entry, she has "captured the castle"--and the heart of the reader--in one of literature's most enchanting entertainments.

Gravity vs. the Girl, by Riley Noehren

2010-06-17T18:08:00.000-07:00

From Amazon.com:
Samantha Green has just spent an entire year in her pajamas, and she is beginning to regret it. What's more, she is haunted by four ghosts that are former versions of herself. First up is the overachieving and materialistic attorney, who is furious with Samantha for throwing away the career she worked so hard to build. Second is the lackadaisical college student who is high on life but low on responsibility. Next is the melodramatic teenager, who is consumed with her social standing, teal eyeliner and teased bangs. Finally, there is the scrappy six-year old, whose only objective is to overcome gravity so that she can fly. Samantha's ghosts alternate between fighting with each other, rallying around Samantha's budding sanity and falling in love with a string of good-for-nothing drummers. Despite her reluctance to do so, Samantha must rely on these spirits from the past to repair the present and ensure her future.

I really liked this book. It was a fun easy read..perfect to take along at the beach or the park. Enjoy!

Past Reads

2010-05-31T20:55:00.000-07:00

I feel I should write about some good reads I've had in the past. I can't think of any new books I've read that aren't already on here.

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. So Good! If you like memoirs, this is a must read.

I also just finished another book by Jeannette Walls. It is about her grandmother this time, called Half Broke Horse

Her Grandmother was born in 1901, it tells her story. It is not as good as The Glass Castle, but still worth a read.

A Girl Named Zippy by Haven Kimmel

Haven is an excellent story teller and this book is so fun. It is another memoir about her life in Indiana, she was born in 1965. Very FUNNY. If you like this book (which you will), then you'll also love the sequel.

She Got Up Off the Couch by Haven Kimmel

I liked this book just as much as the first, although it was more sad.

I love Amy Tan. Her older books especially.

My two favorites are:

The Kitchen God's Wife - Amy Tan

and The Joy Luck Club.

She writes well about mother daughter relationships.

What are some of your favorite past reads - or current?

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

2010-05-11T21:39:00.000-07:00

This was a fascinating book that I completely loved. It's definitely for those who love history and can keep their attention with exclusive historic details. The fictional story wraps intricately around the legend of Dracula and portrays it from a completely different perspective. It takes you in and out of eastern European countries showing the ties they potentially had to the legend of Vlad Dracula.

It's far fetched, but keeps you interested to the very end. I highly reccommend it.

oldies but goodies

2010-04-24T17:10:00.000-07:00

I never get sick of these two books by the Bronte sisters.
"Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Bronte and
"The Tenant of Wildfell Hall" by Anne Bronte

A Long Way Gone

2010-02-04T11:10:00.000-08:00

At the age of twelve, he fled attacking rebels and wandered a land rendered unrecognizable by violence. By thirteen, he’d been picked up by the government army, and Beah, at heart a gentle boy, found that he was capable of truly terrible acts. At sixteen, he was removed from fighting by UNICEF, and through the help of the staff at his rehabilitation center, he learned how to forgive himself, to regain his humanity, and, finally, to heal.

SOOOO good! Defintely must read. Let me know what you think of it.

the Help, by Kathryn Stockett

2010-01-15T16:24:00.000-08:00

The Help, by Kathryn Stockett, was an excellent read! I loved it and read it in about 2 days. It was one of those books I wish hadn't ended. Put it on your to-read list now!!

Book Review Bloggers

2009-12-01T11:11:00.001-08:00

Check out my sidebar and click on Thomas Nelson Book Review Bloggers. It's a great way to get free books!

The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins

2009-10-15T19:33:00.000-07:00

I was in kind of a reading slump for a while, starting lots of books but not finishing any. If I am not interested in the first few pages I have a tendency to skip ahead, sometimes read the ending, or sometimes not finish at all. I have no problem not finishing a book. Since I was in a reading slump, some friends suggested reading "The Hunger Games," by Suzanne Collins. I could not put it down...the book grabbed me from the beginning and I raced through it, finishing it in one day. It's kind of futuristic but not too Sci-Fi. It's the first in a series of three. Two thumbs up. Let me know if you read it and if you love it.

East of Eden

2009-07-08T13:57:00.001-07:00

One of my all time favorite books. I read this about 6 years ago when I was living in NYC and became a frequenter of the subway. One good thing about public transit - its a great way to catch up on reading.

I love anything by Steinbeck and think he is a fabulous writer.

Here is the plot as stolen by Amazon.com:

Novel by John Steinbeck, published in 1952. It is a symbolic recreation of the biblical story of Cain and Abel woven into a history of California's Salinas Valley. With East of Eden Steinbeck hoped to reclaim his standing as a major novelist, but his broad depictions of good and evil come at the expense of subtlety in characterization and plot and it was not a critical success. Spanning the period between the American Civil War and the end of World War I, the novel highlights the conflicts of two generations of brothers; the first being the kind, gentle Adam Trask and his wild brother Charles.

It isn't the easiest of reads - but everyone should give it a try. Don't be intimidated. It is so beautiful, I can't wait to read it again.

First they Killed my Father

2009-06-30T12:06:00.000-07:00

I just finished a memoir called First they Killed my Father. Its about a little girl who grew up in Cambodia during a war. Loung Ung, the author and subject of the book, writes the memoir from a childs point of view. I couldn't put the book down, and often found myself staying up until 3:00AM reading. Books like these are sad and unbelievable, but they also empower me. They help me to realize - if people can live through situations like these and survive and make something positive of their lives, then why can't I - with my feeble trials that I do have.

Here is the synopsis:

From a childhood survivor of Cambodia's brutal Pol Pot regime comes an unforgettable narrative of war crimes and desperate actions, the unnerving strength of a small girl and her family, and their triumph of spirit.

Until the age of five, Lounge Ung lived in Phnom Penh, one of seven children of a high-ranking government official. She was a precocious child who loved the open city markets, fried crickets, chicken fights, and sassing her parents. While her beautiful mother worried that Loung was a troublemaker--that she stomped around like a thirsty cow--her beloved father knew Lounge was a clever girl.

When Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge army stormed into Phnom Penh in April 1975, Ung's family fled their home and moved from village to village to hide their identity, their education, their former life of privilege. Eventually, the family dispersed in order to survive.

Because Lounge was resilient and determined, she was trained as a child soldier in a work camp for orphans, while other siblings were sent to labor camps. As the Vietnamese penetrated Cambodia, destroying the Khmer Rouge, Loung and her surviving siblings were slowly reunited.

These Is My Words

2009-06-24T18:32:00.000-07:00

This book is one of those "I can't put it down" books. My friend Karen Burbank recommended it and lent it to me. I read it on an airplane ride home from a trip and didn't even notice how long the plane ride was, it was that good. Then I read it when I got home and stayed up until 2 am reading it, full well knowing that I had to get up at 6:30 in the morning. Basically, it is the story of Sarah Prine, as told to us through the words of her diary. She lives on the Arizona frontier, wants desperately to learn and to be educated, and loves her family. Oh yeah, and it's a romance. The author, Nancy Turner, bases the story loosely on one of her own relatives. It's a great story, but it's also beautifully written. You should read it!

No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, by Alexander McCall Smith

2009-05-24T17:46:00.000-07:00

What a lovely book! It follows Precious (Mma) Ramotswe as she opens the one and only detective agency in Botswana. Mma Ramotswe is a wise and clever woman who loves Africa and is very good at her job as a detective. I loved reading about her different clients, how she "cracked" the cases, the scenery of Africa, her family and past....it was all so good. Put this book on your to-read list, you won't be sorry!

Bird by Bird

2009-03-27T16:33:00.000-07:00

Recently I ordered three books on Amazon. One I didn't like (a book of essays by Barbara Kingsolver. I like her writing, but these were too shove-my-liberal-agenda-down-your-throat-minded) and two I did. They are both on writing, and so if you are not at all interested in writing, then you might not be interested in these. However, both books have a lot to say about other things besides writing and are inspiring, albeit in distinctly different ways.

First:

On Writing, by Stephen King - I have not read any of his books except this one, and yes, there is plenty of profanity to be found. There is also plenty of wit, good advice and a fantastic personal memoir

Second (and my favorite book about writing, ever):

Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life, by Anne Lamott - this book has made me laugh out loud as well as given me serious food for thought. It has great insight into the writing process and it's just a beautiful read. (warning: she also is keen on cussing)

2009-03-26T12:29:00.000-07:00

I think I am the only one posting here, but I like to read, so I will continue to post books that I have read.

I like to get on Amazon.com and browse through the best seller lists or recommendation lists to get some ideas about new books or authors I may not have heard of. One such recommendation was for “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society”, by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows.

This delightful little book takes place in London and on Guernsey Island in the English Channel at the end of WWII. The book is comprised entirely of letters written back and forth, with each letter telling a bit of the story of life in a Nazi occupied town.

Although the book is written only through letters, it flows well and the story line is easy to follow. There are humorous anecdotes about the quirky characters but also heartbreaking letters about humanity and heroism as the islanders helped each other during the war.

Don’t let the weird title scare you away…this book is witty, engaging, sad, thought provoking, and kept me gripped to the end. I loved all the characters and wanted to continue reading about their lives. So…read it!

Sophie Kinsella Books

2009-03-06T13:26:00.000-08:00

I have to admit I have thoroughly enjoyed reading (er..listening to) Sophie Kinsella's books recently. The hapless heroine of each book is always getting into predicaments that make you cringe out of embarrassment for her and laugh out loud. If you are in the mood for a funny, easy to read, entertaining, bit of romance book, here's a little list for you:
The Undomestic Goddess
Can you Keep a Secret?
Remember Me?
Confessions of a Shopaholic

I also love an English accent...the narrator on the audio books does such a good job and it is fun listening to her accent. Everything seems funnier in an English accent for some reason.

Blue Bloods by Melissa De La Cruz

2009-01-19T07:52:00.000-08:00

I thought I would give this book a try as I had nothing else to read and it was a small paperback. What a waste of time! It's confusing and makes vampire history confusing and the names in the book honestly drive me crazy!! I had to buzzz through and the end was left wide open so you have no choice but to read the next book if the story interests you.

I cannot get myself to even want to fell obligated to read the next book. The first was so awful, I can't imagine what I might learn in the second that would make me appreciate the first. Major Thumbs Down.

The Goose Girl, by Shannon Hale

2008-11-23T19:15:00.000-08:00

What a fun read...actually a fun listen, since I listened to this audiobook on my Zune. Lately I have been downloading audiobooks from Overdrive.com, a free service from most libraries that has free audiobooks to download. Anywhoo....

"The Goose Girl" is Young Adult fiction based on a fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm (but even as a 30-something mother of three I immensely enjoyed it). Anidori-Kiladra Talianna Isilee is to be the next queen of Kildenree, but when the king dies, the queen announces that her brother will be the next king. She sends Ani off to the next kingdom to wed the crown prince of Bayern. As she starts out on her month long journey to Bayern, betrayal, mistaken identity and danger ensue.

This book has just the right mix of suspense, action and romance. Turns out it is the first in a trilogy so now I have to read the other two!

The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory

2008-11-05T18:54:00.000-08:00

I read this book a couple months ago and really enjoyed it. It gives 3 different accounts of three women just trying to survive during the most ruthless time of Henry VIII's reign.

The first account is from his 4th wife, Anne of Cleves, which was an arranged marriage to keep peace between Germany and England. Her story ends the best of the three.

The second account is from his 5th wife, Katherine Howard, a 15 year old girl, who was forced to marry him and is known by Tudor scholars as a shallow, simple-minded girl way in over her head.

The third account is given by Jane Rochford, sister-in-law to Anne Boleyn. She was the one who gave evidence against Anne Boleyn and her husband George Boleyn that caused their death. In this book, she continues to work for the enemy thinking she will get monetary gain out of it, but because she is a woman it's impossible for her to obtain anything of her own and no man in Europe would trust her after the way she betrayed her own husband.

It is a fascinating book that looks deep into the end of Henry VIII's reign, tyranny, and death. But the way these poor women are abused makes it a little depressing to read. But if you love Tudor history, Philippa Gregory is your woman.

2008-10-23T09:12:00.000-07:00

Take the Quiz and Share Your Results!

You are thoughtful and care very deeply for your family. A loving home is of great
importance to you and you always try to make people feel welcome. Although you have a great capacity to love, you also have a great capacity to hurt, so at times you can be
sensitive. You're firm when you need to be, but people trust your judgment and
appreciate the kind way you always handle things.

Year of Wonders, by Geraldine Brooks

2008-10-18T11:36:00.000-07:00

I LOVED this book. I could not put it down and finished it in 2 days, sometimes (gasp) ignoring the children a bit so I could get in a chapter or two.

The book describes the 17th-century plague that is carried from London to a small village by an unknowing tailor on a bolt of cloth. The result: the villagers, one by one, become infected and begin to die. The minister of the village boldly declares that in order to spare surrounding villages from contracting the plague, the people should stay to contain the disease and prevent it from spreading further.

The book focuses on one villager, Anna Firth, a housemaid, and her growth and determination through it all.

READ IT!! It was great.

The Virgin's Lover by Philippa Gregory

2008-09-29T13:03:00.000-07:00

This book was really good. It's about Elizabeth I and the first two years of her reign. The history is amazing but the book contained quite a bit of sex and innuendos that I didn't think was necessary.

I have always been interested in The Royal Family from those early centuries and when Henry VIII reformed the church.

Philippa Gregory knows amazing things about that time period and completely dedicated to making her books as historically accurate as possible. She travels to the actual places she writes about and does so much research to make sure nothing is falsified.

I love her writing but this wasn't my favorite book of hers. I'm currently reading The Boleyn Inheritance and so far it's my favorite and once I finish I will give a good report.

"Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust," by Immaculee Ilibagiza

2008-08-17T10:10:00.000-07:00

This is a true story of a young woman who survives the Rwandan genocide, although her family does not. The author had so much courage and faith in the face of such horror and tragedy that it truly inspired me. I definitely recommend this book, in fact, I could hardly put it down. 5 stars!

The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio: How My Mother Raised 10 Kids on 25 Words or Less by Terry Ryan

2008-08-13T21:41:00.000-07:00

What a great read! This memoir is written by a daughter about her mother, and how she was able to earn money and put food on the table for 10 kids, by "contesting" in the 1950s. She sent in entries containing poems, jingles and finishing slogans for all kinds of companies and brands. This contest wins earned her family cash prizes, appliances, vacations, cars, etc. The money was much needed as the Father was an alcoholic and spent most of their income on booze. It was fun and touching and not as depressing as other novels about Irish Catholic drunks (there seem to be a lot of those). It was also made into a movie, which I haven't seen yet, but is now in my Netflix queue.

Gables of Legacy

2008-08-01T09:24:00.000-07:00

FINALLY I am posting! I am in the middle of reading the wonderful series Gables of Legacy by LDS author, Anita Stansfield. There are six books in this set. I am currently on book four. I love how Anita Stansfield writes several books dealing with the same characters from previous books. While I was on bedrest, a good friend of mine loaned me this set. FOr whatever reason, I never got around to reading them until now. As I was reading the back of the book, I realized I knew these characters from another series I had read by her. In fact, this other set of books I read years ago were probably my favorite books I had ever read. I didnt know until then that the story of this particular family went on in other books of hers. If so I would have read these a long time ago. I have a hard time finishing up a good book because it almost feels like you are saying goodbye to a friend. That is why I have loved to read Anitas books. I really like this series so far and it is very easy reading. If you are an Anita Stansfield fan then you HAVE to make sure and read this set.

The Other Boleyn Girl

2008-07-31T10:42:00.000-07:00

I read this book while I was in Utah and totally forgot to give you all my two cents.

It is a super captivating book. I could not stop reading and it took me about a week to get through because it's about 500 pages. It gave so much insight into what it must have been like in the 1500s and into the arrogance of Henry the VIII.

The book is from Mary Boleyn's point of view who was a mistress to Henry before he married Anne. Mary is portrayed as a sweetheart which I believe she was, but she had to have some kind of sass and fire to her if she was at all related to Anne.

Getting the story about Anne's rise and fall from the closest person possible is amazing. He's the best way to understand her motives, good and bad, but also so unbelievable that she would do some of the things she did.

I highly recommend this book but it is a little graphic so just be awares. Also, the movie was a big let-down for me, even though I knew it would be. However, Natalie Portman does a great job.

2008-07-17T13:08:00.000-07:00

My friend loaned me this book...Stolen Innoncence...My Story of Growing Up in a Polygamous Sect, Becoming a Teenage Bride, and Breaking Free of Warren Jeffs.....by Elissa Wall. It was fascinating. I usually don't do this, but I basically took a whole day and night off and just read. It was easy reading but really held my interest because Warren Jeffs is so much in the news here still. I'll never travel past Colorado City or Hilldale again and look at it the same way. This poor girl was forced into marriage at the age of 14 and it wasn't until she was 17 that she could break free of the FLDS religious sect. It made it more clear to me the mindset of the people there and in Eldorado, Texas at the Yearning for Zion camp, where they had the raid a couple of months ago. I liked it so well I sent a copy to Ella Mae for her birthday. I sent it when I wasn't quite through reading it, and now I do have to make a disclosure about the end which gets just a tiny bit explicit in what happened to the poor girl. Oh well. She'll now know I am a heathen daughter-in-law.

2008-07-14T12:49:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! I just started a new book called "New England White," by Stephen L. Carter, and so far its been good. When I finish I will let you know if its worth your time. A few of my favorite books are; "The Life of Pi," "The Lovely Bones," and the first book of the Twillight series.

Children's Books

2008-07-11T20:40:00.000-07:00

I know not all of us have kids, but we all love to read. I thought I would post some of our favorite kid's books and then hopefully get more from you to add to our reading repertoire.
Right now my kids (ages 3 and 5) really love "I Spy" books, Arthur, Franklin, and Megan (3) loves anything Princess or Ballerina. We recently found "Belinda the Ballerina" books by Amy Young about a ballerina with big old feet who can still dance and both my kids love them. Here is a list of some more favorites. Please share your faves!

-Hooway for Wodney Wat, by Helen Lester
-Knuffle Bunny, by Mo Willems
-Click, Clack, Moo Cows that type, by Doreen Cronin
-Going to Bed Book, by Sandra Boynton (most of her books are great)
-Good Night Gorilla, by Peggy Rathmann
-The Pigs's Picnic, by Keiko Kasza
-If you give a pig a pancake, by Laura Numeroff (all the books in the series are good)
-Dog's Colorful Day, by Emma Dodd
-Are You My Mother?, by P.D. Eastman
-Corduroy, by Don Freeman
-Tacky the Penguin, by Helen Lester (ALL the Tacky books are HILARIOUS!)
-Story of Ferdinand, by Munro Leaf
-Little Critter books by Mercer Mayer
-Eric Carle books (these are great because they usually have an interactive element at the end, like a click beetle and then the book has a clicking sound, etc)
-Arthur books by Marc Brown
-Franklin books by by Paulette Bourgeois and Brenda Clark

More more more!

2008-07-11T20:31:00.001-07:00

I have read everything on my list, and now need more books. I just recently re-read (actually listened on my Zune) "The Poisonwood Bible" and loved it even more. I almost wanted to go to the Congo, but am afraid of the green mamba.

I am waiting for "Unaccustomed Earth: Stories" by Jhumpa Lahiri to come in at the library for my next read. I loved her book "The Namesake." (the movie, not so great)

So....let's get some more recommendations going!

Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer

2008-06-28T22:29:00.000-07:00

I just finished this true story about several teams of climbers who ascended Mount Everest led by guides. I really enjoyed it but I also have a certain fascination with why people would want to climb Mount Everest.

The man who wrote the book was part of the expedition and gave a very detailed account including dates, times, locations, and even the elevation.

It was very well written and while it was sad that so many people died, it was interesting enough to keep me captivated for a good portion of it.

But I still don't understand why anyone would want to climb that death trap of a mountain.

2008-06-19T09:08:00.000-07:00

I went to Barnes and Noble yesterday and ended up with 10 books in my arms (no joke!). I finally had to narrow it down......and bought 3!!

2008-06-14T14:03:00.000-07:00

THE KITE RUNNER

OK....So now right up there with the rest of my favorite books is "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini. I really loved this book. When I take stock of all my favorite books, the highest percentage of them involve characters from the Mid-East. It's about a young boy growing up in Kabul, Afghanistan right before the fall of the monarchy when the Russians take over. After living in America he returns to Afghanistan during the Taliban take over. He has some major regrets in his life and is always seeking redemption. My favorite quote from the book is

"...I wondered if that was how forgiveness budded, not with the fanfare of epiphany, but with pain gathering its things, packing up, and slipping away unannounced in the middle of the night."

Isn't that great....I love it!

Welcome Maresa!

2008-05-22T14:25:00.000-07:00

My friend and kindred spirit Maresa is going to start blogging on here!! She loves to read and I've gotten a lot of my book recommendations from her!! Love you Maresa!!

Isable Allende

2008-05-21T11:41:00.000-07:00

Has anybody ever read anything by Isabel Allende??

Also- Shiloh what is your email address and I'll add you to this blog so you can write about books too! :)

The Host by Stephenie Meyer

2008-05-16T19:10:00.000-07:00

I just finished this book and I'm having mixed feelings. The character development is pretty incredible especially since includes several different characters who need that specific development.

It was an enjoyable book to read but the aspect of her love stories and love triangles that seem to be standard in every book she writes gets a little obnoxious. She did balance it out well in this book, but better than in the Twilight Series, I thought.

I would recommend this to anyone who thinks that science fiction has never and will never be up their alley. She does a good job helping you feel like the main character isn't an alien at all but an actual human you can relate to.

I am glad to be done with it and if you live near me you are more than willing to borrow it.

Hmmmm

2008-05-03T20:28:00.000-07:00

Well apparently everyone is currently reading a book and has no time to write about it - including me. :) I'm reading The Kite Runner right now. Its fabulous - heart wrenching, eye-opening, tender and inspiring.

A Memoir

2008-04-10T21:17:00.000-07:00

Falling Leaves
by Adeline Yen Mah

"The Memoir of an Unwanted
Chinese Daugher"

I absolutely loved this book. I like memoirs and this fit the bill. I could hardly put it down. It is the story of a child born in 1937 in China. She was the youngest child of an affluent Chinese family. She suffered appalling emotional abuse from her Eurasian stepmother. She was determined to survive and struggled for independence from her family. She moved to Hong Kong, and then to England and finally to the U.S. where she became a physician and a writer. Most of the book takes place during the "Cultural Revolution" in China (Communist take-over). It was fascinating to find out how this all took place and how the people lived at that time. It is especially significant because of what's going on in China now because of the Olympics. After reading this book you'll appreciate your life in America so much more, and any problems you might have in your family pale in comparison to the Yen family. I loved this book almost as much as "Stolen Lives" and "Memoirs of a Geisha".

Caution: Do Not Read

2008-04-04T13:27:00.000-07:00

I just finished this book today and I honestly have not read a more depressing book in my life. Every page is filled with pain, dissappointment, hope, and anger. Sure, you learn about meth and what a horrible addiction it is but it's not worth reading the whole thing. I did get a couple pages highlighted of information to be able to show to Gracie one day, but that is it.

The author used so many unknown words, I had to look them each up in the dictionary as I read along. No one should have to read a book that way. The story ends openly with an epilogue. It's only an overly dramatic and extended version of what he feels he's learned and that it's basically nothing. Living through something hard that doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Everyone already knows that. It doesn't do anyone any good to read the anguish in every page of this book.

Bottom line: Meth is currently the most dangerous and most addictive drug out there and no matter how many rehab attemps and years of sobriety someone has, relapse is always, always possible.

Enough said. Don't read the book.

LOOOONG list

2008-04-03T20:18:00.000-07:00

I now have a very long list of books. I came home with a bag of about 10 books and 20 magazines from the library last week, and haven't even had a chance to read any! I am trying to start with "My Forbidden Face." I just keep falling asleep out of sheer exhaustion. I guess that's what 3 kids does to you!

I'm buttin' in just 'cause I know it's annoying to you all

2008-03-30T17:51:00.000-07:00

Here are fourteen fine books that reside in my personal library:

14. Why Nations go to War - John. G. Stoessinger
Stoessinger attempts to explore the question of why nations go to war. He details wars in the twentieth century and explains what led these nations down the road to war.

13. Feynman's Rainbow - Leonard Mlodinow
Mlodinow is a physicist who takes the reader on a personal journey of how he arrived at a blissful place in the life. Indeed the subtitle is A Search for Beauty in Physics and in Life. He shares insights about physics and what he feels is important in life.

12. By the Hand of Mormon - Teryl L. Givens
Givens explores historically the coming forth of the Book of Mormon and what impact it has had on the world and in particular upon Latter-day Saint perspective.

11. When Jesus Became God - Richard E. Rubenstein
The author describes the long, violent, and political process of how the view of Jesus evolved within Christianity. He begins in Alexandria a little after 300 A.D. works his way through the council of Nicea in 325 and the subsequent fall-out. He gives some interesting perspectives.

10. Guns, Germs, and Steel - Jared Diamond
The history of the world is a fascinating thing. History itself is hard to grasp, and its hard to be certain from what we know all that has happened in the history of this world. Diamond describes how the introduction of Guns, Germs, and Steel, essentially, when introduced into new societies often prove the downfall of these cultures, societies and often people.

9. A History of Western Philosophy - Bertrand Russell
It's a tome if ever there was one. He begins in ancient Greece and works, chronologically, through the 19th century and into the 20th describing all the impacts on philosophy certain philosophers have had. Its great because it shows just what affect philosophy has had on the developing societies in the world as well.

8. Joseph Smith Rough Stone Rolling - Richard L. Bushman
Ahhh...very informative. Bushman takes a "daring" and new look at the history of Joseph Smith. He wrote this in regards to the 200 year anniversary of his birth. I say daring because he presents ideas, very convincingly, about Joseph Smith, his world, and what drove his efforts.

7. How Wide the Divide - Craig L. Blomberg and Stephen E. Robinson
Its been called a Landmark book. Blomberg, an Evangelical Christian, and Robinson, an LDS Christian, tackle main themes in each religion and how they relate to each other and also how they differ. The book is written well and is made simple for a quick an interesting read.

6. Lost Christianities - Bart D. Ehrman
This book gave me some information about the coming forth of the New Testament and the history of the era of the years after the books in the NT were written. He speaks of the different groups of Christians who lived in that era, how they disagreed, and ultimately how the "proto-orthodox" group, whom today's Christians generally champion, attempted to shout out the rest of the groups, and how the other groups attempted to defeat what many assume to be the dominate group of the era.

5. Aristotle's Children - Richard E. Rubenstein
Great book. He describes how the era commonly referred to as the dark ages weren't all that dark thanks to the great minds which helped civilization as they were inspired, mainly, by the ideas of Aristotle.

4. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance - Robert Pirsig
Its just a journey of a man and his son across the northwest of the US--from Minnesota to the pacific. He muses on life and philosophy and why is his life is where it is. An unexpected and touching ending caused me to weep a little.

3. Temples of the Ancient World - Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies (multiple authors)
Love it. Some of the essays in this book have brought me closer to an understanding of the temple, no doubt. And many of their ideas have fascinated me giving me more reason to love and appreciate the gospel and the restoration.

2. Revelation, Reason, and Faith Essays in Honor of Truman G. Madsen - Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies (multiple authors)
Great ideas are presented in this work. Many of the essays give reasoned explanations as to why the LDS faith is true and divinely inspired.

1. The Worlds of Joseph Smith - A Bicentennial Conference at the Library of Congress
All the papers in this book were presented at the Library of Congress commemorating the life of Joseph Smith. Each gives excellent information about the man and excellent ideas are exchanged in regards to the restoration he claimed and the truths he forwarded.

Love,

David

Gone with the Wind

2008-03-27T18:49:00.000-07:00

Another book I absolutely LOVE is Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the Wind. It is truly a classic and a must read in my opinion. I need to read it again. The "sequel" Scarlett by Alexandra Ripley doesn't hold a candle to the original. Although I can understand why anyone would want to try and somehow get Rhett and Scarlett together in the end.

2008-03-25T20:14:00.000-07:00

Their Eyes Were Watching God
by Zora Neale Hurston

Has anyone read this book? Heather got me reading it. At first I resisted but finally took the plunge and enjoyed it very much. Oprah made it into a TV movie, but didn't do the book justice.

Behind in my reading

2008-03-25T15:41:00.000-07:00

The last book I finished, was The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. I really like it. I started These is My Words by Nancy Turner - and then it was due back at the library. I also started Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner, but then it of course was also due back. I am a s l o w reader. I might just go buy these two books. If anyone has read them, let me know if they are good enough to buy. I liked what I had read so far though, so I'm betting they would be worth the purchase price.

Postpartum Depression

2008-03-25T11:29:00.000-07:00

Down Came The Rain: My Journey Through Postpartum Depression by Brooke Shields is absolutely one of the best books I've ever read.

I read it after I had Gracie and it was very comforting to me. I also read a similar book by Marie Osmond, but I related to Brooke Sheilds much more. She explains her story and her feelings toward her daughter and it was so comforting to know someone else felt the same way I did.

Brooke Shields also had to deal with infertility before she became pregnant which made her feel even worse once her postpartum depression hit. I want to add a few excerpts from the book that were especially meaningful to me when I was read it:

". . .At first I thought what I was feeling was just exhaustion, but with it came an overriding sense of panic that I had never felt before. Rowan [her daughter] kept crying, and I began to dread the moment when Chris [her husband] would bring her back to me. . .it was as if a vise were tightening around my chest. Instead of the nervous anxiety that often accompanies panic, a feeling of devastation overcame me. I hardly moved. Sitting on my bed, I let out a deep, slow guttural wail. I wasn't simply emotional or weepy, like I had been told I might be. This was something quite different. . .this was a sadness of a shockingly different magnitude. It felt as if it would never go away."

"In general I have always loved babies, and Rowan was not only amazing and alert but also quite beautiful. . .I just felt no desire to picker her up. Every time I have ever been near a baby, any baby, I have always wanted to hold the child. It shocked me that I didn't want to hold my own daughter."

"I watched as Chris finished the diapering, and felt like a beached whale. I was failing at things that, according to popular belief, we supposed to be the most natural in a woman's life. . .but I didn't have any desire to power through and care for this baby. I got hit with a wave of self-defeat and self-loathing and had an urge to smash my head against the wall repeatedly. . .I starting strongly believing that I couldn't be a mother. I was already proving to be incompetent, and we hadn't been home a day! What had I done? Why didn't I want to be near my baby? . .I sat up with my huge legs stretched out in front of me and, slowly rocking back and forth with my face up toward the ceiling, my arms limp at my sides, I sobbed. I couldn't stop. What was I going to do? Was I ever going to stop feeling like this? Misery enveloped me."

This book gives such great detail of how it feels to experience such a horrible depression. If you want me to, I can gather more uplifting excerpts that talk about how she slowly recovered. It's such a great book and opens understanding to something awful that I've dealt with myself. It gets a huge recommendation from me.

Introduction

2008-03-25T10:42:00.000-07:00

For some reason I am obsessed at making sure people are introduced. So....

Laura meet melmck (Melanie).

Melanie is my cousin - well she married my cousin- and she lives in AZ but is originally from Utah.

Laura is my best friend and lives in St. George now.

The end. :)

Some All Time Favorites

2008-03-24T20:16:00.000-07:00

Two of my favorite books are by Barbara Kingsolver. The Poisonwood Bible is about a crazy preacher who goes to Africa to try and convert the "poor native". He mistreats his family but justifies the means to an end. I love stories that are memoir type books, and to have one about Africa was a bonus. I guess this one really wasn't a memoir but written like one. Her other book I liked was The Bean Trees. A little Native American child left by a mom who couldn't care for her and raised by a woman who found her. The child's name was "Turtle". Isn't that sweet?

The Story of the Andes Survivors: Alive

2008-03-24T20:03:00.000-07:00

First of all, I'm so excited to be part of this blog! I've thought of putting together my own blog about books I've read and my thoughts on them, but knew it would be better with more people included.

So, I wanted to start out with this book as a recommendation. I read it several years ago but was very drawn in by the way it was written and the description of these young men trying to survive with such little hope. I couldn't imagine trying to keep a positive attitude of any kind in such a dire situation as theirs.

The book also has actual pictures from the actually wreckage and the survivors when they were found.

Very inspirational and in my top 10.

(As a side note, do not see the movie. It doesn't do it justice and it much more confusing.)

Currently Reading: "Beautiful Boy" by David Sheff.

Short Stories and Some Other Stuff

2008-03-24T17:00:00.000-07:00

Lately I have become a lover of the short story. A good short story requires a significant amount of skill as a writer has to convey all that he or she wants to in a shorter amount of space. Two collections to try by two of my favorite authors:

The Opposite of Fate, by Amy Tan

Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage, by Alice Munro

Also, if you can get your hands on the short story "Sonny's Blues," by James Baldwin, you'll like it.

I also really like memoirs. One that I read recently in just two days (which you have all probably read) that Mom sent me after Sister got here was Chosen by a Horse, by Susan Richards. Another really good one that I tend to recommend to anyone calling me for a book recommendation is The Color of Water, by James McBride, which is a story about a white woman raising 12 children in poverty. Her two husbands were black.

I am reading....

2008-03-24T09:46:00.000-07:00

I'm reading the Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. Its a memoir about a kid growing up in Afganistan. I'm only on chapter 6, but its kept my attention really well and I like it a lot. It got 4.5 stars out of 5 on Amazon.....

They also made it into a movie, but its rated R - which I'm naughty and usually watch those, but I am betting the book is better - since they usually are.

The last book of the Twilight series also comes out in August this year. Its called Breaking Dawn....

WANTED: Book Recommendations!

2008-03-22T21:16:00.000-07:00

Let's post some of our favorite books (although I am sure we have read a lot of the same ones).

I can't say enough how much I loved "Suite Francaise" by Irene Nemirovsky. It's about the fall of France during WWII, but more interesting than the book is the story of the author and how the book came to be published.

I also liked "Night" by Elie Wiesel. Another story about WWII and a young boy surviving the Holocaust. I have always had an interest in stories about WWII.

I also really like to read memoirs. A good one is "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls. Another enjoyable memoir is "The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio: How My Mother Raised 10 Kids on 25 Words or Less" by Terry Ryan (which is also a cute movie).

Finally, I liked "The Thirteenth Tale" by Diane Setterfield. A ghost story that had a twist I never figured out until the end, even with my horrible habit of reading the end of the book before I'm done!

Now it's your turn! I need some good books to enjoy in my new chair!

p.s. don't mind the ugly plywood background behind my reading nook. We got ambitious one day and ripped off all of the ugly fake rocks on our fireplace and then we got unambitious and haven't put anything back up. Maybe I should give the kids some markers and call it "abstract" art!

Wednesday Letters

2008-03-19T19:01:00.000-07:00

I just finished this sappy book...Wednesday Letters. Don't bother reading it. I finished it only because I cannot leave anything undone.

My Forbidden Face

2008-03-19T13:35:00.000-07:00

I just got done reading My Forbidden Face by Latifa. The author won't give her last name in order to stay safe. Its a memoir about a girl growing up under the Taliban. Its really good. It was a little hard to get into at first, but then I really started to like it. Its not as good as Stolen Lives - which I think we've all read, but it was still interesting. The beginning of the book starts while the girl still has freedom and then it changes once the Taliban gains power. She talks about what its like to go from living a normal life - wearing regular clothes, going to school etc to living a life where females can't even leave their house without a male escort. One part of the book talks about a Taliban law that state if a woman is seen talking to a man that is not her husband, she'll either be killed or they will be instantly married. Its so unthinkable. Reading books like that make me so astonished that there are so many places like that in this world that are still around.

Becky Posted

2008-03-19T13:24:00.001-07:00

I just finished reading "The Appeal" by John Grisham. It was good...the ending took me by surprise and it is worth reading just to get to the end. I bought it so if you want to read it, I can mail it down to Clinton and you can pass it around to everyone. I need more good recommendations!I tried to read "Atonement" but it was too sad.

Admin Privileges

2008-03-19T10:16:00.001-07:00

I gave everyone Admin privileges so you should be able to add lists and links and pictures if you want. I'm so nice.

Books, books, books!

2008-03-19T09:55:00.000-07:00

I wanted to set up this blog as a book-club type of blog. All of you should be able to post about the book you are reading, your favorite book or whatever. Even good quotes. I love to read and know all of you do too!!