Over Christmas break I read "Bitches, Bimbos, and Ballbreakers" by the Guerilla Girls. It is about the stereotypes that women have to deal with throughout their lives. Highly recommended.
I just finished Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory McGuire. Wow, that's an interesting read. More sex and violence than I had expected, but also more discussion about the dichotomies of good/evil, fate/free will, and science/religion. Of course, now I need to go buy L. Frank Baum's Chronicles of Oz so that I can read that and contrast it with McGuire's take of Oz. Recommended.
Yesterday I re-read Eleven on Top, a Stephanie Plum novel by Janet Evanovich, in preparation for reading the latest between the numbers novel, Plum Spooky. I had planned to ready half of Plum Spooky last night, saving the rest for today, but as a fellow OCD reader, I bet you can guess how well that worked. At one point I was laughing so hard I thought I was going to wet the bed (there's a guy who farts fire in this one, and he inadvertently torches a dinner party and his own pickup truck).
I highly recommend the entire series, however the characters don't really settle down until book 3, Three to Get Deadly. They're quick, amusing reads with not enough sex to satisfy. My faovrites are 8, 9 and 12.
I've taken your suggestion, HollenBackGirl, and "saved" the first three Plum number books to my Amazon cart for my next purchase (when I have money again!). In the meantime, I've read one of my Christmas gifts- Louisa May Alcott's "Aunt Jo's Scrab-bag". Not one of her best collections of short stories. A little too sweetsie, I think. Not recommended unless you are a fan of L.M.A. already.
Another L.M. Alcott read- "Love's Long Fatal Chase". Excellent book and highly recommended, especially if you like gothic, romance, thrillers. It was never published during her lifetime because her publisher throught it was too "sensational". It was published for the first time in 1985, and not a moment too soon. It is like a cross between Jane Eyre and Sleeping With the Enemy.
The last L.M.A. book for a little while "A Modern Mephistophales". Another thriller, though not as good, plot and action, as "Love's Long Fatal Chase". However, more though provoking about the differences between good and evil in people. The heroine is a little too noble and good to be believable, a common fault with L.M.As books, but the other characters are well-developed and interesting. Recommended.
After hearing some rave reviews from friends about the Twilight series by Stephanie Meyers, I finally read the first book (Twilight) last night and this morning. Yes, I finished the 500 page book in less than 24 hours- it was that good. I can't quite put my finger on what exactly makes it so entrancing. The writing isn't spectacular, the plot isn't particularly new, the characters could use a little more development... HOWEVER, something in it makes it unbelievably addicting. I sat down at 9am this morning to read a chapter and finished the book at 11am, without having changed position or gotten up once in that time.
So, I got on Amazon to buy the other books and thought I would look over the reviews to see what other people had to say. I ordered them, but I am afraid to read them. The reviews get progressively worse as you move through the series, with the concluding book getting scathing reviews. OH NO! But now I can't not read them! Oh well.
So, for this book- Highly recommended if you are looking for a fast, entertaining read. I'll let you know what I think of the rest of the series when I've read it. For now, back to Daisy Miller!
I've heard that the whole Twilight series is very good, both from colleagues and Briana, so I plan to read it this summer sometime maybe.
I've been thinking a lot about what bok I would want to bring to life if possible, and I think I'd have to say Like Water for Chocolate. Though, some awful things to happen in that book... BUT I really think the concept would be interesting in real life. Imagine if your cooking was infused with whichever emotion you were most feeling as you prepared the food, and then felt by whomever ate it.
I agree that Like Water for Chocolate would be a good book to bring to life (or make a good sitcom!). I think I would like to bring Twilight to life. The reason is that I want to know if vampires are really as sexy as they are made out to be. Think of all the classic and popular vampire books, movies, and shows. Dracula and Edward (books) are supposed to be irresistible to women, Kiefer Sutherlands character in Lost Boys (movie), Bill in True Blood (television)- all sexy. Wooh.
Though, I guess if I was bringing Edward to life from a book, he would be hot since the book makes him out to be, right? Anyway, I still want to meet a vampire and he seems like the best option for now (Dracula is a little TOO scary). So there's my book-to-life pick: Twilight.
Yesterday I read a Victoria Holt novel "The Landower Legacy". It was good, a typical Victoria Holt novel. I have read most of Victoria Holt's work, so this morning I decided to see what she has written under another pseudonym- Phillipa Carr- and found out that she actually wrote under 6 different pen names and wrote over 200 books in her lifetime. Wow. I have a lot of reading ahead of me! Anyway, I recommend any Victoria Holt novel to people who enjoy historical romance/suspense novels.
Yesterday I read One for the Money and Two For the Dough of Evanovich's Plum Series and loved them. They are funny, witty, with plots that keep you involved. Today I am reading #3. I can't wait to buy the next three in the series, although they will have to wait for my wallet to get fatter. Highly recommended for everyone. Even Ken plans on reading them (after he finishs Twilight) after listening to me laugh over the books all day yesterday!
I finished the rest of the Twilight Series and I think the people who wrote the bad reviews are just nuts. Okay, so some of the criticisms are valid- she does rap it up just a little too neatly and some of the characters are a bit unbelievable, but come on! It's about vampires and werewolves!
I REALLY enjoyed all four books and found it just as difficult to put down the other three as it was for Twilight. And, as I think I've already commented somewhere, I'm a sucker for happy endings so the fact that she wrapped it up all neatly with everyone happy makes ME happy. I finished the last book 5 hours ago and I'm still riding my "good book" high (of course, I've been reading about straight through for the past 36 hours so I was very deeply immersed).
So again, highly recommended. Captivating story, fun characters, easy read. ANd to top it all off, a happy ending when you don't expect it.
I recently finished Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton. It is well-written with captivating characters but depressing. The characters lead miserable lives with no happy ending to look forward to. I'm not sure whether to recommend it or not. I guess, if you don't mind being depressed when you are finished...
I finished Winnie the Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner last night. They were lovely, lovely books - I recommend them to anyone at any age. However - if you're ever prone to hormonal tears (Halmark commercials, chick flicks, sappy greeting cards) be prepared to drop a few at the end of the second book. I'm curious now to see if A A Milne wrote anything else - if so I'll def, be reading it; his style is so endearing! I've been thinking for a few days who my favorite character is.. Before I ready the books I would have said Eyore, but now I'm not so sure. I'm thinking I'm probably MOST like Kanga, or Rabbit, but I think Piglet is my favorite. The description of him blushing pink from his nose to his ears when he was excited really did it for me. =)
I used to have a copy of the complete works of Winnie the Pooh (illustrated) that I really enjoyed. I gave it to my little cousin for her birthday several years ago. Spreading the joy... I'm not sure if Milne has written anything else.
Well, I've been a reading maniac this past week or so (Ken might argue that I always have been and probably always will). The books...
"Devil on Horseback" by Victoria Holt. Not recommended unless you are a fan of Victoria Holt. The plot moved relatively slow for her and the book was not one of her best books. I still enjoyed it, but then I'm a big fan.
Janet Evonovich- # 4, 5, and 6. Finished all three books in less than two days. That good. Angie, I love these books- thank you so much for recommending them. I can't decide whether my favorite part was the burning dog poop or dead mobster in a lawn chair. Each book is better than the last. Highly recommended for everyone. I have 7, 8, and 8 coming on Tuesday and can't hardly wait. Which leads me to a very important question- Morelli or Ranger? I can't make up my mind. Who would you choose?
"Only the River Runs Free" by Bodie and Brock Thoene. This is the first of the Galway Chronicles by these authors. The writing is okay although the plot moves along in jerks and character development seems haphazard. There is also a fair amount of religion mixed in. I usually just skip over those parts. :-) The mixing in of Irish history is pretty interesting and the overall plot is good. Recommended with reservations.
I'm moving on to the second book in the Galway Chronicles- Of Men and Angels. I expect to have it finished before Evonivich comes. I might even begin "Interview with a Vampire" in the interim if I make good time.
I am a "Babe" girl all the way (which is why book 8 is one of my faves). Flaming doog poop = good Mobster in the chair = better Beaver Bomb = BEST. Just wait til you get there....
I know Morelli is the safer choice, and I think Steph will ultimately end up with him, but damn.. Ranger has cool cars! And the batcave! How can you say no to a man with a batcave?
Hands down though, Grandma Mazur is my all time fave character.
Michael Randall's coming to visit next weekend and we have a big outing planned to the used book store. I plan on getting some Victoria Holt (can you reccomend one I should start with?) and also a couple of copies of my next pick, Water for Elephants. I'll mail you one.
Have you read "Switch Bitch" by Roald Dahl? I think you would enjoy it immensely (adult short stories from the author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory?! Sign me uP!) I might send you a copy of that as well.
You know, I wondered about that when I was reading #8 (7,8,and 9 showed up yesterday- so, of course, I read them yesterday) I'm also a Ranger girl, for sure. The mystery, the body, the "ruining for all other men". Yep. Sign me up. #8 is also one of my favorites... and about freaking time!!! I was really hoping she would cave soon because the anticipation was killing me. :-)
I wasn't as impressed with #7 and #9. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed them. But I liked 5 and 6 better. I really like the introduction of Bob as a character and the Morelli/Bob dynamic almost counters Ranger's lead- almost.
I also love Grandma Mazur, but am torn between her and Sally Sweet for favorite character. It looks like Sally is coming back in # 10?
I'm not sure you'll find Victoria Holt at the used book store- I never have any luck with it. But, if you do, I would recommend "The Legend of the Seventh Virgin" (juicy) or, if you like a little bit of history with your fiction "My Enemy the Queen" or "The Queen's Confession". Holt, under another pen name, wrote a non-fiction historically accurate book about Marie Antoinette and then wrote "The Queen's Confession" as a fictionalized version told from Marie Antoinette's point of view. Of course, you know how it will end...
I'm torn about my next choice... I was going to go with American Wife but it is relatively recent and thus is only sold in hardback and is rather expensive. I'll do some more thinking and looking, looking and reading, and reading and thinking, before I decide on mine for sure. Luckily your pick is next anyway! I'll look forward to goodies in the mail. :-)
I just finished "Of Men and Angels" by Bodie and Brock Thoene- the second in the Galway Chronicles. Same comments as on the first one. I had to finish this one quickly because I listed it on Amazon and it sold the same day. So, I rushed to finish it this morning, only to realize that the Post Office isn't open today anyway. Sheesh. I also listed the last two books in the series- hopefully they don't sell before I've read them!
I was sick with a head cold this past weekend (great birthday weekend), but luckily #s 10-14 of the Plum series showed up the morning I got sick. Isn't that convenient? I read and enjoyed them all. My favorites from the series are definitely #8, #10, and #12. I loved # 10 because Evanovich brought back Sally Sweet and Stephanie got to live at Ranger's place. Similarly, as a Ranger girl, I also really liked #12. :-) I wasn't as impressed with #14, which is a little sad because it is the last one in the series until June. My favorite characters rarely appeared (Ranger, Grandma Mazur, and Sally Sweet) and it is just not the same without them. Looking forward to reading the Between the numbers books now.
Last week I read Metro Girl, which is the first book in the Alex Barnaby series by Evanovich. It is much like the Plum series, except the main character is a mechanic. In Metro Girl, she ends up going to Miami to look for her missing brother and meets a sexy Nascar driver. There are explosions and wacky characters just like you would expect from Evanovich. I'm looking at getting the next one in the series: Motor Mouth. While not quite as good as the Plum books, I still highly recommend it.
Also last week, I finished the Galway series by the Theone's. The third book- Ashes of Remembrance- was definitely the best of the series. There was more action and the writing seemed better (basically it jumped around less). However, you would have had to read the first two books to really understand what was going on. Thus, I don't really recommend the series.
"Beyond the Blue Mountains" by Jean Plaidy, one of the pen-names of the author who also writes under the pen-name of Victoria Holt. This pseudonym comes before Victoria Holt chronoligically by about 25 years and, at least for this book, isn't nearly as good. The characters are not very well developed, they lead miserable lives, and the story moves forward in jerks. It also has an unhappy ending. Grr. Not recommended.
Just finished Irish Gold by Andrew Greeley. A fun read. What I find really interesting about these books is that Greeley is a Catholic priest and yet there is quite a bit of swearing, foreplay, and an obsession with women's breast. This one has quite a bit of Irish history (in the early 1900s) in it and is set up with a mystery- who killed Michael Collins? I never would have guessed the answer and am a little surprised that's the way he went with it. Recommended. Angie, I'll drop it in the mail for you early next week.
I finished Mary Shelley's Frankenstein today - glad I read it, glad I've ot seen any of the resulting movies. The plot was great but the writing had a bit too much introspection for me. Dislike #1: Like Daisy Miller et al, Victor is forever the victim of month-long "fevers." I just don't buy it. Dislike #2: That is one well-spoken monster considering he learned all verbal (and written!) language by observing lessons through a hole in the wall. Dislike #3: Victor feared that the monster and his "wife" would spawn a new race. Why didn't he just construct the female without a uterus? Meh.
Recommended, but prepare to do a lot of skimming over descriptions of scenery and "woe is me and my wretched creation" soliloquies.
Good point about not building the female creature with a uterus if he was so concerned about reproduction. I never thought of that. :-)
Ken recommended that I read Prey by Michael Crighton. It is a thriller about nanotechnology gone bad and the stupid people that allow it to get out of control. A little slow to start but then it picks up speed quickly. It is scary because it is not something that seems very far off into the future. Recommended.
"Last Letters Home: Voices of Americans from the Battlefields of Iraq" a Life book based on the HBO documentary. I'm always fascinated by personal correspondances, especially those that come out of the battlefield. There is nothing spectacular in these letters, but it is touching to read their last letters. Not recommended unless you are into this type of thing or know someone in Iraq.
Argh. I like Victoria Holt, but I really don't think I like her work under the name of Jean Plaidy. I read "The Goldsmith's Wife" by Plaidy last night. Again- the main characters lead miserable lives until they die. Depressing. It did talk a lot about the Tower of London, which I had toured last year, so I could picture it really well. That was about the only redeeming quality. I have one more Plaidy novel I bought a couple of weeks ago- if I don't like that one than I am giving up on Plaidy!
"Visions of Sugar Plums" by Janet Evanovich. Recommended, of course, although it is shorter than the numbered books and therefore less satisfying. I also noticed that there is a lot of touching and kissing going on between Stephanie and the men in her life, regardless if they are more than friends. Ranger and Joe are always kissing her, draping their arms over her, whispering seductively in her ear... etc. But they are involved with her, to some extent. But now Diesel is doing the same things and he is only a transient character who is NOT involved with her. What's up with that? Either she gets more physical contact from men than normal or else I've been sorely deprived. :-) No comments about any nicknames!
"Plum Lovin'" by Janet Evanovich. I enjoyed this holiday novelette more than "Visions of Sugar Plums" with one exception: WE NEVER FIND OUT WHAT RANGER NEEDS TO TALK TO HER ABOUT!!! That really irks me. In fact, I went back and skimmed Lean Mean Thirteen(it is supposed to come after Plum Lovin, according to her website) to see if we find out in that one but it doesn't say for sure. It may be the favor to bug Dickie's office, but, again, we don't know for sure.
I am getting to like Diesel more now that I'm getting to know him a little better. Plus, the plot in this one is more fun. I especially love the scene where the cat catches on fire (that sounds awful to put it that way, but the cat isn't hurt) because we had a similar incident once at our house. BTW: singed cat fur STINKS and it takes a long time to get the smell out of your house.
I have been reading a lot lately. It's what makes me do my regular work. If I complete one task of schoolwork or housework or whatever needs done- then I get to read a chapter. The better the book, the more work that gets done. That is, unless it is TOO good, in which case nothing else gets done until I've finished the book. That's my secret.
Anyway, the latest book was "THe Other Boleyn Sister" by Phillipa Gregory. I had seen the movie maybe a year ago? and bought the book (also the movie, which I really liked) on which the movie was based. I finally got around to reading it (it is 700 pages, so I've been putting it off for shorter books) and really enjoyed it. It is written from Mary Boleyn's point of view from her first marriage to the beheading of her sister Anne (I'm not ruining it, anyone with a sense of history knows what happened). It shows her shift from an innocent girl brought to King Henry VIII's court to a disillusioned, matured woman who leaves the court behind. It is well-written, very well researched, and kept me interested the whole way (even though I knew how it ended!). Highly recommended for anyone who is interested in history and likes to wonder what about the emotions of the great players of history. And Angie, it does go into some of the nasty details of the time period, from lice and fleas to piss pots.
Okay, so I was reading the other stuff here and I finally broke down and read Twilight and forced myself to read to the end. I HATED this book. I have WAY better things to do than read about somebody going to gym class and how she trips all the time and what her science lab project was. I guess I live that life and so can't enjoy it in leisure.
And I tried reading Evanovich's books and just couldn't get into them. I guess I'm just a naysayer on these others.
Ken just read Twilight, too, and he wasn't very impressed. He read the whole series and like the last one the best, but overall just didn't think they were very good. He is more excited about the movie, but he always likes movies better. So you are not the only one, by far. He just started reading Metro Girl by Evanovich and isn't really into that book either (but then he has only read the first chapter so far). Angie, have you read Twilight yet?
"Plum Lucky" by Evanovich. It came tonight so I read it tonight. It hardly seems worth saying it, considering my previous posts, but yes, I enjoyed it. I'm torn between whether I like it better than Plum Lovin'. I think so. Only one more book to go until I'm done with Plum until June!
"Jo's Boys" by L.M. Alcott. This book is interesting because it is very autobiographical. In fact, in the beginning Alcott mentions that Amy's character is neglected in this book because the real life "Amy" passed away. It tells quite a bit about the frustration that Alcott had with all of her devoted fans and fan mail and how she longed for the peace she had before she was famous. It also wraps up the March family saga. I wish I would have reread "Little Men" before reading this one, though, because a familiarity with the characters beforehand would have made it better. Recommended for fans of "Little Women" and "Little Men".
I finished Dickens' Christmas Carol and maybe I've seen too many movies but the movies follow the actual written story very well. I was not disappointed.
And I finished "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button", a very short story. I find it hard to believe a movie can be made from this. The premise is good but there isn't too much depth to it.
Benjamin Button is a pretty long movie, too, isn't it? Over two hours, I heard. They must have really taken artistic license with it.
Okay, I reread Twilight yesterday, in preparation for the release of the movie on Saturday (Saturday is a weird release date, don't they usually release on Tuesday's? How is Netflix going to handle this?). While I mean no disrespect, WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?? I still liked it. Okay, I see some of the critiques, but still. It is funny. It is, I think, pretty realistic (barring the obvious vampires/werewolves). Oh well. :-) I guess we can't all like the same things. At least we all agree on Harry Potter, yes? And Water for Elephants?
I think F. Scott Fitzgerald left plenty of artistic license for anybody that wanted to fill in the pieces. THe book started out ok but then seemed like he got tired of it and just "wrapped it up".
Who knows, maybe Faith and Hope WILL go shopping in the movies. I'm sure they could add enough to it to make it a feature film. Maybe flashbacks to their lives before being locked away.
Speaking of Harris, I just bought "Gentlemen and Players" yesterday at the Bargain bookstore (price dropped from $7 to $3- who can resist that?). It is a novel, not short stories. I'm looking forward to reading it in the distant future.
I am collecting so many unread books on my shelves (something to do with my book-shopping addiction) that I have started a new system. I have four bookshelves of five shelves each. I rotate through the bookshelves and the shelves themselves, picking an unread book off the top shelf of each bookshelf, then the second, third, so on. It makes for a variety of reading (the books are arranged by genre, so this means I change genres with every new book) and I feel it is a fair way to go through the unread books. Otherwise, I feel that the books on some bookshelves aren't getting enough attention. (I get the same guilty feeling about neglected jewelry and clothes, but that is more about matching and less random choosing so I haven't developed a system to deal with those feelings of guilt yet.)
"Motor Mouth" by Janet Evanovich. This is the sequel to "Metro Girl" but it wasn't as good. More NASCAR and no explosions (although they do manage to wreck quite a few vehicles). It was still good and recommended if you want a quick, fun read and especially if you are a NASCAR fan (I'm not).
"K-19 The Widowmaker" by Peter Huchthausen, a retired Navy captain. I found this book really fascinating. It is the nonfiction account of the nuclear reactor malfunction aboard the Soviet K-19 submarine in 1962. It also includes chapters about the build-up of the Soviet submarine program during the early years of the Cold War (and compares it to the NATO fleet), other submarine disasters, and the aftermath of Soviet nuclear programs, namely the atomic graveyards and nuclear pollution that is still present today. It also explains how nuclear reactors power submarines, which I found fascinating. It is based on research by the author as well as the memoirs of the captain of the K-19 and interviews with other survivors.
If you are interested in submarines (as I am) then this is a must-read. If you just want a fun book to pass the time, then this book isn't recommended because there is a fair amount of technical language and explanation.
"A Spy on the Bus" by Margean Gladysz. At the age of 18, fresh out of college, in 1946, Margean took a job as an investigator for Greyhound buslines. She road the buses and watched the drivers to make sure that they weren't pocketing money, driving recklessly, etc. The book is a collection of letters that she wrote to her parents for approximately 3 years, until she quit the job at the age of 21. During that time she travelled all around the United States on buses and wrote to her parents about the scenery, the people she met, the movies she saw, her job, etc.
I found it truly fascinating. Not only is it a picture of a young woman's life immediately following WWII, with the scarcity of pantyhose, corsets, and other sundries, it is also the picture of the time period itself. She discusses what she eats and how much she pays for the food, for hotel rooms, for cabs, for clothes. She also talks about the difficulties of being a woman in a man's business. Recommended for almost everyone, unless you are looking for a high-paced thriller. Now onto "Hot Rock"!
I have some non-book comments that relate to previously reviewed books.
"Twilight" and "K-19: The Widowmaker", the movies. It really bothers me how many unnecessary changes are made in movies based on books. I understand that action needs to be compressed to fit into two hours, but when they change details that have no impact on the action or, worse yet, change the plot enough to give a completely different impression of a character or of the situation then it really annoys me. Before I critique too much, let me say that I enjoyed both of these movies. However, I just don't understand why they deviated so much from the books. For example, in "Twilight", the book, at the final scene at the prom, Bella is wearing a stiletto-heeled dress shoe on the foot not in the cast. Alice dressed her because Alice loves making up her human friend and Alice loves sexy shoes. Small detail, but one that tells you a lot about Alice and a little about Bella (in that she wears the shoe even when she thinks it is ridiculous, demonstrating how much she cares for other people and tries to please them). In the movie, they have her in a tennis shoe. Small detail, yes, but then why couldn't they make it like the book? There were literally hundreds of differences between the book and movie. In fact, besides the overall plot, there was little that was the same! Suffering from the same problem, "K-19", the movie, introduces an American ship and a mutiny in the midst of the action- neither of which occurred in real life or the book. ARGH.
On a good note, I went to a lecture/talk by Margean Gladysz, author of "A Spy on a Bus" and she was GREAT! An amazing, tiny woman in her 80s who is just as enthusiastic and energetic as you would hope, based on her letters as a young woman. Her talk was fun and informative and meeting her in person was just as rewarding. She was delighted to sign all of our books and wrote very nice messages. What a great lady!
"The Spanish Bridegroom" by Jean Plaidy. Like the other Jean Plaidy books- eh. Their lives were less miserable, but the books was also less interesting. Not recommended.
"Timeline" by Michael Crighton. Ken and I had seen the movie several years ago when it came out and had liked the premise. The book, of course, is much better than the movie. The basic plot line is that a high-tech company finds a way to go to the past (not exactly, actually, but that's the general idea). They send an archeologist back to the 1300s AD, who gets lost, so then they send a team of the archeologist's graduate assistants to bring him back. They encounter all sorts of problems and have to fight to get back to their own time period. What I like about Crighton is that he explains how the technology is supposed to work, the castles and living conditions of the time period (including the bathrooms, Angie!), and other details. This book even has drawings and diagrams to help the reader visualize what he is explaining. I much prefer that to authors that skim over the technicalities. Highly recommended.
"Bankshot" by Donald Westlake, is the second of the Dortmunder series. The same characters appear, with a new lock man, Herman X. Dortmunder and the gang find a bank being refurbished and during the renovation, the bank is set up in a custom mobile home. So, of course, they take the WHOLE bank. First, they have to find wheels for it and figuring out the size of the wheels takes some creativity (with Murch's mom). They also require a big truck to yank it off its concrete foundation and a place to hide the bank while they crack open the safe. You know things do not go exactly as planned. They end up parking the mobile home (now with wheels) on top of a hill and while breaking open the safe with an explosion send the "bank" rolling down hill. A good laugh at the end and of course, Dortmunder and the gang escape for the next book.
"The Prince and the Pauper" by Mark Twain. This book is a fast and easy read- it should be considering it is aimed at children! A few cautions, however. Twain has a tendency to describe, at length, clothing and court ceremonies. Also, the middle of the book gets a bit repetitive. Everyone thinks the "prince" is crazy because he thinks he's a pauper and that the "pauper" is crazy because he thinks he's a prince. After a few chapters of this, it get old. I found myself losing interest in the middle. Recommended for children, but not necessarily for adults. Not one of Twain's best.
"CANOEING ON THE JUNIATA 1888" by Henry K. Landis. This is a rather obscure book, published by the PA Historical Society in the early 1990s. It is just a reprint of Landis' diary and photos from a canoe trip down the Juniata River in 1888. The photos are great (there is one of his brothers naked after swimming in the river!) and the diary entries are interesting. It is quite short, only about 60 pages long and probably 1/3 of those pages are photos. Unless you like canoeing or historical diaries though, it is not recommended.
As they say, OMG. Alistair MacLean's Breakheart Pass has got to be one of the WORST Alistair MacLean books ever! I forced myself to read to the end.
There is a list of characters on the first page of the book and that page is quite necessary to remember who is who. Three minor characters are named Banlon, Bellew and Benson. Try to keep them straight! And don't forget O'Brian.
There is also a diagram of the train's cars so you can keep track of who is where during the story. And the horse cars are in the middle of the train, followed by the cavalry troops cars. Hate to be at the end of that train.
The story takes place in the late 1800's and is about a train's journey to "Fort Humboldt" to deliver a doctor with medical supplies to assist with the cholera outbreak, or so you think. The train is loaded with caskets to bring back the dead men to their loving families. Okay, whatever. You later find out the caskets are loaded with Winchester rifles to trade with the Indians for "peace in the valley", what? The train of course is travelling during a wretched snow storm and why shouldn't people climb on top of the train to move from car to car? And these Indians, can't track in a snowstorm? The train's cook is named Carlos, so I create a mental picture of what Carlos looks like. On page 119, I find out he is a large Negro. I'm sure a lot of negros in the 1800's were named Carlos. There are so many twists you can not figure out who is good, who is bad. The best part is about 2/3 into the book. Deakin, the supposed murderer, arsonist, etc. etc whips out his BUSINESS CARD to reveal he is a federal agent. I knew then there was no hope for the rest of the book.
Angie, the amount of ALCOHOL consumed in this book far outweighs any other I have read. These people drink 2 bottles of whiskey in 2 pages.
A good read ONLY if you drink alcohol when the characters do, then the plot might make sense. Otherwise, forget it!
"Interview with a Vampire", the first book of the Vampire Chronicles, by Anne Rice. Wow. This is a twisted, demented, erotic book. I found it hard to get into at first because it is in a narrative format. I like reading books based on diaries but not so much books that are based on one individual's recounting of past events, go figure.
Anyway, it is Louis recounting to a young reporter about how he became a vampire and subsequent events up to the interview itself. Louis' life as a mortal, and then as a vampire, is steeped in betrayal, despair, and unrequited, passionate love. There is a lot of death and physical suffering, too. It is written a lot better than Twilight and even better than Dracula, but it is even darker and depressing. I have to say that I like Twilight and Dracula better because they aren't as disturbing. I am glad to switch to Peter Pan before I read the next book in the Vampire Chronicles. This one gave me enough disturbing nightmares to last a few weeks!!
"Civil War Hospital Sketches" by Louisa May Alcott. This is the true account of her time as a Civil War nurse in 1862-1863 in a war hospital in Washington D.C. It is based on letters she sent home during that time, but was rewritten by her when she returned home and submitted for publication to a Boston newspaper and then later reprinted in book form.
It is quite short- only 75 pages, but very good. She recounts her decision to become a nurse, her trip to DC, her first real day as a nurse, one night that was especially unforgettable, her time off-duty, and returning home in a humorous and touching manner. Be prepared to laugh at her descriptions ("The Capitol was so like the pictures that hang opposite the starring Father of his Coutry, in boarding-houses and hotels, that it did not impress me, except to recall the time when I was sure that Cinderella went to housekeeping in just such a place, after she had married the inflammable Prince; though, even at that early period, I had my doubts as to the wisdom of a match whose foundation was made of glass" p 17), be inspired by stories of the commitment of her fellow nurses, and shed a tear over the death of one brave soldier that she helped console to the very end of his life. Highly recommended.
"The Grey Wolf" by Maynard Allington. This is a good espionage book that is actually based (loosely) on real events. It covers a failed British Intelligence attempt to assassinate Stalin during WWII and place one of Nicholas II's heirs back on the throne. The book is heavily fictionalized and action-packed with fighting, treachery, and sex. Recommended for those who like spy thrillers.
As an addendum to an earlier posting, I watched Interview with a Vampire last night. It actually followed the book VERY closely. I was amazed. The cast was superb, too. Kirsten Dunst was exactly how I had pictured Claudia. I still liked the book better, but at least the movie didn't give me nightmares.
"Switch Bitch" by Roald Dahl. I give this book a 75% C. I really enjoyed 3 of the 4 stories. I didn't care for "The Last Act", in part because I don't understand the ending. My favorite was "Switcheroo", but I also really enjoyed Uncle Oswald's womanizing. I won't say anymore since Joy will be reading it. Recommended.
"The Divide" by Nicholas Evans. He also wrote "The Horse Whisperer", "The Loop", and "Smoke-Jumpers" (which happens to be one of Ken's favorite books). It begins with the discovery of a woman's body frozen into the ice of a creek in Montana, then backtracks to several years BEFORE she dies and traces her life to where she ends up in the creek.
I really liked it, but then the woman was an ecoterrorist- a woman after my own heart. :-) Most of the book is about her and her family and while progressing chronologically (after her body is found) switches between the different members of the family and their view of what is happening. What I did NOT like is that the first four chapters each deal with a different person in a different situation and they do not come together until about 75 pages into the book. It made it difficult to get into because I couldn't figure out what was going on. Recommended.
"Where Eagles Dare" by Alistair MacLean. About a team sent behind enemy lines in Germany to rescue an American general (at least supposedly).
Like Satan Bug, it was action packed with a lot of intrigue and misplaced trust in characters. Not quite as good as Satan Bug in my estimation, however. Weak female characters. Not very much drinking, all told. Just some beer in a tavern and brandy later. :-) Recommended.
"Our Girl in Washington: A Kate Boothe Novel" by Michelle Mitchell. This is one of my Bargain Books $1 room purchases and it was actually pretty good! It is about a political consultant gets a contract to work for a big conglomerate right before a journalist friend of hers (who is investigating her new employer) is murdered. She suspects it was her new employer who killed him and begins to investigate them and ultimately avenge her friend's death.
It is written by a former correspondent and political news anchor so most of it seems pretty authentic. Although, there are times when things become a little unbelievable. For example, they are looking for a corrupt Saudi Prince and just happen to find one within 24 hours. A bit too convenient, it would seem to me- but then I don't have a lot of experience in looking for corrupt Saudi Princes, so maybe it IS that easy. A fun read, if not a keeper. Recommended.
The Road to Paradise Island by Victoria Holt - the tale of an adventurous woman's journey to Australia to dsicover the mystery beind the disappearance of her brother. Add in 2 potential husbands and 2 rapists and let the good times roll.
Well M, I gave Victoria the old college try, but I'm not sure if she's for me. The book was rather long winded, and I think a lot of it had to to with repeated information. I felt like the characters were having the same converstations over and over again.
Also, no smut? There was plenty of opportunity, but nothing came to fruition. The best character, a drunk sadist, was killed off just as things were getting interesting.
On the whole, not recommended unless you're already a fan of VH.
I haven't received my Puddin'head Wilson yet. It should come today.
I just finished "Marley and Me" by John Grogan yesterday. It seemed particularly fitting because yesterday we just got a friend's dog, who we will be dogsitting for the summer. She is a gigantic pit/boxer mix and a very energetic bundle of wiggly joy. A good dog, but there is always an adjustment period, especially for the kitties!
Anyway, "Marley and Me" was a good book, especially if you've ever had a 'problem' dog before. It's about a young couple who decide to get a dog and they get Marley, a yellow lab who is hyperactive and mentally unstable but also fiercely loyal and a lover of life. It is funny and yet touching, especially at the end where they are forced to put Marley down and realize how much he has come to mean to them. It doesn't finish on a sad note, though, because it ends with stories of other pet owners with 'bad dogs' that are really amusing. I'm looking forward to watching the movie this week. I've heard a lot of good reviews of the movie.
"Flight of the Albatross" by Deborah Savage. Another pleasant surprise from the $1 room of Bargain Books. It is a young adults' novel about a 16 year old girl who goes to stay with her mother on an island of New Zealand. While there, she finds an injured albatross and she, an old woman who lives alone, and a troubled Maori youth (17 years old) work to save the albatross. It contains quite a few Maori stories and a bit of the history of Maori discrimination in New Zealand.
Some of the writing is really well done and quite touching but other parts of the book really feel like a young adults' book: stilted and almost juvenile. However, it is a really interesting storyline and there is enough good writing to make it a worthwhile read. Recommended, more so for teenagers than adults.
"Summer" by Edith Wharton. This was another novellette by Edith Wharton. It is about a librarian in a small town who becomes enamored of a visiting architect.
After reading "Ethan Frome", which I did not like, I'd been putting off reading Summer. For most of it, I liked it much better. Until the end. In the end she ends up doing what she has been fighting against doing for the entire novellette. Depressing! Not recommended.
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Over Christmas break I read "Bitches, Bimbos, and Ballbreakers" by the Guerilla Girls. It is about the stereotypes that women have to deal with throughout their lives. Highly recommended.
I just finished Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory McGuire. Wow, that's an interesting read. More sex and violence than I had expected, but also more discussion about the dichotomies of good/evil, fate/free will, and science/religion. Of course, now I need to go buy L. Frank Baum's Chronicles of Oz so that I can read that and contrast it with McGuire's take of Oz. Recommended.
Yesterday I re-read Eleven on Top, a Stephanie Plum novel by Janet Evanovich, in preparation for reading the latest between the numbers novel, Plum Spooky. I had planned to ready half of Plum Spooky last night, saving the rest for today, but as a fellow OCD reader, I bet you can guess how well that worked. At one point I was laughing so hard I thought I was going to wet the bed (there's a guy who farts fire in this one, and he inadvertently torches a dinner party and his own pickup truck).
I highly recommend the entire series, however the characters don't really settle down until book 3, Three to Get Deadly. They're quick, amusing reads with not enough sex to satisfy. My faovrites are 8, 9 and 12.
I've taken your suggestion, HollenBackGirl, and "saved" the first three Plum number books to my Amazon cart for my next purchase (when I have money again!). In the meantime, I've read one of my Christmas gifts- Louisa May Alcott's "Aunt Jo's Scrab-bag". Not one of her best collections of short stories. A little too sweetsie, I think. Not recommended unless you are a fan of L.M.A. already.
Another L.M. Alcott read- "Love's Long Fatal Chase". Excellent book and highly recommended, especially if you like gothic, romance, thrillers. It was never published during her lifetime because her publisher throught it was too "sensational". It was published for the first time in 1985, and not a moment too soon. It is like a cross between Jane Eyre and Sleeping With the Enemy.
The last L.M.A. book for a little while "A Modern Mephistophales". Another thriller, though not as good, plot and action, as "Love's Long Fatal Chase". However, more though provoking about the differences between good and evil in people. The heroine is a little too noble and good to be believable, a common fault with L.M.As books, but the other characters are well-developed and interesting. Recommended.
After hearing some rave reviews from friends about the Twilight series by Stephanie Meyers, I finally read the first book (Twilight) last night and this morning. Yes, I finished the 500 page book in less than 24 hours- it was that good. I can't quite put my finger on what exactly makes it so entrancing. The writing isn't spectacular, the plot isn't particularly new, the characters could use a little more development... HOWEVER, something in it makes it unbelievably addicting. I sat down at 9am this morning to read a chapter and finished the book at 11am, without having changed position or gotten up once in that time.
So, I got on Amazon to buy the other books and thought I would look over the reviews to see what other people had to say. I ordered them, but I am afraid to read them. The reviews get progressively worse as you move through the series, with the concluding book getting scathing reviews. OH NO! But now I can't not read them! Oh well.
So, for this book- Highly recommended if you are looking for a fast, entertaining read. I'll let you know what I think of the rest of the series when I've read it. For now, back to Daisy Miller!
I've heard that the whole Twilight series is very good, both from colleagues and Briana, so I plan to read it this summer sometime maybe.
I've been thinking a lot about what bok I would want to bring to life if possible, and I think I'd have to say Like Water for Chocolate. Though, some awful things to happen in that book... BUT I really think the concept would be interesting in real life. Imagine if your cooking was infused with whichever emotion you were most feeling as you prepared the food, and then felt by whomever ate it.
It would make a great sitcom, don't you think?
I agree that Like Water for Chocolate would be a good book to bring to life (or make a good sitcom!). I think I would like to bring Twilight to life. The reason is that I want to know if vampires are really as sexy as they are made out to be. Think of all the classic and popular vampire books, movies, and shows. Dracula and Edward (books) are supposed to be irresistible to women, Kiefer Sutherlands character in Lost Boys (movie), Bill in True Blood (television)- all sexy. Wooh.
Though, I guess if I was bringing Edward to life from a book, he would be hot since the book makes him out to be, right? Anyway, I still want to meet a vampire and he seems like the best option for now (Dracula is a little TOO scary). So there's my book-to-life pick: Twilight.
Yesterday I read a Victoria Holt novel "The Landower Legacy". It was good, a typical Victoria Holt novel. I have read most of Victoria Holt's work, so this morning I decided to see what she has written under another pseudonym- Phillipa Carr- and found out that she actually wrote under 6 different pen names and wrote over 200 books in her lifetime. Wow. I have a lot of reading ahead of me! Anyway, I recommend any Victoria Holt novel to people who enjoy historical romance/suspense novels.
Yesterday I read One for the Money and Two For the Dough of Evanovich's Plum Series and loved them. They are funny, witty, with plots that keep you involved. Today I am reading #3. I can't wait to buy the next three in the series, although they will have to wait for my wallet to get fatter. Highly recommended for everyone. Even Ken plans on reading them (after he finishs Twilight) after listening to me laugh over the books all day yesterday!
I finished the rest of the Twilight Series and I think the people who wrote the bad reviews are just nuts. Okay, so some of the criticisms are valid- she does rap it up just a little too neatly and some of the characters are a bit unbelievable, but come on! It's about vampires and werewolves!
I REALLY enjoyed all four books and found it just as difficult to put down the other three as it was for Twilight. And, as I think I've already commented somewhere, I'm a sucker for happy endings so the fact that she wrapped it up all neatly with everyone happy makes ME happy. I finished the last book 5 hours ago and I'm still riding my "good book" high (of course, I've been reading about straight through for the past 36 hours so I was very deeply immersed).
So again, highly recommended. Captivating story, fun characters, easy read. ANd to top it all off, a happy ending when you don't expect it.
I recently finished Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton. It is well-written with captivating characters but depressing. The characters lead miserable lives with no happy ending to look forward to. I'm not sure whether to recommend it or not. I guess, if you don't mind being depressed when you are finished...
I finished Winnie the Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner last night. They were lovely, lovely books - I recommend them to anyone at any age.
However - if you're ever prone to hormonal tears (Halmark commercials, chick flicks, sappy greeting cards) be prepared to drop a few at the end of the second book.
I'm curious now to see if A A Milne wrote anything else - if so I'll def, be reading it; his style is so endearing!
I've been thinking for a few days who my favorite character is.. Before I ready the books I would have said Eyore, but now I'm not so sure. I'm thinking I'm probably MOST like Kanga, or Rabbit, but I think Piglet is my favorite. The description of him blushing pink from his nose to his ears when he was excited really did it for me. =)
I used to have a copy of the complete works of Winnie the Pooh (illustrated) that I really enjoyed. I gave it to my little cousin for her birthday several years ago. Spreading the joy... I'm not sure if Milne has written anything else.
Well, I've been a reading maniac this past week or so (Ken might argue that I always have been and probably always will). The books...
"Devil on Horseback" by Victoria Holt. Not recommended unless you are a fan of Victoria Holt. The plot moved relatively slow for her and the book was not one of her best books. I still enjoyed it, but then I'm a big fan.
Janet Evonovich- # 4, 5, and 6. Finished all three books in less than two days. That good. Angie, I love these books- thank you so much for recommending them. I can't decide whether my favorite part was the burning dog poop or dead mobster in a lawn chair. Each book is better than the last. Highly recommended for everyone. I have 7, 8, and 8 coming on Tuesday and can't hardly wait. Which leads me to a very important question- Morelli or Ranger? I can't make up my mind. Who would you choose?
"Only the River Runs Free" by Bodie and Brock Thoene. This is the first of the Galway Chronicles by these authors. The writing is okay although the plot moves along in jerks and character development seems haphazard. There is also a fair amount of religion mixed in. I usually just skip over those parts. :-) The mixing in of Irish history is pretty interesting and the overall plot is good. Recommended with reservations.
I'm moving on to the second book in the Galway Chronicles- Of Men and Angels. I expect to have it finished before Evonivich comes. I might even begin "Interview with a Vampire" in the interim if I make good time.
I am a "Babe" girl all the way (which is why book 8 is one of my faves). Flaming doog poop = good Mobster in the chair = better Beaver Bomb = BEST. Just wait til you get there....
I know Morelli is the safer choice, and I think Steph will ultimately end up with him, but damn.. Ranger has cool cars! And the batcave! How can you say no to a man with a batcave?
Hands down though, Grandma Mazur is my all time fave character.
Michael Randall's coming to visit next weekend and we have a big outing planned to the used book store. I plan on getting some Victoria Holt (can you reccomend one I should start with?) and also a couple of copies of my next pick, Water for Elephants. I'll mail you one.
Have you read "Switch Bitch" by Roald Dahl? I think you would enjoy it immensely (adult short stories from the author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory?! Sign me uP!) I might send you a copy of that as well.
You know, I wondered about that when I was reading #8 (7,8,and 9 showed up yesterday- so, of course, I read them yesterday) I'm also a Ranger girl, for sure. The mystery, the body, the "ruining for all other men". Yep. Sign me up. #8 is also one of my favorites... and about freaking time!!! I was really hoping she would cave soon because the anticipation was killing me. :-)
I wasn't as impressed with #7 and #9. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed them. But I liked 5 and 6 better. I really like the introduction of Bob as a character and the Morelli/Bob dynamic almost counters Ranger's lead- almost.
I also love Grandma Mazur, but am torn between her and Sally Sweet for favorite character. It looks like Sally is coming back in # 10?
I'm not sure you'll find Victoria Holt at the used book store- I never have any luck with it. But, if you do, I would recommend "The Legend of the Seventh Virgin" (juicy) or, if you like a little bit of history with your fiction "My Enemy the Queen" or "The Queen's Confession". Holt, under another pen name, wrote a non-fiction historically accurate book about Marie Antoinette and then wrote "The Queen's Confession" as a fictionalized version told from Marie Antoinette's point of view. Of course, you know how it will end...
I'm torn about my next choice... I was going to go with American Wife but it is relatively recent and thus is only sold in hardback and is rather expensive. I'll do some more thinking and looking, looking and reading, and reading and thinking, before I decide on mine for sure. Luckily your pick is next anyway! I'll look forward to goodies in the mail. :-)
I just finished "Of Men and Angels" by Bodie and Brock Thoene- the second in the Galway Chronicles. Same comments as on the first one. I had to finish this one quickly because I listed it on Amazon and it sold the same day. So, I rushed to finish it this morning, only to realize that the Post Office isn't open today anyway. Sheesh. I also listed the last two books in the series- hopefully they don't sell before I've read them!
I was sick with a head cold this past weekend (great birthday weekend), but luckily #s 10-14 of the Plum series showed up the morning I got sick. Isn't that convenient? I read and enjoyed them all. My favorites from the series are definitely #8, #10, and #12. I loved # 10 because Evanovich brought back Sally Sweet and Stephanie got to live at Ranger's place. Similarly, as a Ranger girl, I also really liked #12. :-) I wasn't as impressed with #14, which is a little sad because it is the last one in the series until June. My favorite characters rarely appeared (Ranger, Grandma Mazur, and Sally Sweet) and it is just not the same without them. Looking forward to reading the Between the numbers books now.
Last week I read Metro Girl, which is the first book in the Alex Barnaby series by Evanovich. It is much like the Plum series, except the main character is a mechanic. In Metro Girl, she ends up going to Miami to look for her missing brother and meets a sexy Nascar driver. There are explosions and wacky characters just like you would expect from Evanovich. I'm looking at getting the next one in the series: Motor Mouth. While not quite as good as the Plum books, I still highly recommend it.
Also last week, I finished the Galway series by the Theone's. The third book- Ashes of Remembrance- was definitely the best of the series. There was more action and the writing seemed better (basically it jumped around less). However, you would have had to read the first two books to really understand what was going on. Thus, I don't really recommend the series.
"Beyond the Blue Mountains" by Jean Plaidy, one of the pen-names of the author who also writes under the pen-name of Victoria Holt. This pseudonym comes before Victoria Holt chronoligically by about 25 years and, at least for this book, isn't nearly as good. The characters are not very well developed, they lead miserable lives, and the story moves forward in jerks. It also has an unhappy ending. Grr. Not recommended.
Just finished Irish Gold by Andrew Greeley. A fun read. What I find really interesting about these books is that Greeley is a Catholic priest and yet there is quite a bit of swearing, foreplay, and an obsession with women's breast. This one has quite a bit of Irish history (in the early 1900s) in it and is set up with a mystery- who killed Michael Collins? I never would have guessed the answer and am a little surprised that's the way he went with it. Recommended. Angie, I'll drop it in the mail for you early next week.
I finished Mary Shelley's Frankenstein today - glad I read it, glad I've ot seen any of the resulting movies. The plot was great but the writing had a bit too much introspection for me. Dislike #1: Like Daisy Miller et al, Victor is forever the victim of month-long "fevers." I just don't buy it.
Dislike #2: That is one well-spoken monster considering he learned all verbal (and written!) language by observing lessons through a hole in the wall.
Dislike #3: Victor feared that the monster and his "wife" would spawn a new race. Why didn't he just construct the female without a uterus? Meh.
Recommended, but prepare to do a lot of skimming over descriptions of scenery and "woe is me and my wretched creation" soliloquies.
Good point about not building the female creature with a uterus if he was so concerned about reproduction. I never thought of that. :-)
Ken recommended that I read Prey by Michael Crighton. It is a thriller about nanotechnology gone bad and the stupid people that allow it to get out of control. A little slow to start but then it picks up speed quickly. It is scary because it is not something that seems very far off into the future. Recommended.
"Last Letters Home: Voices of Americans from the Battlefields of Iraq" a Life book based on the HBO documentary. I'm always fascinated by personal correspondances, especially those that come out of the battlefield. There is nothing spectacular in these letters, but it is touching to read their last letters. Not recommended unless you are into this type of thing or know someone in Iraq.
Argh. I like Victoria Holt, but I really don't think I like her work under the name of Jean Plaidy. I read "The Goldsmith's Wife" by Plaidy last night. Again- the main characters lead miserable lives until they die. Depressing. It did talk a lot about the Tower of London, which I had toured last year, so I could picture it really well. That was about the only redeeming quality. I have one more Plaidy novel I bought a couple of weeks ago- if I don't like that one than I am giving up on Plaidy!
"Visions of Sugar Plums" by Janet Evanovich. Recommended, of course, although it is shorter than the numbered books and therefore less satisfying. I also noticed that there is a lot of touching and kissing going on between Stephanie and the men in her life, regardless if they are more than friends. Ranger and Joe are always kissing her, draping their arms over her, whispering seductively in her ear... etc. But they are involved with her, to some extent. But now Diesel is doing the same things and he is only a transient character who is NOT involved with her. What's up with that? Either she gets more physical contact from men than normal or else I've been sorely deprived. :-) No comments about any nicknames!
"Plum Lovin'" by Janet Evanovich. I enjoyed this holiday novelette more than "Visions of Sugar Plums" with one exception: WE NEVER FIND OUT WHAT RANGER NEEDS TO TALK TO HER ABOUT!!! That really irks me. In fact, I went back and skimmed Lean Mean Thirteen(it is supposed to come after Plum Lovin, according to her website) to see if we find out in that one but it doesn't say for sure. It may be the favor to bug Dickie's office, but, again, we don't know for sure.
I am getting to like Diesel more now that I'm getting to know him a little better. Plus, the plot in this one is more fun. I especially love the scene where the cat catches on fire (that sounds awful to put it that way, but the cat isn't hurt) because we had a similar incident once at our house. BTW: singed cat fur STINKS and it takes a long time to get the smell out of your house.
Damn. I think it's pretty clear that you read a TON more than I do. See, this is why assigned reading is good for me. =)
I have been reading a lot lately. It's what makes me do my regular work. If I complete one task of schoolwork or housework or whatever needs done- then I get to read a chapter. The better the book, the more work that gets done. That is, unless it is TOO good, in which case nothing else gets done until I've finished the book. That's my secret.
Anyway, the latest book was "THe Other Boleyn Sister" by Phillipa Gregory. I had seen the movie maybe a year ago? and bought the book (also the movie, which I really liked) on which the movie was based. I finally got around to reading it (it is 700 pages, so I've been putting it off for shorter books) and really enjoyed it. It is written from Mary Boleyn's point of view from her first marriage to the beheading of her sister Anne (I'm not ruining it, anyone with a sense of history knows what happened). It shows her shift from an innocent girl brought to King Henry VIII's court to a disillusioned, matured woman who leaves the court behind. It is well-written, very well researched, and kept me interested the whole way (even though I knew how it ended!). Highly recommended for anyone who is interested in history and likes to wonder what about the emotions of the great players of history. And Angie, it does go into some of the nasty details of the time period, from lice and fleas to piss pots.
Oops, the title of the last book is actually "The Other Boleyn Girl" not "Sister". My mistake.
Fleas, lice and piss pots... sounds like my kind of book!
Okay, so I was reading the other stuff here and I finally broke down and read Twilight and forced myself to read to the end. I HATED this book. I have WAY better things to do than read about somebody going to gym class and how she trips all the time and what her science lab project was. I guess I live that life and so can't enjoy it in leisure.
And I tried reading Evanovich's books and just couldn't get into them. I guess I'm just a naysayer on these others.
Ken just read Twilight, too, and he wasn't very impressed. He read the whole series and like the last one the best, but overall just didn't think they were very good. He is more excited about the movie, but he always likes movies better. So you are not the only one, by far. He just started reading Metro Girl by Evanovich and isn't really into that book either (but then he has only read the first chapter so far). Angie, have you read Twilight yet?
I haven't read Twilight yet. I'm not sure about it; vampires and highschool just aren't my thing.
I'm really, really suprised that Joy didn't like the Evanovich books. They're funny and witty - just like her!
"Plum Lucky" by Evanovich. It came tonight so I read it tonight. It hardly seems worth saying it, considering my previous posts, but yes, I enjoyed it. I'm torn between whether I like it better than Plum Lovin'. I think so. Only one more book to go until I'm done with Plum until June!
"Jo's Boys" by L.M. Alcott. This book is interesting because it is very autobiographical. In fact, in the beginning Alcott mentions that Amy's character is neglected in this book because the real life "Amy" passed away. It tells quite a bit about the frustration that Alcott had with all of her devoted fans and fan mail and how she longed for the peace she had before she was famous. It also wraps up the March family saga. I wish I would have reread "Little Men" before reading this one, though, because a familiarity with the characters beforehand would have made it better. Recommended for fans of "Little Women" and "Little Men".
I finished Dickens' Christmas Carol and maybe I've seen too many movies but the movies follow the actual written story very well. I was not disappointed.
And I finished "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button", a very short story. I find it hard to believe a movie can be made from this. The premise is good but there isn't too much depth to it.
Benjamin Button is a pretty long movie, too, isn't it? Over two hours, I heard. They must have really taken artistic license with it.
Okay, I reread Twilight yesterday, in preparation for the release of the movie on Saturday (Saturday is a weird release date, don't they usually release on Tuesday's? How is Netflix going to handle this?). While I mean no disrespect, WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?? I still liked it. Okay, I see some of the critiques, but still. It is funny. It is, I think, pretty realistic (barring the obvious vampires/werewolves). Oh well. :-) I guess we can't all like the same things. At least we all agree on Harry Potter, yes? And Water for Elephants?
Brokeback Mountain was another very short story that was made into a very long movie.
I really wish they would make "Faith and Hope Go Shopping" from Jigs and Reels into a movie. It would be great.
I think F. Scott Fitzgerald left plenty of artistic license for anybody that wanted to fill in the pieces. THe book started out ok but then seemed like he got tired of it and just "wrapped it up".
Who knows, maybe Faith and Hope WILL go shopping in the movies. I'm sure they could add enough to it to make it a feature film. Maybe flashbacks to their lives before being locked away.
Speaking of Harris, I just bought "Gentlemen and Players" yesterday at the Bargain bookstore (price dropped from $7 to $3- who can resist that?). It is a novel, not short stories. I'm looking forward to reading it in the distant future.
I am collecting so many unread books on my shelves (something to do with my book-shopping addiction) that I have started a new system. I have four bookshelves of five shelves each. I rotate through the bookshelves and the shelves themselves, picking an unread book off the top shelf of each bookshelf, then the second, third, so on. It makes for a variety of reading (the books are arranged by genre, so this means I change genres with every new book) and I feel it is a fair way to go through the unread books. Otherwise, I feel that the books on some bookshelves aren't getting enough attention. (I get the same guilty feeling about neglected jewelry and clothes, but that is more about matching and less random choosing so I haven't developed a system to deal with those feelings of guilt yet.)
"Motor Mouth" by Janet Evanovich. This is the sequel to "Metro Girl" but it wasn't as good. More NASCAR and no explosions (although they do manage to wreck quite a few vehicles). It was still good and recommended if you want a quick, fun read and especially if you are a NASCAR fan (I'm not).
"K-19 The Widowmaker" by Peter Huchthausen, a retired Navy captain. I found this book really fascinating. It is the nonfiction account of the nuclear reactor malfunction aboard the Soviet K-19 submarine in 1962. It also includes chapters about the build-up of the Soviet submarine program during the early years of the Cold War (and compares it to the NATO fleet), other submarine disasters, and the aftermath of Soviet nuclear programs, namely the atomic graveyards and nuclear pollution that is still present today. It also explains how nuclear reactors power submarines, which I found fascinating. It is based on research by the author as well as the memoirs of the captain of the K-19 and interviews with other survivors.
If you are interested in submarines (as I am) then this is a must-read. If you just want a fun book to pass the time, then this book isn't recommended because there is a fair amount of technical language and explanation.
"A Spy on the Bus" by Margean Gladysz. At the age of 18, fresh out of college, in 1946, Margean took a job as an investigator for Greyhound buslines. She road the buses and watched the drivers to make sure that they weren't pocketing money, driving recklessly, etc. The book is a collection of letters that she wrote to her parents for approximately 3 years, until she quit the job at the age of 21. During that time she travelled all around the United States on buses and wrote to her parents about the scenery, the people she met, the movies she saw, her job, etc.
I found it truly fascinating. Not only is it a picture of a young woman's life immediately following WWII, with the scarcity of pantyhose, corsets, and other sundries, it is also the picture of the time period itself. She discusses what she eats and how much she pays for the food, for hotel rooms, for cabs, for clothes. She also talks about the difficulties of being a woman in a man's business. Recommended for almost everyone, unless you are looking for a high-paced thriller. Now onto "Hot Rock"!
I have some non-book comments that relate to previously reviewed books.
"Twilight" and "K-19: The Widowmaker", the movies. It really bothers me how many unnecessary changes are made in movies based on books. I understand that action needs to be compressed to fit into two hours, but when they change details that have no impact on the action or, worse yet, change the plot enough to give a completely different impression of a character or of the situation then it really annoys me. Before I critique too much, let me say that I enjoyed both of these movies. However, I just don't understand why they deviated so much from the books. For example, in "Twilight", the book, at the final scene at the prom, Bella is wearing a stiletto-heeled dress shoe on the foot not in the cast. Alice dressed her because Alice loves making up her human friend and Alice loves sexy shoes. Small detail, but one that tells you a lot about Alice and a little about Bella (in that she wears the shoe even when she thinks it is ridiculous, demonstrating how much she cares for other people and tries to please them). In the movie, they have her in a tennis shoe. Small detail, yes, but then why couldn't they make it like the book? There were literally hundreds of differences between the book and movie. In fact, besides the overall plot, there was little that was the same! Suffering from the same problem, "K-19", the movie, introduces an American ship and a mutiny in the midst of the action- neither of which occurred in real life or the book. ARGH.
On a good note, I went to a lecture/talk by Margean Gladysz, author of "A Spy on a Bus" and she was GREAT! An amazing, tiny woman in her 80s who is just as enthusiastic and energetic as you would hope, based on her letters as a young woman. Her talk was fun and informative and meeting her in person was just as rewarding. She was delighted to sign all of our books and wrote very nice messages. What a great lady!
"The Spanish Bridegroom" by Jean Plaidy. Like the other Jean Plaidy books- eh. Their lives were less miserable, but the books was also less interesting. Not recommended.
"Timeline" by Michael Crighton. Ken and I had seen the movie several years ago when it came out and had liked the premise. The book, of course, is much better than the movie. The basic plot line is that a high-tech company finds a way to go to the past (not exactly, actually, but that's the general idea). They send an archeologist back to the 1300s AD, who gets lost, so then they send a team of the archeologist's graduate assistants to bring him back. They encounter all sorts of problems and have to fight to get back to their own time period. What I like about Crighton is that he explains how the technology is supposed to work, the castles and living conditions of the time period (including the bathrooms, Angie!), and other details. This book even has drawings and diagrams to help the reader visualize what he is explaining. I much prefer that to authors that skim over the technicalities. Highly recommended.
"Bankshot" by Donald Westlake, is the second of the Dortmunder series. The same characters appear, with a new lock man, Herman X. Dortmunder and the gang find a bank being refurbished and during the renovation, the bank is set up in a custom mobile home. So, of course, they take the WHOLE bank. First, they have to find wheels for it and figuring out the size of the wheels takes some creativity (with Murch's mom). They also require a big truck to yank it off its concrete foundation and a place to hide the bank while they crack open the safe. You know things do not go exactly as planned. They end up parking the mobile home (now with wheels) on top of a hill and while breaking open the safe with an explosion send the "bank" rolling down hill. A good laugh at the end and of course, Dortmunder and the gang escape for the next book.
"The Prince and the Pauper" by Mark Twain. This book is a fast and easy read- it should be considering it is aimed at children! A few cautions, however. Twain has a tendency to describe, at length, clothing and court ceremonies. Also, the middle of the book gets a bit repetitive. Everyone thinks the "prince" is crazy because he thinks he's a pauper and that the "pauper" is crazy because he thinks he's a prince. After a few chapters of this, it get old. I found myself losing interest in the middle. Recommended for children, but not necessarily for adults. Not one of Twain's best.
"CANOEING ON THE JUNIATA 1888" by Henry K. Landis. This is a rather obscure book, published by the PA Historical Society in the early 1990s. It is just a reprint of Landis' diary and photos from a canoe trip down the Juniata River in 1888. The photos are great (there is one of his brothers naked after swimming in the river!) and the diary entries are interesting. It is quite short, only about 60 pages long and probably 1/3 of those pages are photos. Unless you like canoeing or historical diaries though, it is not recommended.
As they say, OMG. Alistair MacLean's Breakheart Pass has got to be one of the WORST Alistair MacLean books ever! I forced myself to read to the end.
There is a list of characters on the first page of the book and that page is quite necessary to remember who is who. Three minor characters are named Banlon, Bellew and Benson. Try to keep them straight! And don't forget O'Brian.
There is also a diagram of the train's cars so you can keep track of who is where during the story. And the horse cars are in the middle of the train, followed by the cavalry troops cars. Hate to be at the end of that train.
The story takes place in the late 1800's and is about a train's journey to "Fort Humboldt" to deliver a doctor with medical supplies to assist with the cholera outbreak, or so you think. The train is loaded with caskets to bring back the dead men to their loving families. Okay, whatever. You later find out the caskets are loaded with Winchester rifles to trade with the Indians for "peace in the valley", what? The train of course is travelling during a wretched snow storm and why shouldn't people climb on top of the train to move from car to car? And these Indians, can't track in a snowstorm? The train's cook is named Carlos, so I create a mental picture of what Carlos looks like. On page 119, I find out he is a large Negro. I'm sure a lot of negros in the 1800's were named Carlos. There are so many twists you can not figure out who is good, who is bad. The best part is about 2/3 into the book. Deakin, the supposed murderer, arsonist, etc. etc whips out his BUSINESS CARD to reveal he is a federal agent. I knew then there was no hope for the rest of the book.
Angie, the amount of ALCOHOL consumed in this book far outweighs any other I have read. These people drink 2 bottles of whiskey in 2 pages.
A good read ONLY if you drink alcohol when the characters do, then the plot might make sense. Otherwise, forget it!
"Interview with a Vampire", the first book of the Vampire Chronicles, by Anne Rice. Wow. This is a twisted, demented, erotic book. I found it hard to get into at first because it is in a narrative format. I like reading books based on diaries but not so much books that are based on one individual's recounting of past events, go figure.
Anyway, it is Louis recounting to a young reporter about how he became a vampire and subsequent events up to the interview itself. Louis' life as a mortal, and then as a vampire, is steeped in betrayal, despair, and unrequited, passionate love. There is a lot of death and physical suffering, too. It is written a lot better than Twilight and even better than Dracula, but it is even darker and depressing. I have to say that I like Twilight and Dracula better because they aren't as disturbing. I am glad to switch to Peter Pan before I read the next book in the Vampire Chronicles. This one gave me enough disturbing nightmares to last a few weeks!!
"Civil War Hospital Sketches" by Louisa May Alcott. This is the true account of her time as a Civil War nurse in 1862-1863 in a war hospital in Washington D.C. It is based on letters she sent home during that time, but was rewritten by her when she returned home and submitted for publication to a Boston newspaper and then later reprinted in book form.
It is quite short- only 75 pages, but very good. She recounts her decision to become a nurse, her trip to DC, her first real day as a nurse, one night that was especially unforgettable, her time off-duty, and returning home in a humorous and touching manner. Be prepared to laugh at her descriptions ("The Capitol was so like the pictures that hang opposite the starring Father of his Coutry, in boarding-houses and hotels, that it did not impress me, except to recall the time when I was sure that Cinderella went to housekeeping in just such a place, after she had married the inflammable Prince; though, even at that early period, I had my doubts as to the wisdom of a match whose foundation was made of glass" p 17), be inspired by stories of the commitment of her fellow nurses, and shed a tear over the death of one brave soldier that she helped console to the very end of his life. Highly recommended.
"The Grey Wolf" by Maynard Allington. This is a good espionage book that is actually based (loosely) on real events. It covers a failed British Intelligence attempt to assassinate Stalin during WWII and place one of Nicholas II's heirs back on the throne. The book is heavily fictionalized and action-packed with fighting, treachery, and sex. Recommended for those who like spy thrillers.
As an addendum to an earlier posting, I watched Interview with a Vampire last night. It actually followed the book VERY closely. I was amazed. The cast was superb, too. Kirsten Dunst was exactly how I had pictured Claudia. I still liked the book better, but at least the movie didn't give me nightmares.
"Switch Bitch" by Roald Dahl. I give this book a 75% C. I really enjoyed 3 of the 4 stories. I didn't care for "The Last Act", in part because I don't understand the ending. My favorite was "Switcheroo", but I also really enjoyed Uncle Oswald's womanizing. I won't say anymore since Joy will be reading it. Recommended.
"The Divide" by Nicholas Evans. He also wrote "The Horse Whisperer", "The Loop", and "Smoke-Jumpers" (which happens to be one of Ken's favorite books). It begins with the discovery of a woman's body frozen into the ice of a creek in Montana, then backtracks to several years BEFORE she dies and traces her life to where she ends up in the creek.
I really liked it, but then the woman was an ecoterrorist- a woman after my own heart. :-) Most of the book is about her and her family and while progressing chronologically (after her body is found) switches between the different members of the family and their view of what is happening. What I did NOT like is that the first four chapters each deal with a different person in a different situation and they do not come together until about 75 pages into the book. It made it difficult to get into because I couldn't figure out what was going on. Recommended.
"Where Eagles Dare" by Alistair MacLean. About a team sent behind enemy lines in Germany to rescue an American general (at least supposedly).
Like Satan Bug, it was action packed with a lot of intrigue and misplaced trust in characters. Not quite as good as Satan Bug in my estimation, however. Weak female characters. Not very much drinking, all told. Just some beer in a tavern and brandy later. :-) Recommended.
"Our Girl in Washington: A Kate Boothe Novel" by Michelle Mitchell. This is one of my Bargain Books $1 room purchases and it was actually pretty good! It is about a political consultant gets a contract to work for a big conglomerate right before a journalist friend of hers (who is investigating her new employer) is murdered. She suspects it was her new employer who killed him and begins to investigate them and ultimately avenge her friend's death.
It is written by a former correspondent and political news anchor so most of it seems pretty authentic. Although, there are times when things become a little unbelievable. For example, they are looking for a corrupt Saudi Prince and just happen to find one within 24 hours. A bit too convenient, it would seem to me- but then I don't have a lot of experience in looking for corrupt Saudi Princes, so maybe it IS that easy. A fun read, if not a keeper. Recommended.
The Road to Paradise Island by Victoria Holt - the tale of an adventurous woman's journey to Australia to dsicover the mystery beind the disappearance of her brother. Add in 2 potential husbands and 2 rapists and let the good times roll.
Well M, I gave Victoria the old college try, but I'm not sure if she's for me. The book was rather long winded, and I think a lot of it had to to with repeated information. I felt like the characters were having the same converstations over and over again.
Also, no smut? There was plenty of opportunity, but nothing came to fruition. The best character, a drunk sadist, was killed off just as things were getting interesting.
On the whole, not recommended unless you're already a fan of VH.
Oh well, A, we can't all like the same authors, right? Then there would be no used books to buy! :-)
So true!
I need to get started on Twain but I'm going to try to zip through a David Sedaris today. Hav eyou read him? Very humorous.
I haven't received my Puddin'head Wilson yet. It should come today.
I just finished "Marley and Me" by John Grogan yesterday. It seemed particularly fitting because yesterday we just got a friend's dog, who we will be dogsitting for the summer. She is a gigantic pit/boxer mix and a very energetic bundle of wiggly joy. A good dog, but there is always an adjustment period, especially for the kitties!
Anyway, "Marley and Me" was a good book, especially if you've ever had a 'problem' dog before. It's about a young couple who decide to get a dog and they get Marley, a yellow lab who is hyperactive and mentally unstable but also fiercely loyal and a lover of life. It is funny and yet touching, especially at the end where they are forced to put Marley down and realize how much he has come to mean to them. It doesn't finish on a sad note, though, because it ends with stories of other pet owners with 'bad dogs' that are really amusing. I'm looking forward to watching the movie this week. I've heard a lot of good reviews of the movie.
"Flight of the Albatross" by Deborah Savage. Another pleasant surprise from the $1 room of Bargain Books. It is a young adults' novel about a 16 year old girl who goes to stay with her mother on an island of New Zealand. While there, she finds an injured albatross and she, an old woman who lives alone, and a troubled Maori youth (17 years old) work to save the albatross. It contains quite a few Maori stories and a bit of the history of Maori discrimination in New Zealand.
Some of the writing is really well done and quite touching but other parts of the book really feel like a young adults' book: stilted and almost juvenile. However, it is a really interesting storyline and there is enough good writing to make it a worthwhile read. Recommended, more so for teenagers than adults.
"Summer" by Edith Wharton. This was another novellette by Edith Wharton. It is about a librarian in a small town who becomes enamored of a visiting architect.
After reading "Ethan Frome", which I did not like, I'd been putting off reading Summer. For most of it, I liked it much better. Until the end. In the end she ends up doing what she has been fighting against doing for the entire novellette. Depressing! Not recommended.
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