The Tipping Point: How Little Things can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell (non-fiction)
Summary: Gladwell explores how ideas are transmitted, and how some ideas become widespread epidemics as he illustrates the "tipping point."
Rating: 4 out of 5
Comments: This was a very interesting read and not too difficult to understand. Definitely worth reading and a good break from all the fiction I have been reading lately.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Austenland
Austenland by Shannon Hale
Summary: Jane Hayes, a thirty-something woman who has never found her Mr. Darcy, embarks upon a journey to rid herself of her Austen inspired fantasies forever by taking a three week vacation where she lives the life of an Austen character, complete with actors whose job it is to make her feel like Elizabeth Bennett.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Comments: I loved this book. That should come as no surprise, as I have always been a huge fan of Pride and Prejudice. I love Shannon Hale, as she is the perfect example of writing stories adults will love without the language and the sex. So refreshing. I am sad it's over and will probably have a hard time starting something new.
Summary: Jane Hayes, a thirty-something woman who has never found her Mr. Darcy, embarks upon a journey to rid herself of her Austen inspired fantasies forever by taking a three week vacation where she lives the life of an Austen character, complete with actors whose job it is to make her feel like Elizabeth Bennett.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Comments: I loved this book. That should come as no surprise, as I have always been a huge fan of Pride and Prejudice. I love Shannon Hale, as she is the perfect example of writing stories adults will love without the language and the sex. So refreshing. I am sad it's over and will probably have a hard time starting something new.
Love Walked In
Love Walked In by Marisa de los Santos
Summary: Cornelia, a thirty-something woman who is obsessed with finding a man like Cary Grant, has her life changed when she meets Martin and his estranged daughter, Claire.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Comments: This was a real quick read, told from the point of view of two girls, Cornelia and Claire. I really enjoyed it. I loved Cornelia's wit and constant movie references. Claire, a girl who is struggling with her mother's erratic behavior, is loveable and believeable. Some language, not enough to offend me.
Summary: Cornelia, a thirty-something woman who is obsessed with finding a man like Cary Grant, has her life changed when she meets Martin and his estranged daughter, Claire.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Comments: This was a real quick read, told from the point of view of two girls, Cornelia and Claire. I really enjoyed it. I loved Cornelia's wit and constant movie references. Claire, a girl who is struggling with her mother's erratic behavior, is loveable and believeable. Some language, not enough to offend me.
Outlander
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
Summary: Claire, a married nurse visiting Scotland in the year 1945, is mysteriously transported to the year 1743, where she meets Jamie Fraser, a Scottish warrior who has a price on his head and is being hunted by the English army.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Comments: I was really enjoying this book, and found myself thinking in a Scottish accent. I really wanted to like it, but then the sex started. As a disclaimer, the two are married, and so the fact that there is sex isn't that big of a deal. BUT there's a lot. And it gets fairly graphic. So I didn't finish reading it. So I probably wouldn't recommend it.
Summary: Claire, a married nurse visiting Scotland in the year 1945, is mysteriously transported to the year 1743, where she meets Jamie Fraser, a Scottish warrior who has a price on his head and is being hunted by the English army.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Comments: I was really enjoying this book, and found myself thinking in a Scottish accent. I really wanted to like it, but then the sex started. As a disclaimer, the two are married, and so the fact that there is sex isn't that big of a deal. BUT there's a lot. And it gets fairly graphic. So I didn't finish reading it. So I probably wouldn't recommend it.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Isaac's Storm
Isaac's Storm by Erik Larson. Nonfiction.
Summary: Isaac Cline, who believed he knew all there was to know about weather, is one of many who witness the most deadly hurricane in our history in 1900 in Galveston, TX.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Comments: This was a really well-written book about something we know little about. Weather forecasting was in its infancy in 1900, and Cline and those he worked with believed with conviction that Galveston would be able to withstand any hurricane. The tragedy that followed (the deaths of 6,000 people and the destruction of the entire city) was not only unpredictable, but entirely unthinkable.
It's not an easy read, but not really a hard read either. You just have to be in the mood for something nonfiction. I enjoyed it very much.
Summary: Isaac Cline, who believed he knew all there was to know about weather, is one of many who witness the most deadly hurricane in our history in 1900 in Galveston, TX.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Comments: This was a really well-written book about something we know little about. Weather forecasting was in its infancy in 1900, and Cline and those he worked with believed with conviction that Galveston would be able to withstand any hurricane. The tragedy that followed (the deaths of 6,000 people and the destruction of the entire city) was not only unpredictable, but entirely unthinkable.
It's not an easy read, but not really a hard read either. You just have to be in the mood for something nonfiction. I enjoyed it very much.
Monday, April 14, 2008
The Female Brain
The Female Brain by Louann Brizendine. Nonfiction
Summary: A neuropsychiatrist shares the years of research she has done on women's brains, and what exactly make us different from men.
Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5
Comments: We are reading this for our book club this month, which is why I picked it up. I found it very interesting and I learned a lot about what we have long expected--that men and women think differently. Anything about the brain is going to be very scientific and include a lot of lingo that the common person isn't used to, but for the most part, I didn't feel that this was too far over my head. In other words, there was enough to keep my attention, even when I wasn't exactly sure what she was talking about. The chapters about "the brain below the belt" and "the mommy brain" were especially interesting.
One thing that bothered me a little about this book was she seemed to condone, or at least explain away, bad behavior, especially in teenage girls. I had to remind myself that she is a scientist and explaining why women act the way they do was what she was trying to do. I did feel that she was excusing bad behavior in a way, though, and blaming a lot on the menstual cycle. Oh, and it's quite obvious that she isn't against women pleasuring themselves.
It's worth reading--it looks a lot longer than it is (really only about 160 pages of actual reading), and I think it probably will help me be more compassionate toward my daughters in the future. But I am still going to hold them to higher standards, knowing that we have been counseled to "put off the natural man" and not just use that as an excuse that "that's who I am."
Summary: A neuropsychiatrist shares the years of research she has done on women's brains, and what exactly make us different from men.
Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5
Comments: We are reading this for our book club this month, which is why I picked it up. I found it very interesting and I learned a lot about what we have long expected--that men and women think differently. Anything about the brain is going to be very scientific and include a lot of lingo that the common person isn't used to, but for the most part, I didn't feel that this was too far over my head. In other words, there was enough to keep my attention, even when I wasn't exactly sure what she was talking about. The chapters about "the brain below the belt" and "the mommy brain" were especially interesting.
One thing that bothered me a little about this book was she seemed to condone, or at least explain away, bad behavior, especially in teenage girls. I had to remind myself that she is a scientist and explaining why women act the way they do was what she was trying to do. I did feel that she was excusing bad behavior in a way, though, and blaming a lot on the menstual cycle. Oh, and it's quite obvious that she isn't against women pleasuring themselves.
It's worth reading--it looks a lot longer than it is (really only about 160 pages of actual reading), and I think it probably will help me be more compassionate toward my daughters in the future. But I am still going to hold them to higher standards, knowing that we have been counseled to "put off the natural man" and not just use that as an excuse that "that's who I am."
Monday, April 7, 2008
Girl's Guide
Girl's Guide to Hunting and Fishing by Melissa Banks
Summary: Told in memoir style, Girls Guide is the story of a woman's quest for love and how she, ultimately, finds it.
Rating: 2.5 out of 5
Comments: I had heard a lot about this bestseller and really expected to like it. It was just okay. I must not appreciate a "real love story," and felt no real satisfaction in her choice of men. And then there was the language thing again...I don't understand why authors feel they have to include so many f-bombs. Again, maybe I am not comfortable with the world as it really is (I'd prefer to believe it's the way I see it).
Summary: Told in memoir style, Girls Guide is the story of a woman's quest for love and how she, ultimately, finds it.
Rating: 2.5 out of 5
Comments: I had heard a lot about this bestseller and really expected to like it. It was just okay. I must not appreciate a "real love story," and felt no real satisfaction in her choice of men. And then there was the language thing again...I don't understand why authors feel they have to include so many f-bombs. Again, maybe I am not comfortable with the world as it really is (I'd prefer to believe it's the way I see it).
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