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By: Julie G,
on 5/16/2013
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I've had this on my TBR list forever and a day, so I was excited to find it for audio download through my library. It's based around one of my favorite sub-genres: post-apocalyptic YA. In Life As We Knew It, a meteor strikes the moon, shifting its orbit closer to earth. The result is massive tsunamis that wipe out huge coastal regions, earthquakes, and such severe volcanic eruptions that the ash blocks out the sun. In addition, long-term climate changes take place, which means Miranda and her family are forced to live off of stockpiled rations and scavenge for supplies.
WritingI think the author did a good job of remembering the small details that I see left out of a lot of more recent YA post-apocalyptic books. Instead of focusing on the dramatic weather-related disasters, the book is set in the middle of the country, where things are less severe. Instead, we see life change in a slower, but more imaginable and completely terrifying way for Miranda and her family. The author brings up things like toilet paper and feminine hygiene products and the lack of protein in the family's new diet, which are all significant, but often overlooked in books that tend to focus more on the action of the disaster itself. I appreciated the author's take and her unique point of view.
Entertainment ValueAlthough the book isn't as fast-paced or action-filled as others in the genre, I think the slow (and honestly I'm not talking slow-slow, I'm talking over the course of months as opposed to the course of days) progression made the book more realistic and more frightening. The move from feeling like things might be ok, the siblings being upset over the early school closures, to the closing of the library and the post office, and finally to a lack of basic necessities isn't necessarily frantic pacing, but I could see it really happening. It made me anxious, and I liked that. It also made me want to go stock up on toilet paper and canned food in a desperate way.
NarrationIt was ok. I wasn't terribly impressed, but I also wasn't bothered by anything in particular. I think the book would be equally enjoyable in print and there's nothing that sets the narration apart for me.
OverallI definitely recommend reading the book. It's the first in a series of three, but it can also be read as a stand-alone. No cliffhanger ending or incomplete story line, which I very much appreciated. I'm sure I'll read the next two books at some point, but I don't feel like I need to do that to complete Miranda's story.
By: Julie G,
on 5/15/2013
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| Thank you to TLC and the publisher for providing me with a review copy. |
Tiger Babies Strike Back is a memoir/essay collection/rebuttal to Amy Chua's Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother. Keltner was raised by a "tiger mother" and has rejected the stereotype. This book chronicles her story and the negative effect of being parented by a rigid, controlling mother with overly high expectations as well as her own experiences as a parent and how she interacts with her children.
Writing
It's impossible to read the book and not compare it to Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, since that book and the media attention around it is what inspired Keltner to write her own experiences from the opposite point of view. I found it really interesting how both Chua and Keltner reflect their personalities so well in their writing. Where Chua is formal and to the point, Keltner writes in a frequently humorous way and uses a much more casual style. This is much less organized and direct and more of a collection of thoughts, loosely organized around the author's story as both a daughter and a mother.
Entertainment Value
I'm going to really try to avoid making my review about Chua's book, but I feel like I have to point out before this review that I really enjoyed Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother (
click here to see my review) as a memoir. In my review, I mentioned how frustrating I found many reviews of the book because they interpret it as a parenting manual or a how-to book. So I started off on the wrong foot with Keltner, when in an early chapter she writes about Chua's book as a parenting book. Chua herself admits at the end of her book that her parenting choices may not have been the best for her daughters and questions some of her decisions. So it made me a bit twitchy to start off with what I see as a misinterpretation of the point of a memoir that I liked.
However, Keltner quickly made up for that irksome remark by writing her own unique, thoughtful memoir that gave me a much different, but equally important look at a culture very different from my own. I feel like Keltner did a good job of helping me imagine her life and the expectations and pressures placed on her as a result of her culture, but at times I also felt like I missed out on the full picture because I'm not Chinese. I'm not sure if it was a natural disconnect because I haven't had the life experience of being a minority or if it was the author's intent, but at times I felt like I was reading something that was directed to an "in-crowd" that I'm not a part of. Like an inside joke that I just wasn't getting.
Overall
I think the book is worth reading if you're familiar with or interested in (whether you like or dislike) Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother or if you can identify with the author's experiences being raised in an overachieving Chinese family. Otherwise, I'm not sure I'd recommend it over other memoirs that may have a more universal appeal.
By: Julie G,
on 5/14/2013
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I'm not usually a big meme participant, but occasionally I find the Top Ten Tuesday meme, hosted by
The Broke and the Bookish, to be irresistible. Today's theme is difficult topics, and "issue" books are some of my favorites. The problem is honestly limiting my numbers to ten. So what I'm actually going to do is post my top ten issues and a book (or in the first five cases a fiction and non-fiction book) that represent best reads in that topic. In no particular order of importance or interest:
1) School ViolenceFiction:
We Need To Talk About Kevin by Lionel ShriverA mother deals with the aftermath of her son's killing spree at his high school and the ramifications for her and her family.
Non-fiction: Ceremonial Violence: A Psychological Explanation of School Shootings by Jonathan Fast
An examination of various cases of school shootings from the first recorded incidents through Columbine.
2) Death and Grief
Two teenagers with cancer meet at a support group, fall in love, and teach each other valuable life lessons. Wow that sounds cheesey. It's not, trust me.
Start with The Year of Magical Thinking, a memoir of the year Didion loses her husband and deals with major health issues threatening her daughter's life and then read Blue Nights, where Didion writes about her daughter's death. Both are beautifully written.
3) Kidnapping/Domestic Trafficking
Shockingly relevant to ongoing current events, Room is the story of a woman who is kidnapped as a young adult and held for years. The story is narrated by her five year old son, fathered by her captor.
Real stories of young women who are bought and sold and held against their will or forced into prostitution as told by Rachel Lloyd, whose life work is helping these women escape and restore their lives.
4) Depression
An allegorical work of literary fiction in which an actual black dog represents the depression experienced by both Winston Churchill and his temporary secretary.
There are so many good memoirs and works of non-fiction on depression but Les Murray's is one of my favorites because it also includes the poetry that he wrote during a debilitating bout of depression that I find to be particularly meaningful and relevant to my own experiences.
5) Religious Abuse/Sexual Abuse in the Church
A sister attempts to restore the reputation of her disgraced brother, a Catholic priest who has been accused of sexual abuse.
Non-fiction: Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer
A history of the Mormon faith, combined with an expose of the abuses of the modern FLDS.
6) Global Oppression of Women
Journalists Kristoff and WuDunn tackle the biggest issues facing women on a global level, such as: trafficking, rape as an instrument of war, AIDS proliferation, and female genital mutilation.
7) Repressed Memory
The Myth of Repressed Memory: False Memories and Allegations of Sexual Abuse by Dr. Elizabeth Loftus and Katherine Ketcham
An expert in psychology, Dr. Elizabeth Loftus, examines the way our memory works and the phenomenon of false memories and how they have resulted in allegations of abuse.
8) False Convictions
Actual Innocence: When Justice Goes Wrong and How To Make It Right by Barry Scheck, Jim Dwyer, and Peter Neufield
A description of the Innocence Project, a non-profit that is using advances in DNA testing to overturn the convictions of criminals who were wrongly convicted using poor evidence, and stories of the men and women whose lives have been changed. It also addresses the challenges faced by those who are wrongly convicted, spend years in prison, and are then released.
9) Poverty
Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity by Katherine Boo
Journalist Katherine Boo spends three years living among the people who live in a Mumbai slum and describes the devastating poverty and daily life challenges faced by the people who live there.
And finally, a very important issue that is on all of our minds, and about which we all need to be familiar:
10) The Zombie Apocalypse
World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks
It was really hard for me to narrow down just one zombie book to recommend, but in the end I had to go with Max Brooks because I feel like he is the definitive author of the zombie genre and World War Z is a must-read if you're at all concerned about the zombie apocalypse, WHICH YOU SHOULD BE.
By: Julie G,
on 5/13/2013
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Thank you to TLC and the publisher for providing me a copy to review.
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The first thing that jumped out at me about this book is the setting - Chechnya in 2004, with some flashbacks to the previous 10 or so years. Of course Chechnya is on everyone's radar since the bombings in Boston, but it was really the dates that stood out to me. I can remember 2004 clearly. I think I have a very stereotypical Western, privileged mindset and I have to admit that it is very hard for me to imagine these events happening during my adulthood. It's hard for me to picture people not having electricity and access to even halfway adequate healthcare during my privileged college years.
It's not that I am so naive that I don't know that this was and is the case in many countries, it's just hard for me to picture. It's one of those things that I just have a very hard time imagining. And this book brought the challenges faced by those in Eastern Europe to life in a way that I hadn't considered, particularly in recent years. It's much easier for me to imagine an impoverished African or South American area than it is to imagine ethnic wars and the resulting economic and social devastation in Eastern Europe. Considering this as a current event, rather than a "before my time" event was new. And profoundly moving.
The plot revolves around three main characters: Akhmed, who finds his neighbor's child, Havaa, hiding in the woods after her father is abducted in the night and taken to be executed. Akhmed knows the Feds who took Havaa's father are also looking for Havaa and takes her to the almost completely abandoned hospital, where he hopes Sonja, the only remaining doctor in the town, will help him conceal Havaa. The next five days reveal connections both lost and found and impact the characters in ways the reader could not imagine.
WritingStunning. This is probably the best long-form fiction, in terms of writing, that I've read this year. The author's use of language is beautiful and compelling and the imagery is so amazingly vivid. "I felt like I was there" is such a cliche, but in this case it is absolutely true. I can't rave enough about the quality of the writing. It's just beautiful.
Entertainment ValueIt's not a fast-paced book, but the writing is so amazing and the story so intriguing that I couldn't put it down. I was in love with the characters and the setting and the timeline and just everything about it. And, of course, there is a well-paced plot driving the story, which never hurts.
OverallI cannot say enough good things about this book. I would be willing to bet that it'll have a high spot on my Best of 2013 list. I think it has an appeal to a wide variety of readers and is accessible enough to be read by those who enjoy various genres. I also think it's a book that writers need to read.
Again, thank you to TLC and the publisher for providing me with a copy to review.
You can click here to see the list of all the reviewers on the tour.
By: Julie G,
on 5/9/2013
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So this book combines my love for academia and academic settings with something I know very little about but find absolutely fascinating - LARPing. For those who are unfamiliar with the term, it stands for Live Action Role Playing. The stereotypical LARPer is playing a "real life" version of a game like Dungeons and Dragons, complete with costumes and pretend sword fighting. The Magic Circle takes the idea of live action games and puts an academic, and very dark, twist on it. It follows the story of three graduate students, all of whom are interested in game theory and creating live action games that will educate the players. However, when Anders, one of the girls' brother, gets involved, things take a very dark turn.
WritingIt's definitely smart and well-written, but I'm not really sure who the ideal audience is. I think the author went too academic for most people who would have an interest in role playing, but I'm also not sure how many people who want a very academic treatment of game theory would find the author's version of LARPing. Something about it was just...off...to me. I think what it comes down to is not that there are any specific writing issues, but that I just can't imagine who the ideal reader for this book is. I wouldn't recommend it to my friends who love literary fiction and I also wouldn't recommend it to friends who read thrillers.
Entertainment ValueAgain, something just didn't click for me in terms of being entertained. The beginning was slow and contained a lot of the background information necessary to the story, but the presentation was somewhat lackluster. It was too formal for my taste - I know background information is necessary when you're addressing an academic topic that isn't common knowledge, but it wasn't presented in a way that made me want to keep reading. It's a short book, but it took me several days to really develop an interest in what I would normally read in a day or two.
OverallI feel like I haven't highlighted the positives of the book, which are that it IS very smart and the focus on game-playing in an academic setting is quite unique and interesting. For me, however, it all boils down to audience. As I've said many times before, I try to think of my ideal reader friends when I review and what I would tell them. I also try to think of ALL the people I know who read my blog and whether or not I think it appeals to another reader with a different taste than me and my reading twins (triplets?). But in this case, I just can't think of a person who I think would particularly enjoy the book. I usually have a clear idea in my mind of "Oh, ____ would love this book." In this case, I can't come up with an audience for it.
A big thank you to TLC for giving me the opportunity to review this one. As always,
please click here for a full list of reviews to get a balanced idea of how others felt.
By: Julie G,
on 5/8/2013
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Such a stunning cover, right? I'd plan to buy a finished copy just based on that. I'm such a sucker for women in beautiful dresses. But luckily, this one is not just pretty to look at, but a totally enthralling read. The author conducted in-depth interviews with the women Sylvia Plath spent the summer of 1953 with as a guest editor for Mademoiselle magazine. She and several other young women were chosen to guest edit the magazine's college edition. Her experiences that summer strongly influenced her most famous literary accomplishment, her novel The Bell Jar. This book takes a look at the historical and personal events surrounding Plath that summer through the eyes of the women who were with her.
WritingI am so conflicted on this portion of my review. Obviously, these are personal accounts of recollections from 50 years ago, so I wasn't expecting detailed citation or a work of literary non-fiction. I think the author did a great job of culling personal stories and presenting them in a work of non-fiction that is intended to give the impression of a personal account, not an academic biography.
What has me conflicted is what exactly the author intended with her style. Her writing is very much like a journal entry. Many paragraphs aren't made up of complete sentences, but are just fragments of impressions, smells, and sights that Plath would have experienced. It threw me off at first until I realized how closely the author's style mirrors Plath's own journals. Her stream of consciousness style is so similar to Plath's that I began to wonder if it was deliberate. If so, it was very well done. If not, well, stream of consciousness doesn't work as well for me in non-fiction.
Entertainment ValueHere again I was surprised. By all reckoning, I should have been put off by this book. I was expecting something more biographical and academic, as opposed to what the book focuses on: seemingly mundane details of Plath's wardrobe, shopping habits, and personality quirks. But for some reason, this book really worked for me. I was SO INTO the clothes. She bought another black sheath? TELL ME MORE! I don't mean this in a sarcastic way at all, either. I really and truly cared about all of these details and found myself wanting more and more. It's not even that I'm a huge Plath fan (although I did love The Bell Jar) or that I'm really into fashion or magazines or that time period. But something about the book and the way the author presents the material absolutely captivated me.
OverallObviously, this is required reading for Plath fans or for those who are interested in the early days of women's journalism. But I think it has a wider audience than just those familiar with Mademoiselle magazine or with Plath's full history. It provides a great glimpse into a time period, a social setting, and into Plath's life and the life of young professional women during a time period when professional women were a novelty. I highly recommend trying this one out - who knows, you may just love reading descriptions of Plath's fabulous wardrobe!
By: Julie G,
on 5/6/2013
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I could honestly just post these pictures and let that say it all for April. It was a wonderful month, mainly because Sarah and I finally got to make our big trip to Chicago to see David, Elisabeth, George, and Gemma. I also took a weekend trip to Ellijay with two of my best girlfriends, Crystal and Andrea, and spend the weekend lounging around and playing with Andrea's kids. The rest of my time was spent catching up on life after two wonderful weekend vacations.
As far as 52 Weeks To An Organized Home goes, I am still on track. This weekend I dumped an entire Hefty bag full of half used and expired beauty products and filled another bag to donate. I've cleared out everything that I don't use on at least a weekly basis and, as a result, my counters and under-the-counter space are nearly empty.
We also came up with a home cleaning schedule and organized all our cleaning supplies, which makes it easier to know when we need to buy more and to distribute the tasks equally. Just having the schedule has made a huge difference in the amount of arguments over who does more around the house.
And, finally, I got all of our important home documents organized and filed away and started a system for keeping up with filing and shredding on a daily basis. The next couple weeks should be pretty easy - they focus on the "mudroom/entryway", which we don't have, and on the living room, which we have, but, since we don't have kids, isn't a big clutter collector for us.
Here's what I read this month:
Ten Tiny Breaths by K.A. Tucker
The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens
Hopeless by Colleen Hoover
Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight
BlogHer '12 Voices of the Year
Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief by Lawrence Wright
The Twelve Tribes of Hattie by Ayana Mathis
The Great Escape by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
The Little Book of Heartbreak
by Meghan Laslocky
Vampires In the Lemon Grove by Karen Russell
Total books read in April: 10
Total books read this year: 52
Total pages read this year: 15,647
By: Julie G,
on 5/2/2013
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As a young college graduate, Jennifer Gilbert expected great things from her life. She had just returned from a post-grad year of touring Europe and returned to New York ready to start her professional life. However, she was randomly and violently attacked by a man who attempted to take her life. She survived, but was so damaged emotionally that she became a shell of her former independent self.
To get by, she threw herself into work, founding an event planning business and winning awards for her entrepreneurship. In her memoir, she describes how her career as an event planner eventually led her to the realization of how the attack had damaged her emotionally, and how it also brings her back to her true self. In the midst of all this, she finds love, starts a family, and comes to the realization that life itself is the only gift we are promised.
WritingNo issues with the writing. I felt like I connected with the author, and, while she wasn't always likable, she remained sympathetic. I think she really showed the impact of the attack on the next several years of her life and didn't try to hide the not-so-pretty or not-so-nice side from the reader. It makes her seem like a real person.
Entertainment ValueIt's not a long read and it's not a difficult read. It read like a face to face conversation with the author - very personable and fluid. Gilbert is witty and well-spoke and reading the book was a pleasure. I can't think of any parts that felt off-pace or slow, and I wanted to know how Gilbert's story would end.
OverallI think it's a successful memoir, chronicling a horrible period in the author's life and how she managed to overcome the difficulties life handed her. It's a great book for anyone who is a fan of memoir or is looking for a lighter read that tackles a difficult subject.
Thanks to TLC for including me on the tour.
Click here for links to all the tour stops!
By: Julie G,
on 5/1/2013
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Anyone feeling guilty over being behind on book reviews? This may make you feel better. I just added up all the reviews I need to write and could come up with a full month's worth of reviews (and that is assuming I post 4 a week) without reading another book. There are books from February that I haven't reviewed yet. Kind of a bummer, but I'm determined to catch up, starting with reviews of the three final books I read for the Sony Reader Club.
Ok, so the first thing you should know about this book is that it IS by the same Molly Ringwald of 80's movie fame. When I saw she had written a book, I was a bit disappointed that it wasn't going to be her memoir, as I would LOVE a behind-the-scenes look at The Breakfast Club, one of my all time favorites. However, I also love short stories and when the book was announced as a Sony Reader VIP choice, I was excited to see how Ringwald measures up in terms of writing. And the good news is that she is brilliant. These short stories are all connected (revolving around a Los Angelean family and their neighbors).
WritingI was seriously impressed. I get twitchy when I see that a celebrity plans to write anything other than a memoir. I just feel like..sigh. It's most likely to be a ghost-written YA novel or some other kind of foolishness (James Franco). But in this case, I was more than pleasantly surprised. Ringwald really blew me away with her thoughtful stories. And not just thoughtful, but also smart, witty, and just flat-out well written. Her characters are interesting and all of the stories had that moment where it all comes together and you just get what she's trying to say. Exactly what I want in a short story.
Entertainment ValueI read the whole thing in one sitting on a Saturday morning. It's not that it's a suspenseful book, but one where I kept telling myself "Just one more story." And before I knew it, I had finished it. And, I feel like I should note, I was pleased to see Ringwald address contemporary issues without being moralistic or telling the reader how to feel. I noted this particularly in the story "My Olivia", which I expected to be a "lesson" for parents on letting your child explore his or her gender identity. Instead, I found it to fit in perfectly with the other stories and revolve around the characters, not a PSA.
OverallAnother excellent short story collection I've read this year. I highly recommend it and I will definitely pick up anything Ringwald writes in the future (unless it's a YA novel about models with superpowers).
By: Julie G,
on 4/30/2013
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I've been posting less frequently this month because things have been fairly hectic - especially this last week. Sarah and I took a Friday and a Monday off of work and flew to Chicago to spend a long weekend with my brother, sister-in-law, and their sweet babies, George and Gemma. I had planned to do some reading, at least on the plane, but wound up doing almost nothing but snuggling and sleeping, unless you count so many readings of Huggle Buggle Bear and Llama Llama that I lost count. So what I'm saying is, this post is going to be nothing but baby spam, but it is beautiful, delicious, cheek-squishing baby spam.
Reading with my favorite little boy in all the world - Georgie.
Huggle Buggle Bear was a favorite, along with the "Yama, Yama" (Llama, Llama) books and "If you give a tat a tuptake" (If You Give A Cat A Cupcake)
And my favorite little girl in all the world - Gemma.
The weather was beautiful so we spent one afternoon just playing outside.
We got in a trip to the zoo.
More reading (still Huggle Buggle Bear)
Playing with the Hot Wheels track
Gemma is getting ready to grow some teeth.
Playing with sidewalk chalk
Feeding goats at the petting zoo
No, for real, he's the cutest ever.
Snuggling with Aunt "Sawah"
Sweet sleeper
And this heartbreaking text we got when our plane landed. Luckily we've already planned a FaceTime hangout later this week.
The trip was amazing and I am, of course, going through niece and nephew withdrawals.
By: Julie G,
on 4/25/2013
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If you're at all involved in blogging, you've most likely heard of BlogHer, a media company created by female bloggers to feature content written by female bloggers. It's started small and now hosts a huge annual conference and features a wide variety of bloggers. This year they compiled some of their top content into this book, which draws from posts on numerous topics: humor, career, parenting, inspiration, etc.
WritingIt's written by bloggers, so OBVIOUSLY, it's awesome. Really, the editors did a great job of choosing material that is well written and edited, even if it's not always perfect. The bloggers represented are, typically, not professional writers, but they're all still amazing. I was blown away by the quality, although I should know by now that bloggers are great writers.
Entertainment ValueThese posts are all well written, insightful, humorous, inspiring, etc. I found the political commentary to be interesting, the family stories to be touching, and I laughed out loud more than once. Also, and this isn't really BlogHer's fault because it IS a women's media company and kind of known for the mommy blogs, there was a LOT of parenting stuff. That was the one thing that I wasn't totally appreciative of. I mean, it's not like because I'm not a mommy I can't appreciate reading a great post about family, but one breastfeeding post would have been plenty.
OverallI definitely recommend reading it and I highly recommend that if you DO read it, you do so in ebook format. It's available in paperback, but I loved reading it on my ereader and being able to go straight to links and add blogs immediately instead of having to wait till I was in front of a computer. And there are several cute cartoons and pictures and other links that are best accessed on an ereader.
By: Julie G,
on 4/22/2013
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Oh, Ellen. I wanted this book to be so funny. I was on a long and extremely delayed flight and all I wanted to do was close my eyes and let you make me laugh. Based on everything I've ever seen from you, we should have totally connected through this book of...essays? I'm not really even sure what to call them. More like musings, I guess. Each one is super short and made up of whatever Ellen seemed to have on her mind at the moment. It's hard to describe, so I'll just jump ahead to the review.
Writing/Entertainment ValueSince this is humor, I think the two are pretty much one and the same. And I wasn't impressed. I love Ellen on TV. I can't think of anything I've seen her in that I didn't find hilarious and her show consistently makes me laugh. But none of that translated to the book. It's a whole lot of very short collections of thoughts and many of them are lengthy and rambling. Some of them are just goofy and, geeze I hate to say it, dumb. Way too many of the selections involve Degeneres losing her train of thought and forgetting what she was originally talking about. I just was very unimpressed and, frankly, bored.
NarrationThis is the part that was particularly trippy for me. Ellen narrates the book, and I totally associate her voice with humor. So I keep hearing her voice and expecting something hilarious to come out, but it's not. It was kind of disconcerting. Her voice was, to me, the best part of the book and the only part that actually seemed like her.
OverallI still love you, Ellen. And I would give another one of her books a try. But I don't think I'd give another collection of her musings a try. It looks like both of her other books are similar in nature, but I'd love to see her put out an autobiography in the vein of Bossypants. THAT I would pick up for sure. As far as this one is concerned, I don't recommend it.
By: Julie G,
on 4/18/2013
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This is a really good example of the right book finding me at the right time. You can look back through my blog history and see that I don't typically read romance novels. Women's lit or YA maybe, but not much straight up romance. BUT, I've been doing a ton of serious and/or academic reading. I read (and will soon review) Going Clear by Lawrence Wright and I'm taking an MOOC hosted by Duke in Behavioral Economics that has required a fair amount of research and academic reading. My brain totally needed a break. Enter
The Great Escape.
Lucy, our main character, is the adopted daughter of the President and is about to get married to the perfect man, when she loses her nerve and flees the church. She winds up on the back of a motorcycle driven by the rough-around-the-edges Panda. As she finds herself and discovers what she really wants in life, she is pulled in directions she never imagined and finds herself inexplicably drawn to Panda and the life he represents. Add a quaint island town, cute orphan, some spunky female friends, and you have a recipe for amazing brain candy.
WritingI was looking for an escape, if you will, and this perfectly fit the bill. It follows the traditional formula (and in this case, I don't mean that negatively) of a romance and the love scenes were all well written. The plot was interesting, the characters kept me entertained, and it flowed well. Just keep in mind it's a romance novel, not lit fic, so if you're looking for something serious, high-minded, and/or realistic, this may not be it.
Entertainment ValueDo you know what's weird? What I love in a romance novel is almost always the exact opposite of what I love in reality. I would HATE Panda if I knew him in real life and I'd NEVER date him. But I loved him as a foil for Lucy. And I was enthralled by the book. I plan on picking up the rest of the series (they don't need to be read in order) and keeping them around for times like this when I need a bit of brain candy!
Thanks to TLC for including me on the tour!
Click here to see the other tour sites and dates.
By: Julie,
on 4/16/2013
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I've been reminiscing lately about some childhood reading and wondering why I don't hear more about the children's classics that I remember reading in my childhood. As an elementary student I read well ahead of my grade level, but I still enjoyed children's books - and do to this day. So here are a few of the books I'd consider classics that I read as a child but don't see getting much attention today.
This series is about a remarkable woman who knows everything about children and how to cure them of any nasty habits. For example, a little girl who doesn't want to wash goes to stay with Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle and starts growing radishes from her ears. The stories all follow the same basic format and as a child I LOVED reading about the hilarious ways Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle taught children how to behave.
The Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle series is still in print (see purchase info on the Goodreads link above) AND
there is a TV series for children based on the books that you can watch free at Hulu by
clicking here.It's not that I think Beverly Cleary doesn't get enough attention, and it's not that the amazing Ramona series doesn't deserve lots of attention, but I feel like Henry Huggins gets left out quite a bit. The Henry series actually intersects with the Ramona series, as Beezus and Henry are the same age and live in the same neighborhood. in the first book, Henry finds the perfect dog, Ribsy, and the rest of the series tells stories of their escapades.
Honorable mention for overlooked Beverly Cleary books that I fell in love with goes to
Otis Spofford.
While I recommend starting with The Red Fairy Book, it really doesn't matter how you start - there are various fairy books (Blue, Green, Yellow, Pink, Brown, etc) to keep you occupied with fairy tales from every culture and society you can think of. They were written in the late 1800s, but in a way that I could understand and enjoy even at a young age. And the best part? They are in the public domain. You can download them to an ereader or read them online for free at Project Gutenberg by
clicking here.
The Burgess Stories, beginning with Old Mother West Wind, were my jam when I was a child. I read them over and over and over. They're collections of short stories that focus on Mother West Wind and her Merry Little Breezes as well as the animals in the forest. They're something like Rudyard Kipling's just-so stories or the Uncle Remus stories, but with more of a "respect for nature" than "teaching a moral" bent. These are also available for free via Project Gutenberg by c
licking here.
McBroom's stories all revolve around his miraculous one-acre farm. Actually, it's 80 acres, but they're all stacked on top of each other. The soil, however, is exception and McBroom quickly learns that he can grow the most exceptional crops - including planting nickels and harvesting quarters. They're silly and fun and I am as delighted by them now as I was as a child. And, as an adult, I can appreciate children's books that are silly and crazy without resorting to farts or underwear to make kids laugh.
With the exception of the Burgess Stories and The Fairy Series, all of these books are available through Scholastic, so you may want to take a look and find them in the catalog next time your kid brings home an order! Or check them out online or at your library or book store!
Any overlooked children's classics you'd like to share?
By: Julie,
on 4/15/2013
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It's been four years since Kacey's parents, best friend, and boyfriend were killed in a devastating car accident. Kacey was also in the car and was seriously injured, both physically and emotionally. When her uncle and guardian begins to show an unhealthy interest in her younger sister, Livie, Kacey and her sister flee to Miami. There, life finally seems to start to come together for the sisters. They make friends in their apartment complex, and Kacey becomes involved with her handsome neighbor Trent. But she must eventually deal with her scars from the past and Trent is hiding some of his own secrets.
WritingOk, so this was my second foray into New Adult, after having read Beautiful Disaster (which was, by the way its own disaster). Since I absolutely loathed Beautiful Disaster, I was hesitant to give the genre another try.
[Also, can I just say that I do not understand the genre? It's basically just YA with sex, right? Or contemporary romance with characters in their 20's? I mean, I'm cool with it being a thing, but it just seems like a fairly arbitrary delineation.]
Anyway, so the writing. It was...meh. I mean, the whole plot and all the twists and turns it takes was just so far out of the realm of believability I'm not sure how to describe it. There were all kinds of crazy coincidences and the "twist" ending I saw coming from a mile away.
That's not to say I didn't enjoy the book (see Entertainment Value). So this is where the genre thing kind of matters to me, I guess. Is the book supposed to be a contemporary "issue" book? If so, I think it failed in some regards, as I didn't believe the characters were real and their issues were so far removed from reality that it was hard to imagine. But if it's supposed to be contemporary romance, then whether or not I believe it's real becomes much less of an issue for me. I may not believe the characters are real, but I like them and I loved the romance, so for a contemporary romance I think the book succeeded.
Entertainment ValueAnother complex issue for me. Because I have to say that I LOVED the experience of reading this one. It was romantic and twisty and the characters were all sympathetic and I cared about them. I got a lot of pleasure out of reading it.
But I was again (as I have been several times lately) distracted by the portrayal of the sex industry. This is not a spoiler, by the way. Early in the book Kacey befriends her neighbor who is a stripper/bartender and takes a job tending the bar at the strip club. And it's shown as this wonderful experience where she meets the loving and protective bouncers and the heart of gold club owner and all of the strippers are empowered and happy with their lives.
So I mentioned a few posts back that while this may be the odd anecdotal case, the majority of women in the sex industry are not there because they have so many other options and just choose to strip for the fun of it. And I think this kind of portrayal of the industry is A) very privileged (the true stories of women who strip/prostitute for fun, you will notice, are almost exclusively white and educated) and B) damaging to the women who are forced into it either by trafficking or by lack of options.
Anyway, I'm going to write a long post on that when I finally sort out my feelings on the issue. Because the truth is that it really turns me off to a book -but at the same time, I've actually quite enjoyed several books where this happens apart from that aspect. I'm trying to decide how I feel about books that I feel like promote an ideal that I disagree with, but that I enjoy anyway, if that makes sense.
OverallThe big book in my online book club right now is Hopeless. If you liked Hopeless, you'll love Ten Tiny Breaths. I think it will also appeal to those who read YA and wish it were more...mature. There are definitely sex scenes as well as language and other situations you won't find in most YA, so you should be aware of that up front. I also think this will appeal to fans of contemporary romance, especially contemporary romance that is a bit grittier.
By: Julie,
on 4/11/2013
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James Lasdun is an author and literature/writing professor who has been stalked for years by a student. When he first met Nasreen, she was a promising student in his class. They reconnected years later and began a friendship that took place largely over email. Eventually Nasreen attempted to move from a friendship to a romantic relationship, leading Lasdun, who was happily married, to put the brakes on their conversation. When that happened, Nasreen started sending angry emails, which eventually escalated to a full campaign to ruin Lasdun personally and professionally. This book chronicles their relationship and attempts to take a philosophical look at his own experience as well as through the lens of racial, social, and political motivations.
WritingThe book is certainly well-written. It isn't a thriller or even a thrilling memoir - it's a very philosophical look at a specific experience in the author's life. I think when you read "memoir" and "stalking", you have a certain expectation of a level of tension or suspense or danger that will be evident in the book, but that's not what you're going to find here. It's written in a very introspective style, with a large focus on the more philosophical implications of Nasreen's stalking, which entailed many attacks relating to her status as a Middle Eastern woman and his status as a Jewish American. Lasdun looks in detail at the history of political and social tensions in the Middle East and how they impacted and reflected on his experiences with Nasreen.
Entertainment ValueWell, like I mentioned above, the book is much more literary and philosophical than it is intense and exciting. About halfway through, things got pretty slow for me. It's not a terribly long book, and I think it's worth reading if you're interested in the author himself or if you're intrigued by how he ties social, racial, and political situations in the Middle East relate to his experience being stalked online. But if you're looking for a fast-paced memoir of a harrowing experience, I think you might find this on the slow side.
OverallThis was was just ok for me. I appreciated Lasdun's story and his unique point of view, but at times I felt like he was trying too hard to be philosophical and that the book suffered from over-emphasis on the implications of the stalking in a global and historical context as opposed to a personal context.
By: Julie,
on 4/9/2013
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Kate is a successful attorney who thinks she's doing a pretty good job of balancing single motherhood with her career. She realizes how wrong she is when she gets a call from her daughter's private school announcing that her daughter, Amelia, has been suspended for cheating. By the time Kate gets to the school, her daughter is dead. The case seems to be open and shut - her daughter killed herself rather than face the issues she was dealing with. But within a few days Kate receives a mysterious text that tells her Amelia didn't jump. From there, the book chronicles what led to the Amelia's death as Kate uses her daughters texts and emails to retrace her path and reconstruct the circumstances of Amelia's apparent suicide.
WritingWere there believability issues? Yes. Did I care at all? No. It's a thriller/suspense and I found the few issues I had with believability (so many coincidences) to be within my threshold for suspension of disbelief. Other than that, I had no issues with the writing. The author did a good job of alternating between a teen and adult voice and created characters who were multi-faceted and dynamic. I appreciated that there weren't any stock-characters and that almost every character had a deeper motivation for his or her actions than was originally revealed.
Entertainment ValueIn a thriller, I'm all about the entertainment value and this one delivers. My highest praise for any book as far as entertainment is concerned is that I think about it when I'm not reading it and Reconstructing Amelia had me wondering all day at work what would happen next.
OverallRecommended to fans of the genre, obviously, but I also think this book has great crossover appeal for adults or teens who enjoy reading YA. The school setting and the age of some of the central characters will be appealing to those who like contemporary YA and it addresses some social issues that are also of interest to that age group.
Thanks to TLC for sending me a copy of the book for review!
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By: Julie,
on 4/8/2013
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Just kidding. A funny thing happened when I was already INSIDE the Tivoli. It's a long story, but I have actual photographic evidence that it really happened, which I will share at the end.
For quite a while Luke and I have been fairly obsessive listeners to This American Life, a radio program broadcast from NPR and hosted by Ira Glass. We got started on it a few years ago when it was made into a tv show, but since then have made it a mission to listen to all of the episodes, which are, by the way, available free on the website. And Ira Glass has become a Golden Family hero.
So when we found out he was scheduled to give a free lecture at the historic Tivoli theater in Chattanooga, we knew we'd be there. After our Sunday lunch with family, we headed over about two hours early to make sure we got in. Since tickets weren't being sold, we knew we needed to get there early to make sure we got good seats.
Once we arrived and found some (great) seats, we met up with a friend (Hey Ben!) and then sat down to read while we waited. His and her e-readers FTW! (this is not the promised photographic evidence).
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But before I got my book out, I tweeted about how excited I was to be seeing Ira Glass live at the Tivoli. And this is where the power of the internet is revealed. A few seconds later I got a tweet back from a friend who lives in L.A. She told me that she had just seen a tweet from Stephanie Perkins (yep, the author of Anna and the French Kiss and Lola and the Boy Next Door - two of my favorite books) that said she was also at the Tivoli seeing Ira Glass.
I started looking around and suddenly realized she was directly in front of me, three rows up. The whole time I'm grabbing Luke and gushing. And he finally convinced me to send her a tweet and say I'm a fan and was also in the audience. (PS: I feel like I should tell you that all of this happened before the show started - I would NEVER interrupt Ira Glass with Twitter, even to fangirl over an author). So a tweet was sent and then she responded and said I should come and say hello!
There were another ten or fifteen minutes of me wavering at the prospect of approaching an author and gushing, so I texted the Nesties for support. Luke had long since lost interest in the entire thing and was refusing to angst about it with me. With the support of my Nestie Besties, I went over and said hi and we had a whole conversation!
I can't go into the details because she revealed all of her personal writing secrets and then gave me a signed copy of the Isla manuscript.
Ok, ok, that part is a lie. But we chatted about authors and readers and the relationship between the two and librarianship and Chattanooga and North Georgia and it was so fun. She was super sweet and personable and genuinely interested in chatting with a fan, which was really nice. And, finally, I give you photographic evidence:
That's right - even though Luke was totally bored by my angst over whether or not to talk to her, he did me a solid and took a picture while we were talking because he knew that my author-stalking heart would be blessed.
By: Julie,
on 3/25/2013
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This is so shameful, Reader Friends. I am officially the worst guest poster ever. Almost two weeks ago, I had a guest post over at Lost In Books during Becca's Women's Lit Event and I totally forgot to post about it over here. All I can say is, go back and read all the posts from the event, because they're all great, and if you want to read my review of A Room Of One's Own,
click here! Big thanks to Becca for including me, even though I totally dropped the ball on promoting the event. Seriously go back and check it out though, there are some really great discussions.
By: Julie,
on 3/26/2013
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This topic (dealing with difficult people) is something I've been looking for a good book on for quite some time. I've even gone to the Christian bookstore just to look for a book on how to deal with difficult people. Naturally, I requested it when I saw it available on NetGalley. You can tell from the cover that it's a book intended for women and focuses largely on women's relationships with other women, typically in social and familial settings, although it could also be applied to work settings.
Self-help type books tend to really defy my usual rating system, so I'm just going to write one review for both writing and entertainment value this time.
I think the writing will definitely have an appeal to a certain type of reader. Unfortunately, I don't think I'm the reader this book needed. And I hate to judge a book by its cover, but I feel like in this case I probably should have for both my sake and the author's. It's not a very...deep...book. I hate to say it that way, but what I mean is, there was no new information or insight. I wasn't really challenged and I felt like it was all information I have from various sermons, women's conferences, and Bible studies.
The focus of the book is also largely on dealing with social and familial relationships. I was hoping for less of a social, mean girls, woman to woman friendship vibe and more of a practical tips for dealing with both men and women in difficult situations across the board, as opposed to the social-familial atmosphere. My most difficult relationships are not with other women and are not confined to social or home-based settings. It's largely in my work life and, honestly, the most difficult people I work with are men.
Again, I don't think this is necessarily an indication of poor writing or shallow thinking on the author's part. I think the fact that the focus was so centered on women's relationships with other women in the home and in social situations kept it from addressing what I was hoping for. And as far as the deepness goes, I think the level of the book will appeal to a lot of people, especially those who haven't heard the message before.
As far as good qualities go, the book is easy to read, has a conversational tone that I found appealing, and contains lots of anecdotes and stories that keep the book moving. It would probably make for a great young women's Bible study, as it's full of discussion questions that I think would keep a conversation lively and interesting.
Also, if any of you have any suggestions for books on dealing with difficult people in the workplace with less of a focus on woman to woman issues and more of a focus on professional relationships, I am totally in the market and would love to hear them!
By: Julie,
on 3/28/2013
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No introduction or summary required here, I'd guess. Although, I have to admit, I went into the story with only the knowledge of the story I've gained from pop culture and, of course, the musical Wicked. I have never seen the movie. Not even once. We weren't allowed to as kids, I can't remember why, either because of witches or because it was too scary. And not having seen it as a child, I've just never gotten around to watching it. So my review won't have any comparisons to the movie adaptation, which I'd guess is what most people are familiar with.
Writing
There's a reason this is a children's literature classic. I thought the writing really transcended the time during which it was written (first published in 1900), which is always impressive to me. It doesn't read like an "old" book. It does, however, read like an amazing book. I fell in love immediately, especially with the Scarecrow. The characters are just incredible and I think their ability to exist in 1900 just as well as 2013 is remarkable characterization on Baum's part.
Entertainment Value
Again, the ability to transcend eras as far as writing style is concerned makes a big difference here. It doesn't read like an "old" book, which I think will increase its appeal to children. It's certainly one I plan on reading aloud if I have kids one day (and of course I always have George). Also, I think it makes an entertaining read for an adult audience. I'm glad I read it, not just for the cultural awareness I was lacking, but because it was a fun book.
And I would be absolutely remiss if I didn't mention the amazing illustrations in this particular edition. It is chock full of these and they are all gorgeous. This one has the Cowardly Lion meeting the Scarecrow.
A huge thanks to Harper Collins for providing this beautiful copy for me to review.
By: Julie,
on 3/29/2013
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I've had Petrushevskaya on my TBR list since her first US-published work (There Once Lived A Woman Who Tried to Kill Her Neighbor's Baby) gained press in the US as NY Times Book Review best seller and won some fantasy awards. When I got a chance to review this book, her second US-published collection of short stories, I jumped on it. Petrushevskaya is a well known author of literary fiction and short stories in Russia and is gaining prominence in the US. This collection includes stories written throughout her career, each of which focuses on love in some shape or form and which are generally set in post-revolutionary Russia.
WritingI feel totally unqualified to evaluate the writing in this book, since my experience with Russian literature is limited almost exclusively to
Crime and Punishment. I was largely motivated to read the book because of my lack of knowledge of Russian literature, but I think that also really limits my ability to critique the writing. So bear in mind that I am far, far from an expert.
That said, I wasn't really blown away by the writing like it seems many reviewers were. This could largely be due to my ignorance of Russian writing and what is lost in translation, but I just didn't see anything particularly appealing in the writing. It was very simplistic and at many point dreary. I felt like there was something there, but I wasn't fully grasping it. There was a disconnect for me that kept me from fully grasping WHY this is exceptional writing.
Entertainment ValueAll of the stories were interesting and easy to read, but as with the writing, I felt like there was something I was missing. I liked them, but I didn't love them the way I usually love short stories.
OverallI wasn't compelled to keep reading the way I was with Tenth of December or Shout Her Lovely Name, but I did find the book interesting. Also, I plan on continuing to explore Russian literature and see if my understanding changes any. I have the author's collection of fairy tale style stories on my TBR and definitely plan on trying them as soon as I get a copy of the book.
By: Julie,
on 4/1/2013
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March has been a nice, if not particularly busy, month for the Goldens. Maybe the not particularly busy part is what made it nice. I got a lot of work done on the house - I'm WAY ahead on 52 Weeks to an Organized Home - and did a lot more clearing out of excess stuff. Also, I did a lot of reading:
When It Happens To You
There Was An Old Woman
The Dragon Factory
Not Less Than Everything
A Room of One's Own
Shout Her Lovely Name
Dark Tide
The Death of Bees
Joe Ledger: The Missing Files
7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess
Tenth of December
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
There Once Lived a Girl Who Seduced Her Sister's Husband, And He Hanged Himself
The King of Plagues
Just Clean Enough
Nowhere But Here
Ten Tiny Breaths
Total books read in March: 16
Total books read this year: 42
Pages read in March: 4557
Total pages read in 2013: 12,150
It was my best reading month this year, and each month has been better than the previous. It would be awesome to keep my reading streak going, but I have a lot going on in April, including two weekend getaways, so we'll just have to see how that all affects my reading time!
What did you read this month?
By: Julie,
on 4/3/2013
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Queen Elizabeth Wake (Queenie to her friends), ran away from her small Texas town years ago after being rejected by her lifelong love, Everett. She and her sister were always treated like outcasts in the town based on their mother's reputation and her sister's teen pregnancy. But when Queenie loses yet another job, she is forced to return home to face the people of the town and her lingering feelings for Everett.
WritingWhen it comes to genre fiction, I must admit that I often have low expectations for the writing. I'm not really on the lookout for outstanding commentary on life or depth of insight - I'm just looking for a good story that fits a certain schema. In the case of women's literature/romance, I'm looking for likable characters and an intriguing plot with a nice ending. However, Nowhere But Home met and then surpassed those expectations. I did find the characters and plot I was looking for, but I also found some serious insight. My favorite point in the book was Queenie's realization that "anger is just a bodyguard for sadness." I was thoroughly pleased with the quality and style.
Entertainment ValueAs I mentioned above, this is what I'm really looking for in a genre read and it totally delivered. I loved Queenie's relationship with her sister, with the men she works with as a prison chef, and with her nephew Cal. I also loved the romantic aspect, had the appropriate swoony feelings, and it was all bundled with an ending I could appreciate. I also really respected that the author took care not to create stock characters. The "bad" characters in the book, Queenie's enemies, are revealed to be hurting people who have their own life issues to deal with. In the end, no one is all good or all bad, and I like when authors can capture that.
OverallHighly recommend it, especially if you're looking for a lighter read going into summer or spring break. I'll definitely read more by the author.
Thank you to TLC for putting me on the tour.
You can click here to see the rest of the blogs that will be reviewing Nowhere But Home.
By: Julie,
on 4/5/2013
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I've read Hallie Ephron before and, to be honest, wasn't much of a fan. However, after reading the description for this one I decided to give her another chance. The book features an elderly woman who holds the key to a mysterious incident involving a neighbor's sudden descent into illness. Old people? Sign.me.up. I love old people almost as I love psychotic children. So a thriller that revolves around an elderly woman who may or may not be losing her senility drew me in. And I'm so glad I gave the author a second chance, because this one was good.
Writing
There are few tropes I love in thrillers as much as a potential gaslight. You're all familiar with gaslighting, right? A character is slowly losing his or her mind...or is is all a trick? I love it most when I can't tell whether or not a character is being gaslighted. And because I'm incredibly naive, I can almost never tell. This was no exception and I spent most of the book wondering whether our elderly main character was grappling with dementia or being tormented by an outside entity. I won't let you in on the surprise, but I will let you know that it provided me with just the right amount of cozy suspense.
Entertainment Value
Well, I stayed up for half the night because I HAD to know the ending, so that certainly says something about the entertainment value. Beyond the suspense, I also appreciated a thriller/mystery that doesn't play up the gore, foul language, or sex that are frequently found in the genre. I'd recommend this to readers who wouldn't normally be interested in the genre for that reason. I think it's a great book that falls outside of the cozy mystery genre but doesn't cross all the way into thriller territory. It's a cozy thriller.
Overall
I recommend it. I'm definitely glad I gave the author another try and I'll continue to look into her books in the future because I enjoyed this one.
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Sounds like a good book. Will look into it. I listen to a lot of audiobooks--helps me keep my level of 'reading' up.
You might enjoy One Second After. It focuses on a year in a small North Carolina town after a series of EMP bursts wipe out all electricity (evertything with a microcircuit), affecting power generation, transportation, shortages, disease, social breakdown, etc. It's not YA, but a number of my high school students really enjoyed it.
Interesting considering that a meteor did hit the moon this weekend, creating a 66 foot wide crater. http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2013/05/19/meteor-strike-moon/2324859/ -Ben