Books 7-15
May. 19th, 2008 01:46 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bojojoti7. The Seven Principles of Making Marriage Work by Dr. John Gottman
8. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
9. New Moon by Stephenie Meyer
10. Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer
11. Me by Katharine Hepburn
12. Small Favor by Jim Butcher
13. Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
14. The Shawl by Cynthia Ozick
15. Traveling Mercies by Anne Lamott
The Seven Principles of Making Marriage Work was the book used in a class Mr. Bojo and I took. After 28 years of marriage, we've managed to work through a number of difficulties, and we agree on a great deal, so we were the boring couple in the class. Thank goodness! Anyway, the only truly new insight I got from the book is this: there are some things in a marriage that can't be solved, and it is imperative to learn to accept and live with them. That's good advice, and I wish we'd understood that early on in our marriage! For some reason, it seems there are always certain sticking points in a relationship that come up again and again and never get resolved. Why waste all the energy and ill will arguing about something that is unresolvable? Agree to accept that topic is unsolvable, at this time, and leave it alone.
(2/5)
Twilight, New Moon, and Eclipse are a series of young adult books about Bella, a cranky teenage girl, and her encounters with a vampire and a werewolf. As I was reading, I would become frustrated at how dense, selfish, and irritable the main character was--then I would remind myself that she was a teenager, and I well remember my own obtuseness and touchiness! I wasn't as shallow as Bella, and I certainly didn't use my friends the way she does. I constantly wonder why her friends put up with her, and why does everyone fall in love with her? I was moody and self-centered during those years; however, I don't remember being one-dimensional, and, unfortunately, that seems to be as far as developing her characters that Meyer is able to go. I did enjoy Meyer's original quirky ideas of vampires and werewolves, and I would have loved to have read a take that wasn't such a sappy vampire fangirl love story. The fourth book will be out in August, and I will read it, but I hope for the integrity of the story, Meyer wraps it up and finishes the series. Then, perhaps, she can write a story about a heroine I can admire. My review doesn't sound as though I enjoyed the story, but I did--I just kept hoping for more than Meyer would deliver.
(3½/5)
Jim Butcher's Dresden Files series gives me a chance to mingle with characters who have become friends. Butcher indulged his readers perhaps too much by giving us too many of our favorite characters in Small Favor. It's hard to keep that many balls in the air no matter how good at juggling--and quipping--he may be. Still, Harry is back with his friends and family, and that's a fun read even if it can't possibly compare to rampaging through Chicago on Sue the Tyranosaurus Rex. Small Favor isn't the best of Harry Dresden's adventures, but the snark and one-liners are always worth the read.
(4/5)
Tuesdays with Morrie is a true story of a dying professor and the former student who visits him weekly during the last few months of his life. It's a short book, a quick read, and very sweet. I didn't find the wisdom to be profound or something that I dwelt upon long after reading, but I loved to watch the author become more sensitive at each visit. There were some moments in the book that spoke to me: wiping someone's nose and rubbing another's feet show such love and care through human touch.
(4/5)
The Shawl is the story of a Holocaust survivor. Unfortunately, I didn't realize it was fiction until after I purchased it (who knows where or when--it has languished on a shelf forever). There are enough real stories that I don't want to muddy the true with the fiction. That being said, this account is well-written. It's actually two short stories about the same woman. The first story revolves around a young woman enduring the Holocaust; the second story leaps several decades to show us the broken woman. This is the sort of book that English teachers and book clubs enthusiastically embrace for its imagery, foreshadowing, and excellent writing. It's a haunting story that stayed with me for several days. I didn't particularly enjoy it.
(4/5)
Happy, happy, joy, joy! I've found another writer to love in Anne Lamott. She is the sort of person who probably offends just about everyone, but I identify with her in many ways. Not that I offend everyone, or at least I hope I don't! Lamott is a foul-mouthed Christian, a pro-choice single mother, and a critical spirit with a large heart. Lamott's writing is a pleasure to read, and her evolution as a person of faith is a fascinating journey. I've already picked up another of her works to read. If foul language puts you off (and it does me, but I can make an exception if it isn't gratuitous or repetitious), be forewarned.
(4/5)
(2/5)
Twilight, New Moon, and Eclipse are a series of young adult books about Bella, a cranky teenage girl, and her encounters with a vampire and a werewolf. As I was reading, I would become frustrated at how dense, selfish, and irritable the main character was--then I would remind myself that she was a teenager, and I well remember my own obtuseness and touchiness! I wasn't as shallow as Bella, and I certainly didn't use my friends the way she does. I constantly wonder why her friends put up with her, and why does everyone fall in love with her? I was moody and self-centered during those years; however, I don't remember being one-dimensional, and, unfortunately, that seems to be as far as developing her characters that Meyer is able to go. I did enjoy Meyer's original quirky ideas of vampires and werewolves, and I would have loved to have read a take that wasn't such a sappy vampire fangirl love story. The fourth book will be out in August, and I will read it, but I hope for the integrity of the story, Meyer wraps it up and finishes the series. Then, perhaps, she can write a story about a heroine I can admire. My review doesn't sound as though I enjoyed the story, but I did--I just kept hoping for more than Meyer would deliver.
(3½/5)
Jim Butcher's Dresden Files series gives me a chance to mingle with characters who have become friends. Butcher indulged his readers perhaps too much by giving us too many of our favorite characters in Small Favor. It's hard to keep that many balls in the air no matter how good at juggling--and quipping--he may be. Still, Harry is back with his friends and family, and that's a fun read even if it can't possibly compare to rampaging through Chicago on Sue the Tyranosaurus Rex. Small Favor isn't the best of Harry Dresden's adventures, but the snark and one-liners are always worth the read.
(4/5)
Tuesdays with Morrie is a true story of a dying professor and the former student who visits him weekly during the last few months of his life. It's a short book, a quick read, and very sweet. I didn't find the wisdom to be profound or something that I dwelt upon long after reading, but I loved to watch the author become more sensitive at each visit. There were some moments in the book that spoke to me: wiping someone's nose and rubbing another's feet show such love and care through human touch.
(4/5)
The Shawl is the story of a Holocaust survivor. Unfortunately, I didn't realize it was fiction until after I purchased it (who knows where or when--it has languished on a shelf forever). There are enough real stories that I don't want to muddy the true with the fiction. That being said, this account is well-written. It's actually two short stories about the same woman. The first story revolves around a young woman enduring the Holocaust; the second story leaps several decades to show us the broken woman. This is the sort of book that English teachers and book clubs enthusiastically embrace for its imagery, foreshadowing, and excellent writing. It's a haunting story that stayed with me for several days. I didn't particularly enjoy it.
(4/5)
Happy, happy, joy, joy! I've found another writer to love in Anne Lamott. She is the sort of person who probably offends just about everyone, but I identify with her in many ways. Not that I offend everyone, or at least I hope I don't! Lamott is a foul-mouthed Christian, a pro-choice single mother, and a critical spirit with a large heart. Lamott's writing is a pleasure to read, and her evolution as a person of faith is a fascinating journey. I've already picked up another of her works to read. If foul language puts you off (and it does me, but I can make an exception if it isn't gratuitous or repetitious), be forewarned.
(4/5)
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Date: 2008-05-19 12:10 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-05-19 06:02 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-05-19 10:16 pm (UTC)I wish they'd gotten it right in the television attempt. I so wanted to see Harry on a weekly basis.
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Date: 2008-05-20 06:00 am (UTC)When I think of how much money the Sci-Fi channel spends on their original movies... who watches Mansquito or Frankenfish? Why couldn't they have put more money into something with potential like Dresden?
After Firefly, Dresden, and now Moonlight all receiving the ax after one short year--even with an enthusiastic fan base--it seems networks either aren't interested in giving a show time to garner an audience or don't care about people of my demographic as viewers.
Jim Butcher has said that he has material for about 20 Dresden Files adventures, so we have books for some time to look forward to!