Without further ado, here is my book list...
(In no particular order)
1. One Plus One by Jojo Moyes
- on the power of being positive "good things happen to good people"
Date Read: October 2014
MY REVIEW:
After reading 'Me Before You', I was dying to get my hands on another novel by Jojo Moyes. And, let me tell you, this novel does not disappoint.
If you take a step back and look at the overall summary of this novel (a wealthy entrepreneur, who has been charged with fraud and takes some time away from work, agrees to help a single mother take her children to Scotland where one of the children will compete for a maths scholarship). Really... how much more boring can driving from one location, to Scotland, and back get? Pretty boring! But not so in this book. The way that Moyes writes keeps you interested in knowing more and more of the plot... and empathizing with the characters. She writes in a way that makes you feel as if they are your friends and these are their letters that they have written you to help explain more of their lives. And with such a simple story, it leaves me craving to know what happened a year after the ending of the book.... five years... ten years. And, that, is a good author.
Another aspect that I really appreciated about htis book was the optimism of the main character. The single mother always quoted, "Good things happen to good people." And while this is essentially saying "KARMA"... the phrase, "good things happen to good people" has stuck with me and motivated me and reminded me to always be on the lookout to not only do good, but be the good that you want to see in other people.
Thank you Moyes for writing and uplifting book that was not only entertaining, but left me thinking about how to constantly be a better person.
- on the power of being positive "good things happen to good people"
Date Read: October 2014
MY REVIEW:
After reading 'Me Before You', I was dying to get my hands on another novel by Jojo Moyes. And, let me tell you, this novel does not disappoint.
If you take a step back and look at the overall summary of this novel (a wealthy entrepreneur, who has been charged with fraud and takes some time away from work, agrees to help a single mother take her children to Scotland where one of the children will compete for a maths scholarship). Really... how much more boring can driving from one location, to Scotland, and back get? Pretty boring! But not so in this book. The way that Moyes writes keeps you interested in knowing more and more of the plot... and empathizing with the characters. She writes in a way that makes you feel as if they are your friends and these are their letters that they have written you to help explain more of their lives. And with such a simple story, it leaves me craving to know what happened a year after the ending of the book.... five years... ten years. And, that, is a good author.
Another aspect that I really appreciated about htis book was the optimism of the main character. The single mother always quoted, "Good things happen to good people." And while this is essentially saying "KARMA"... the phrase, "good things happen to good people" has stuck with me and motivated me and reminded me to always be on the lookout to not only do good, but be the good that you want to see in other people.
Thank you Moyes for writing and uplifting book that was not only entertaining, but left me thinking about how to constantly be a better person.
2. Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua
- on motivation
Date Read: April 2011
MY REVIEW:
After reading this book, I wanted to jump down on the piano and seriously practice for the next 4 hours. It was amazing how this book motivated me to become a better person. And it taught me a valuable lesson, the only way to become any better at what you do is to put in the time and the effort to make it this way.
I heard that this book got a lot of negative reviews, but I really found this author very entertaining and very inspirational. I felt like it gave a lot of great advice on training children to achieve their full potential. I noticed that in the days and weeks that passed after finishing this book, I found myself getting a lot more accomplished and feeling a lot less stress - and it all came from this book. Hard work, no laziness. You create who you want to be (or who you want your children to become) it's all about the way that you present the information and what you do with the information once you get it.
This book was a valuable resource to me and I feel grateful to have read it because I feel like it made me a better person for doing so. Even though I will never play in carnagie hall, or dance on "dancing with the stars" I can still be a great person and achieve remarkable things if I have a goal, and if I set my mind to it.
After reading this book, I wanted to jump down on the piano and seriously practice for the next 4 hours. It was amazing how this book motivated me to become a better person. And it taught me a valuable lesson, the only way to become any better at what you do is to put in the time and the effort to make it this way.
I heard that this book got a lot of negative reviews, but I really found this author very entertaining and very inspirational. I felt like it gave a lot of great advice on training children to achieve their full potential. I noticed that in the days and weeks that passed after finishing this book, I found myself getting a lot more accomplished and feeling a lot less stress - and it all came from this book. Hard work, no laziness. You create who you want to be (or who you want your children to become) it's all about the way that you present the information and what you do with the information once you get it.
This book was a valuable resource to me and I feel grateful to have read it because I feel like it made me a better person for doing so. Even though I will never play in carnagie hall, or dance on "dancing with the stars" I can still be a great person and achieve remarkable things if I have a goal, and if I set my mind to it.
3. Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
- on never giving up hope and other views of WWII
Date Read: August 2012
MY REVIEW:
A+++++
I LOVED this book and would recommend it to ANYONE who is looking for a phenomenal and heart-wrenching, absolutely well-written, captivating historical fiction novel.
This book is from a totally different perspective no WWII and how it affected families in Lithuania being deported into Soviet Union forced labor camps. It follows one particular family's journey throughout the Siberian wilderness and their willpower and struggle to keep together and survive. We always hear the atrocities of the holocaust - but this book brings to light that there were other aspects to WWII - it wasn't JUST the halocaust that was the only awful thing that happened.
I feel at a loss of words to describe how much this book touched my heart and how much it made me feel like I understood the people from Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia better - just from a simple novel. It truly was an amazing, honest book which should be nominated for some sort of award.
4. The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman
- on Masada and understanding different Jewish viewpoints
Date Read: December 2011
MY REVIEW:
I really loved this book. I loved it for so many reasons. Let me see if I can put into words why I enjoyed Alice Hoffman's 'The Dovekeepers' so much.
At first I was reluctant to pick up Alice Hoffman's book because I didn't like 'The Red Garden', but her writing style was completely different in this book than the last one I read. She really brought the characters to life and wrote in such a way that made you actually feel what these women were feeling.
Synopsis: The Dovekeepers follows four different women from four different parts of the greater Jerusalem area who have sought refuge from the Romans and find themselves at Masada, the last Jewish stronghold left. These four women come from very different forms of life and have very different backgrounds - but all four have something in common: they are assigned to be the Dovekeepers.
Through reading their story you come to understand so much more about the world during this time period. If you are a Christian, and believe in the Bible, a new understanding takes place on idol worship and why Christ felt like it was such a problem in this area during these times. You begin to see through their eyes why they didn't recognize Christ as 'the Messiah' and how their own beliefs and practices have led to the destruction of Judea. With this book being a Historical Fiction Novel, I think that Hoffman did a beautiful job of teaching others about Masada (as well as the Essenes, the Dead Sea Scrolls, Jerusalem, etc.) while integrating a story perfectly into the past that makes you feel like you are right atop Masada and can actually feel the tension and worries that these people had while the Romans were attempting to incinerate the remaining Jews once and for all. Alice Hoffman does a superb job in educating about the facts of Masada and helping bring this fortress back to life.
I recommended this book to my mother, and she loved it so much that she finished it in one day. She had a hard time putting it down. I've been to Masada, but my mom hasn't. Yet we both thoroughly enjoyed this book and what it shared with each of us - because we appreciated it for such different reasons.
If you enjoyed this book, I'd love to hear why...
5. Orbiting the Giant Hairball by Gordon MacKenzie
- on business and how to make it work right
Date Read: December 2011
MY REVIEW:
One of the best business books - Ever. Ranked right next to "Who Moved My Cheese." I believe this is a must read for anyone who aspires to be a manager - who is a manager - or even wants to understand the business world better.
- on business and how to make it work right
Date Read: December 2011
MY REVIEW:
One of the best business books - Ever. Ranked right next to "Who Moved My Cheese." I believe this is a must read for anyone who aspires to be a manager - who is a manager - or even wants to understand the business world better.
Orbiting the Giant Hairball is about how messy and politic"y" jobs can be. Especially when it is a huge corporation. This author introduces new ideas for helping corporations succeed, and helping average workers enjoy their jobs so much better. It is well written, with a lot of real-life examples, is such an easy read - and gives great ideas for how to become a better employee, or find a better business to work for if you don't enjoy where you work.
I think that if more people out there were willing to CHANGE that we would see the economy grow and miraculous things happen. But a lot of people drag their feet and (are greedy) and just don't care about the whole, they only care about themselves. Orbiting the Giant Hairball teaches how to "be of the workplace, but not become the workplace". Such an ingenious book and one that I wish I had a copy of, so that every time I got a new job in life, I could re-read and discover my "place OF the workplace" and determine whether this meshes well with me or not.
6. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon
- understanding autism
Date Read: May 2011
MY REVIEW:
I really, really liked this book. I thought that it was really well written from such a different perspective.
I was recommended this book by a friend (Eric Vogler) who told me that the author worked with a lot of autistic children. I found it very interesting to read a book about an autistic child because I felt like this book helped me to not only feel more comfortable around autistic children, but understand them and how to be more patient with their needs. The way that the author explained why the child hated crowds, or hated being touched, or had a bad day because they made up a scenario of 4 red cars vs. 4 yellow cars in a row was fascinating to me. Autistic children have a mind full of brilliance, but sometimes can't express themselves because we are too impatient to figure out what they are trying to teach us. This book did a wonderful job of teaching me.
Not only did the book teach me about autistic children, but I loved how sporadic the chapters were where one chapter was all about Math and the next about some random fact. I feel like I learned a lot of "Non-fiction" within the context of a "fiction" book... because once again - it's all about the way an autistic person thinks.
And since I was a Math major, I also liked the way they integrated Mathematical ideas, and explained them so simply, in this book. A great example of this was the "Let's Make a Deal" example with the car/goat scenario.
Lastly, I loved how this boy reasoned out everything logically. His life made complete sense (in his head) and once we understood his reasoning, we could follow in his steps and see where he was going with his hypothesis, etc.
I loved following this character, I loved the randomness involved in the book, I loved the interesting facts that were integrated within these chapters, and I loved how it was such an easy read.
7. These is my Words by Nancy E. Turner
- understanding pioneers who crossed the plains
Date Read: February 2011
[For some odd reason, I have no review of this book when I read it. Here is a review of how I feel about it today even though I read it years ago.]MY REVIEW:
It's really hard to write a review of a book that you read almost five years ago. I don't remember much about the actual story-line of this book, but I do remember how moved I was by the words written. I felt as if I had a better emotional sense or emotional empathy for pioneers who crossed the plains and settled in the west (as that was the main storyline). The author was very captivating in her writing. In fact, this was the very first book that I have read in which I have cried while reading the book. It touched me in a way no other book had ever done before. The other two books in the series weren't nearly as good, but this is still definitely worth reading.
8. A Million Little Pieces by James Frey
- understanding what it's like to live with an addiction
Disclaimer: ** There is a LOT of swearing in this book. **
Date Read: September 2012
- understanding what it's like to live with an addiction
Disclaimer: ** There is a LOT of swearing in this book. **
Date Read: September 2012
MY REVIEW:
Disclaimer to friends: This book contains swearing... a lot of swearing... almost every other paragraph swearing. But that's not the reason that I liked it. This book is a memoir of a man who went through a 6 week rehab to reclaim his life back from an addiction to alcohol and every type of drug. HIs story is amazing. Not only that he survived to share it, but that he stayed sober after his rehab. I ranked this book as an "A" because it really dives deep into the problems that an addict faces on a minute to minute basis. I have never had alcohol or drugs in my life - but after I read this book I realized how dangerous an addiction could be to them... and how sometimes the addiction can be romanticized through movies (as the author felt they oft times were). LIving inside of an addicts head was incredible because, to me, I realized how much of a struggle this was and remains. In court rooms and in movies these types of people aren't given much sympathy - but - now I feel like I can really understand their hardships and internal conflict and realize how much help (rather than judgement) these addicts need. It opened up my eyes to a new world of something that I will never understand - but feel like I have a better understanding of now - after reading this book.
Disclaimer to friends: This book contains swearing... a lot of swearing... almost every other paragraph swearing. But that's not the reason that I liked it. This book is a memoir of a man who went through a 6 week rehab to reclaim his life back from an addiction to alcohol and every type of drug. HIs story is amazing. Not only that he survived to share it, but that he stayed sober after his rehab. I ranked this book as an "A" because it really dives deep into the problems that an addict faces on a minute to minute basis. I have never had alcohol or drugs in my life - but after I read this book I realized how dangerous an addiction could be to them... and how sometimes the addiction can be romanticized through movies (as the author felt they oft times were). LIving inside of an addicts head was incredible because, to me, I realized how much of a struggle this was and remains. In court rooms and in movies these types of people aren't given much sympathy - but - now I feel like I can really understand their hardships and internal conflict and realize how much help (rather than judgement) these addicts need. It opened up my eyes to a new world of something that I will never understand - but feel like I have a better understanding of now - after reading this book.
9. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
- on patience and a different perspective on WWII
Date Read: January 2011
MY REVIEW:
Well written, good book. Story flowed well and kept your interest. I liked the perspective and the way the story gave a different view on a very popular historical subject. This book showed that no matter where you go in the world, there are good people. Possibly one of the best books I've ever read and a book I would feel confident in recommending to friends.
Well written, good book. Story flowed well and kept your interest. I liked the perspective and the way the story gave a different view on a very popular historical subject. This book showed that no matter where you go in the world, there are good people. Possibly one of the best books I've ever read and a book I would feel confident in recommending to friends.
10. The Rent Collector by Camron Wright
- on never giving up even when living in bad circumstances
Date Read: August 2013, October 2015
- on never giving up even when living in bad circumstances
Date Read: August 2013, October 2015
MY REVIEW:
I loved this book for so many reasons, but mainly because: it was a light, easy read and it had such a wonderful moral (of which I'd like to elaborate further).
The brief synopsis of this book is about a Woman who lives (literally) in a dump. Day in and day out, her and her husband gather and sort old garbage to be sold - and that's how they make their income. Each month, their rent collector comes to collect the rent - and each month they are barely able to make it because their little boy is sick (from living in garbage). One month, unable to pay the rent, the rent collector accepts a book in exchange for rent - something highly unusual of the old hag. Later Sang Ly (the main character) realizes that the rent collector is able to read and asks her to teach her.
As the book evolves and grows you learn so many good lessons. One is the value and importance of education. Being able to read is something that we take for granted, but it's something that other people dream of being able to do sometime before they die.
Another important lesson is the meaning of "literature." I love how the author taught that literature can take on so many meanings and there are hidden agendas (both positive and negative) contained within literature. And how literature can illustrate and teach a story that sticks and impacts individuals, or groups, more than if just solely telling them straight out. By weaving metaphors, and imaginary characters - it makes one feel as if they can relate or have reason to hope for a better future, day, spouse, etc. - and all by reading about it in the form of "literature." I also loved how the author taught how literature can take on so many different forms: novels, poems, sagas, stories, fables, etc. It all is "in the eye of the beholder."
But what I loved very most about this book was the "story" of the rent collector and how she came to be. Sometimes it is so easy in life to judge others based on appearances or their outward expressions - but we don't know their "story" or how they are hurting inside. Once Sang Ly got to really know the rent collector she found love and compassion and admired a woman she used to call a "cow." And the beautiful part about all of it, was that the rent collector felt the exact same way about Sang Ly - but wasn't able to show her until things were almost too late.
This is a beautifully written novel that explores human emotion and the importance of believing in yourself and reaching for the stars and doing whatever it takes to get there. It is a beautiful story about learning to love others that you once hated and wanting to become like them. It is a beautiful story about doing what is right, and not wrong, to make your life more meaningful. It is a beautiful story about how literature can help you achieve all this and make the journey enriching and fulfilling.
I loved this book for so many reasons, but mainly because: it was a light, easy read and it had such a wonderful moral (of which I'd like to elaborate further).
The brief synopsis of this book is about a Woman who lives (literally) in a dump. Day in and day out, her and her husband gather and sort old garbage to be sold - and that's how they make their income. Each month, their rent collector comes to collect the rent - and each month they are barely able to make it because their little boy is sick (from living in garbage). One month, unable to pay the rent, the rent collector accepts a book in exchange for rent - something highly unusual of the old hag. Later Sang Ly (the main character) realizes that the rent collector is able to read and asks her to teach her.
As the book evolves and grows you learn so many good lessons. One is the value and importance of education. Being able to read is something that we take for granted, but it's something that other people dream of being able to do sometime before they die.
Another important lesson is the meaning of "literature." I love how the author taught that literature can take on so many meanings and there are hidden agendas (both positive and negative) contained within literature. And how literature can illustrate and teach a story that sticks and impacts individuals, or groups, more than if just solely telling them straight out. By weaving metaphors, and imaginary characters - it makes one feel as if they can relate or have reason to hope for a better future, day, spouse, etc. - and all by reading about it in the form of "literature." I also loved how the author taught how literature can take on so many different forms: novels, poems, sagas, stories, fables, etc. It all is "in the eye of the beholder."
But what I loved very most about this book was the "story" of the rent collector and how she came to be. Sometimes it is so easy in life to judge others based on appearances or their outward expressions - but we don't know their "story" or how they are hurting inside. Once Sang Ly got to really know the rent collector she found love and compassion and admired a woman she used to call a "cow." And the beautiful part about all of it, was that the rent collector felt the exact same way about Sang Ly - but wasn't able to show her until things were almost too late.
This is a beautifully written novel that explores human emotion and the importance of believing in yourself and reaching for the stars and doing whatever it takes to get there. It is a beautiful story about learning to love others that you once hated and wanting to become like them. It is a beautiful story about doing what is right, and not wrong, to make your life more meaningful. It is a beautiful story about how literature can help you achieve all this and make the journey enriching and fulfilling.
11. The Almond Tree by Michelle Cohen Corasanti
- yearning for others to understand the atrocities against Palestinians and the conflicts still raging in Israel
Date Read: May 2013
MY REVIEW: This book is quite possibly the best book that I have ever read.
This is also the first time I feel compelled to write the author and let her know how impressed I was with her writing, subject matter, and novel of many subjects I am passionate about. Reading this book has truly made an impression on me.
Unfortunately my Internet is down, and writing a review on my smart phone won't do justice. I can't wait to complete my review of this book once the Internet is back up and running.
OK...
There are many reasons why I really enjoyed and loved this book, but the main reason would have to be the subject content that the author wrote about. One of the things I feel very passionately about relates to the Jewish/Palestinian conflict in Israel. After living there for a semester I became more educated about this conflict: not "book" educated, but "street smart" educated. My heart went out to the Palestinians through my own experiences. I met numerous Jews who would talk horribly, spit upon, and poke fun of Palestinians (and I experienced this with my own eyes and ears). This happened in many places throughout Israel: Bethlehem, Old City of Jerusalem, Golan Heights, etc. What I realized there is that the Jews are treating the Palestinians in the exact same way that the Jews were treated in the beginning of WWII and the pre-stages of the Holocaust. While I have been to Auchwitz three separate times, my heart goes out to the atrocities to the victims and families of victims who experienced such hatred during WWII, but it makes me even more sad to realize that some of the same discriminations are happening on Israel's soil. When will we learn from our past mistakes and start building bridges instead of walls?
While I could go on and on about my personal feelings about this Israel/Palestine conflict, I feel is sufficient to say that I also believe the same prejudices are beginning to root in America. Americans have such hatred towards people of the Middle East, and it breaks my heart every time I see a bumper sticker that says, 'Nuke all the Muslims.' This is not the way to solve problems, the way to solve problems is to educate others. I believe that people have such strong hateful feelings because they are fearful and afraid to get to know a religion, culture, people, (etc.) that they know nothing about. On the flip-side, I think that's why Extreme Islamists use terror on US soil: they know nothing about America and feel threatened, fearful, and scared of who we are.
But back on tract - One reason, that I felt more drawn and loved this book 10x more was because I read that the author is Jewish. By her writing this book and taking the side or perspective of a Palestinian, it made me appreciate her even more for taking a stance on such a subject open to criticism from both parties. I loved how she incorporated peace into her book and explained the only way to "build bridges" and "rebuild Israel" is to get to know people and love them for who they are, not the race that they come from. I love how she wrote that education is the key and the more education people receive, the less hatred there is in the world, and the more understanding we achieve.
While on the subject of education, I love that the main character was a Math Prodigy in this book. Math is a subject I revere and love immensely. I feel that it is mistaken and too many people think it's "too hard" and "useless" in our day-to-day lives. I believe that this is a big misnomer and that the more Math people know, the better! (C'mon... we live in a world where people don't understand what 18% interest rate on a credit card means and thinks it basically means "free money" or "buy now, pay later.") While I was reading this book I tried to figure out Math problems as she presented them and without a pen and paper, they were over my head. It moved me to the point where I was motivated to return to school to learn more math!
And lastly, I liked this book because it taught that we are all capable of great achievements, if we can only put our prejudices behind us and move forward with more understanding and forgiveness. I truly feel that this author captured the essence of what it means to "build bridges and not walls." I loved her sayings that the Muslim father gave throughout the book, and I loved most of all his positive attitude throughout the whole book, regardless of the injustices that happened to him. It made me want to be a better person and love those who I felt have wronged me.
While this book may not be the best written book out there, or may not be full of fantasy, love, lust, etc. I feel that it was truly the best book I've read so far because of how I agree with the author on so many of her viewpoints that she tackles and writes about in this book. Bravo Michelle Corasanti and Thank you for such a good read!
12. The Rosie Project by Graeme Simion
- on not judging people
Date Read: April 2014
MY REVIEW:
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. As I kept on reading the book, I kept on thinking how much of a masterpiece this novel was. And I particularly loved the point of view, specifically that we were able to catch a glimpse into the life of how they think, act, and reason on a daily basis. This to me was phenomenal and I just really feel like I can't write more to attribute to that fact.
The basic story line is about a man, Don, (with Asperger's Syndrome - but doesn't realize he has this syndrome) who is on a mission to get married. As a part of this mission he establishes "The Wife Project" in where applicants fill out a 400+ questionnaire about their lifestyles, habits, and personality traits. He weeds through these applicants to find the perfect "wife" for him. But along the way his buddy decides to help him by throwing in random factors (or girls who wouldn't qualify but help Don to eliminate placebo and extraneous factors. One of these "subjects" is Rosie. And after going on a date with her, his whole life is flipped upside down - because he finds his normal routine, time saving factors, and likes/dislikes disrupted - all because of a great date with Rosie. The question is, how far is he willing to go to make things work with Rosie? Or is he determined to find a wife from his questionnaire, one that won't disrupt his daily routine, etc.
This love story was unique, heartwarming, touching, and so complex that it made every moment the closer Don gets to romance, the sweeter it was to read about.
Thank you for a great book Graeme Simsion.
- on not judging people
Date Read: April 2014
MY REVIEW:I thoroughly enjoyed this book. As I kept on reading the book, I kept on thinking how much of a masterpiece this novel was. And I particularly loved the point of view, specifically that we were able to catch a glimpse into the life of how they think, act, and reason on a daily basis. This to me was phenomenal and I just really feel like I can't write more to attribute to that fact.
The basic story line is about a man, Don, (with Asperger's Syndrome - but doesn't realize he has this syndrome) who is on a mission to get married. As a part of this mission he establishes "The Wife Project" in where applicants fill out a 400+ questionnaire about their lifestyles, habits, and personality traits. He weeds through these applicants to find the perfect "wife" for him. But along the way his buddy decides to help him by throwing in random factors (or girls who wouldn't qualify but help Don to eliminate placebo and extraneous factors. One of these "subjects" is Rosie. And after going on a date with her, his whole life is flipped upside down - because he finds his normal routine, time saving factors, and likes/dislikes disrupted - all because of a great date with Rosie. The question is, how far is he willing to go to make things work with Rosie? Or is he determined to find a wife from his questionnaire, one that won't disrupt his daily routine, etc.
This love story was unique, heartwarming, touching, and so complex that it made every moment the closer Don gets to romance, the sweeter it was to read about.
Thank you for a great book Graeme Simsion.
13. State of Wonder by Ann Patchett
- on new discoveries, cures, and possibilities still uncovered in the world
Date Read: October 2011
MY REVIEW:
After reading a lot of 'blah - just okay' books... this book was phenomenal. I have recommended it to just about anyone looking for a "goodread."
I loved the energy of this book, I loved the suspense that this book brough out, I loved the story line, I loved all the twists, I loved the adventure and I loved how much I was really able to imagine what was going on - I felt like I was right there in the Amazon with the characters because the author does such a good job at involving you in the plot and really being so descriptive and emotional.
This book starts out by Marina finding out that a co-worker had died in the amazon while trying to go down and assess the progress of their latest research study. Marina was therefore volunteered to take his place and find out (a) what happened to Anders and (b) find out the progress of the miracle fertility drug that the company was working on down in the depths of the amazon. During Marinas adventure she meets such wonderful characters and learns so much about Brazilians - especially the amazons. This fictitous place was so beautifully explained that it felt like I had visited here and knew just exactly what Marina was experiencing through her ups-and-downs of this adventure. Don't think that this is an "Indiana Jones" type book - because if you do, you will be very wrong. This book leads you a long and you are certain that you know what is going to happen next, but the author keeps changing direction and surprising you with turns that you never saw coming. She completely goes out of the ordinary and keeps you guessing at what the next big climax will be. Ann Patchett keeps you involved until the very end.
- on new discoveries, cures, and possibilities still uncovered in the world
Date Read: October 2011
MY REVIEW: After reading a lot of 'blah - just okay' books... this book was phenomenal. I have recommended it to just about anyone looking for a "goodread."
I loved the energy of this book, I loved the suspense that this book brough out, I loved the story line, I loved all the twists, I loved the adventure and I loved how much I was really able to imagine what was going on - I felt like I was right there in the Amazon with the characters because the author does such a good job at involving you in the plot and really being so descriptive and emotional.
This book starts out by Marina finding out that a co-worker had died in the amazon while trying to go down and assess the progress of their latest research study. Marina was therefore volunteered to take his place and find out (a) what happened to Anders and (b) find out the progress of the miracle fertility drug that the company was working on down in the depths of the amazon. During Marinas adventure she meets such wonderful characters and learns so much about Brazilians - especially the amazons. This fictitous place was so beautifully explained that it felt like I had visited here and knew just exactly what Marina was experiencing through her ups-and-downs of this adventure. Don't think that this is an "Indiana Jones" type book - because if you do, you will be very wrong. This book leads you a long and you are certain that you know what is going to happen next, but the author keeps changing direction and surprising you with turns that you never saw coming. She completely goes out of the ordinary and keeps you guessing at what the next big climax will be. Ann Patchett keeps you involved until the very end.
14. The Selection Series by Kiera Cass
Date Read:
~The Selection [Book 1]: October 2012
~The Elite [Book 2]: April 2014
~The One [Book 3]: May 2014
~The Heir [Book 4]: July 2015
~The Queen [Novella 0.4]: September 2015
~The Prince [Novella 0.5]: June 2014
~The Guard [Novella 2.5]: July 2015
~The Favorite [Novella 2.6]: TBD
- a cute, clean, fast/read series giving every girl the hope of becoming a princess
Date Read: ~The Selection [Book 1]: October 2012
~The Elite [Book 2]: April 2014
~The One [Book 3]: May 2014
~The Heir [Book 4]: July 2015
~The Queen [Novella 0.4]: September 2015
~The Prince [Novella 0.5]: June 2014
~The Guard [Novella 2.5]: July 2015
~The Favorite [Novella 2.6]: TBD
MY REVIEW:
There are too many books in this series for me to talk about each one. Trust me when I say that it's a good series.
15. Never Let Me Go by Kazoo Ishiguro
- on the importance and value of life
Date Read: March 2011
[For some odd reason, I have no review of this book when I read it. Here is a review of how I feel about it today even though I read it years ago.]
There are too many books in this series for me to talk about each one. Trust me when I say that it's a good series.
15. Never Let Me Go by Kazoo Ishiguro
- on the importance and value of life
Date Read: March 2011
[For some odd reason, I have no review of this book when I read it. Here is a review of how I feel about it today even though I read it years ago.]MY REVIEW:
I went into reading this book with no expectations. I had no idea what this book was about, nor the message that it was trying to convey. This being said, I think that because I had an open-mindedness towards this book that I appreciated the ideas behind the novel.
A brief synopsis of this book: Children are raised in an exclusive society and as they grow up they find out what makes them so special and how their life has been shaped so differently than other children.
This book rocked me to the core and made me really value life and not take our health for granted. It also made me appreciate science and the lengths we go to in order to advance science and advance medicine. But do we go too far sometimes? And what is "defined" as too far?
16. What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty
- would I be happy with my life?
Date Read: May 2015
MY REVIEW:
I just finished this book and couldn't wait to write a review! I think that this book will end up on my list of "Most influential books I've ever read" list. At first my "list" contained 10 books, then upped to 15... and now this book must be slotted into a spot... So I suppose that now I have a "16 most influential books" list to share with others.
- would I be happy with my life?
Date Read: May 2015
MY REVIEW:
I just finished this book and couldn't wait to write a review! I think that this book will end up on my list of "Most influential books I've ever read" list. At first my "list" contained 10 books, then upped to 15... and now this book must be slotted into a spot... So I suppose that now I have a "16 most influential books" list to share with others.
That being said...
I loved this book. I couldn't put it down. It was one of those books where two minutes brushing my teeth, one minute using the restroom, three minutes waiting in line at the grocery store - my kindle was in my hand and I was trying to read another page to find out more about Alice's story. Briefly, Alice, a 39 year old busy-body mother of three has an accident and loses her memory and thinks that she is 29. She has no recollection of the last ten years of her life. She's forgotten her children, she's forgotten her separation with her husband, and she's forgotten every significant or remarkable event that "created" or "shaped" her 39 year old personality. When she starts to recollect snippets of her past, she doesn't necessarily like who she has become. But when she regains all her memories - will she go back to 29 year old Alice? Or will she remain the person that she doesn't like as a 39 year old?
And the main reason I fell in love with this page-turner is because it had me reflecting on my own life. I often wondered... if I lost ten years memory of my life, would I like who I have become? Or would I hate the person I've turned out to be? Are there things that 21 year old Katie had on her to-do list but hasn't accomplished yet? What used to be a a priority of mine that no longer matters? What have I accomplished that I never thought I would? And of all these things, I keep on reflecting on my marriage as Alice reflected on her failed marriage. I keep thinking: what can I change about myself now to help me see my husband as I did when I first married him? How can I cultivate and take care of my marriage now so that it doesn't end up a failure like Alice's marriage? If I were to look at myself when I started dating my husband, would I like who I have become and how I treat him? What can I change? What can I work on? And all these questions really hit home. They have sunk deep into my heart and soul and I feel like reading this book has aroused a great need of reflection and pondering on who I have become and who I can become. And I love books that help me dig deep and figure out who i really am and give me the strength to change and become better - even if only by taking one step at a time! Thank you Liane Moriarty for a wonderful read. I can't wait until this becomes a movie and see how the film is portrayed.
This is a definite good recommendation for book clubs, friends, and family because we could all use the extra little nudge at getting rid of sloppy habits and creating better, kinder ones as we continue to grow older.
On a side note: I didn't, so much, appreciate the other two characters and their "letters" I really wished that the book would have mostly been from Alice's point of view.
17. The Martian by Andy Weir
- because the science is just so cool in this book!
Disclaimer: ** There is a lot of swearing in this book. **
Date Read: March 2015
MY REVIEW:
Oh. My. Gosh. This book just blew my mind. In fact, this book makes me want to go back to school and become a scientist so I can understand, comprehend, and work along all the scientific information presented in this book.
The brief synopsis of this book follows a Mars crew member, Mark Watney, who mistakenly gets left behind on Mars in an emergency abort from the planet. The focus of the book is on Mark's struggle to survive and the obstacles that arise in staying alive on a planet which does not support human life.
Not only was this book a page turner, but it was very well written. A lot of profanity occurs in this book, but in defense, I think it builds the main characters personality and (c'mon) who wouldn't swear if they were scared shitless about surviving on a planet, with no immediate rescue in sight? I appreciated the "journal entry" type narrative in the beginning and then the switch to the back and forth narrative, with NASA back on earth and Watney up on Mars, to relay to the reader as much information as conveniently and easily as possible. I'm impressed with how the author kept my attention completely engrossed in what was happening, even though I was mainly reading about one character and a lot of dense and intensely written scientific solutions for overcoming various life-threatening events. The constant twists and turns and challenges that Mark has to overcome in this book drew me in and made me secretly "rooting" for him that he would survive and be rescued... Even though he was a fictional character.
I'm extremely curious to know if the science behind this book is sound or totally bogus. And I'm curious to know whether or not this book will ever become a Hollywood movie. It would be a shame if this wasn't capitalized on, because with one character seen in probably 80% of the movie, it would sure cut down on costs.
18. Before I Go To Sleep by S.J. Watson
- this is the ONLY book where I have wanted to jump to the last five pages to know what happened at the end because the suspense was killing me
Date Read: November 2011
MY REVIEW:
SUCH A GOOD BOOK! I loved how this book was impossible to put down. It was a fast read and a definite page turner. It wasn't scary, but it kept you in such high suspense that it was so hard to not want to know what would happen next. I love how the whole book was a twist. Every 'chapter' or Journal entry of this woman's life took such a different turn and gave you just enough clues to wonder what was going to happen next. Part III of the book was phenomenal and it was the best blind-side of the year. (It beats any survivor Blind-side by far). I would rank this book as an A+ (on a grading scale). It blew me away and I want to sit down and re-read the whole book to see what it is that I missed and see if I can pick up on other clues throughout the plot.
No real spoilers here, but here is a brief synopsis of the book:
- A woman (Christine) wakes up one day to find out that she does not know who she is, nor does she know who she wakes up next to. She was involved in a terrible accident and lost her memory. After secretly meeting with a Doctor he encourages her to write down what she remembers each day in a Journal so that she can re-read her history and what she has missed out on for the last 10 year of her life. As she keeps this journal and rediscovers who she is each day she is surprised to find out that her past isn't what others tell her it is and that she is remembering more than what others will truly share with her about what really happened.
This book was such a unique and clever idea. I loved the writing style and how the author drew you into this characters life. You felt like you knew exactly what she was going through without ever experiencing memory loss yourself. Such a skilled writer and such a phenomenal book. I can't wait for my friends to read this book and tell me what they think about it! I hope that you enjoy it as much as I did!
19. The Book of Mormon
I met a man named Richard Schittler who was 69 years old. He had questions about life no one was ever able to answer and was curious if this book had the answers he was looking for. After giving him a copy of this book he told me that questions he had been asking his minister for 40 years were answered the first time he read this book.
This book tells us about Christ's visit to the American Continent. After he was resurrected, he came and visited his "lost sheep which are not of this fold" here in America and this is their record.
This book, by no means, does not diminish from the Holy Bible, yet adds so much clarification, truth, enlightenment and understanding to it. I love this book and every time I read it, I learn something new. The Book of Mormon feeds me spiritually and gives me what I need to keep my life in balance and order. It changes lives, and will change yours too, if you read it with an open mind, open heart and look for the answers you seek.
20. UNDECIDED
- But I think I would choose either: Freakonomics or Me Before You because of how things are viewed so differently and sometimes we just don’t know the importance or significance behind the changes which occur in life
