tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78064237173825023452024-03-13T15:54:33.402-04:00shelf notesDear Reader...ariannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08897265001298963078noreply@blogger.comBlogger415125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7806423717382502345.post-42288532815248883462018-09-04T11:25:00.002-04:002018-09-04T11:25:21.155-04:00Ready Player One<style>
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<td bgcolor="#E47AE5" id="posttable" width="50%"><span style="font-family: "im fell dw pica" , serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 1em;"><b><i><span style="font-family: "im fell dw pica" , serif;">Ready Player One</span></i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "im fell dw pica" , serif; font-size: 24px;"><span style="font-family: "im fell dw pica" , serif;">By Ernest Cline</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "im fell dw pica" , serif; font-size: 18px;">Rating</span></td>
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Published [2011]</center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16px;"><i><b>First Sentence</b><br />"<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Everyon<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">e m<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">y age re<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">members where they were and what they were doing when they fir<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">st heard about the contest</span></span></span></span></span></i></span><i>."</i>
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<td bgcolor="#FFFF33" id="posttable" width="50%"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 0em;"><b>Publisher's Description:</b></span><br />
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In the year 2044, reality is an ugly place. The only time teenage Wade
Watts really feels alive is when he's jacked into the virtual utopia
known as the OASIS. Wade's devoted his life to studying the puzzles
hidden within this world's digital confines—puzzles that are based on
their creator's obsession with the pop culture of decades past and that
promise massive power and fortune to whoever can unlock them.<br />
But
when Wade stumbles upon the first clue, he finds himself beset by
players willing to kill to take this ultimate prize. The race is on, and
if Wade's going to survive, he'll have to win—and confront the real
world he's always been so desperate to escape.</td>
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Dear Reader,<br />
<br />
This book is one of my top ten favorites. I listened to it on Audible. It was narrated by Will Wheaton who played Wesley Crusher on the 1980s-90s Star Trek: The Next Generation. This book is a geek-fest for anyone who relished and rolled around in their youthful obsessions. Most interestingly the plot surrounds the history of video gaming. It also takes place in a future dystopian version of the world. I like that Cline make the destruction of the eco-system as the reason why the world is so messed up. Plausible and important to continue to bring the fore-front of readers minds'. I also love that he has virtual reality as the world in which everyone chooses to live their life. With the way that our current world is so engrossed in our technology it makes evolutionary sense that we will end up inside the technology. Those who have ended up on the outskirts of the cool crowd and who played (or still play D&D) and embraced their nerdiness, can completely relate to the main character, Wade Watts/Parzival. I learned so much about how video games evolved since Cline used-semi-historical fiction to build the world of Ready Player One. I also enjoyed the love story between Parzival and Art3mis. Teenage love with the high stakes of the contest. Art3mis is also an equal on this playing field with her knowledge and dedication to what may seem nerdy, I can relate and admire that with my own store of Star Trek, World of Warcraft and Buffy knowledge. I appreciated that the author had the protagonist, Wade utilize his new found money from sponsorship move into the city and set up his studio apartment with security and tech to allow him to maintain his quest. I like that they have a system in which a pizza can be delivered to you through a door slot without ever having to have human contact (if so desired.) Without going into to spoilers, because the movie version is quite different than the book version, I like the undercover lengths that Wade undergoes to achieve his goals and eventually win the contest.<br />
<b>Commentary on Movie vs Book</b>. I enjoyed watching the movie in the theater. The trailers had really painted an amazing job on the amount of pop-culture references and Easter eggs and music choices to represent the world of James Halliday. I was disappointed in something such as how quickly Wade and Art3mis meet IRL in the movie since that was really the last 10 pages of the book. Shoto and Daito - uhhh he's not 11 year old kid, why do they speak English so fluently and the consequences are a little more depressing that what happened in the movie. Odgen Morrow's role in helping the kids towards the end of the movie was much more believable than what they had his character do in the movie. Overall I liked the book more than the movie- but isn't that usually the case?<br />
Yours, <br />
Marsha</td>
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Endeavorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17556581535629422689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7806423717382502345.post-27908920146401132162017-10-20T21:39:00.000-04:002017-10-20T21:39:00.594-04:00Song of Edmon by Adam Burch<style>
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<td bgcolor="#E47AE5" id="posttable" width="50%"><span style="font-family: "im fell dw pica" , serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 1em;"><b><i>Song of Edmon</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "im fell dw pica" , serif; font-size: 24px;">Adam Burch</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "im fell dw pica" , serif; font-size: 18px;">2 of 5 stars</span></td>
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Published 2017</center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16px;"><em><b>First Sentence</b><br />"My father strides into the island manse the day I am born."</em></span>
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<td bgcolor="#FFFF33" id="posttable" width="50%"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 0em;"><b>Publisher's Description:</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">The isolated planet of Tao is a house divided: the peaceful Daysiders live in harmony while the pale Nightsiders pursue power and racial purity through the violent ritual of the Combat.</span><br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-top: -4px; padding: 0px;">
Edmon Leontes, the gentle son of a ruthless warrior noble and a proud Daysider, embodies Tao's split nature. The product of diametrically opposed races, Edmon hopes to live a quiet life pursuing the music of his mother's people, but his Nightsider father cruelly forces him to continue in his bloody footsteps to ensure his legacy.</div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Edmon's defiance will cost him everything...and spark a revolution that will shake the foundations of Tao. His choice - to embrace the light or surrender to the darkness - will shape his own fate and that of his divided world.</span>.</span></td>
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Dear Reader,<br />
<br />
I struggled through this book. It was <b><i>almost</i></b> badly written enough for me to give up on it. The saving grace was the world that the author created. I happen to be fond of dystopian settings, and so I hung in there. Burch, in his literary debut creates a post apocalyptic version of earth that now has a permanent night-side and a days-side. Night siders are all blond and fair-skinned and day-siders have black hair and bronzed skin. This earth-like planet also near a rift in space that allows interstellar travel called "The Fracture." There's advanced technology ( aquagraphic tv screens, sonic-flying-blimps called "Sondi") and magical creatures like leviathans and sirens. The writing is something I'd expect of an advanced high-schooler. The titular main character, Edmon, is cheesy and dramatic and changes what he's about and how determined he is throughout the plot. Quotes like, " I'm a shadow of the boy I used to be." and a non-ending finale to this book is described vaguely. There's a lot of strife in this main character's life and it's all beyond the readers limits of believable which leads me to roll my eyes at the next awful thing that happens to Edmon (oh no his mom is beaten publicly! oh no! Edmon gets taken to an awful-fight-club-boys-school! oh no Edmon is now sentenced to life in a Rura-Penthe-esque prison with prison-sex! etc I don't want to be too spoiler-y but things keep getting worse for him.) The character development just doesn't happen. The characters are very one dimensional or they suddenly change to be something that isn't realistic to any humanoid personality. The motivations of one of the main villains's Edmon's father, Edric, never really make sense or stay the same throughout the book. It made me angry but I kept angrily reading to see how silly the resolution of the plot would be. Two stars is the lowest rating I can give to a book I actually made it all the way through. I give the author credit for the time and work he put into it; but it's really not worth reading. This is book one of a series. I won't be reading any more of this awkward narrative.<br />
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Yours, <br />
Marsha</td>
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Endeavorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17556581535629422689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7806423717382502345.post-28372358598932034002017-03-07T18:06:00.000-05:002017-03-07T18:06:16.084-05:00Tuesday Check-In<style>
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Dear Reader,<br />
<br />
Hope you had a good reading week!<br />
<br />
<b>FINISHED:</b><br />
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<td><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12609433-the-power-of-habit"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii4vunL9Ssdr6M8pyWM4AwsTFRyq0hz5pgQdF1dyfhMhlgCHp55Q-a5j_hJeU7_Dq55qYA8aKvONNU5gObyShEcQZ-37XE30q9q-aNI2VXz18ZquBo_bHSLH6LxYECJPNZLYkF1dG5O3zo/s200/The+Power+of+Habit.jpg" width="132" /></a></td>
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I enjoyed listening to <i>The Power of Habit</i>, and I figure I picked up a few interesting and useful tips, so I'd give this a 3.5/5. The best part of the book was listening to all the anecdotes - those are always what I like best, rather than the lessons learned. It's why I also enjoy fiction as much as I do - what's important to me is trying to understand how the human psyche works. And it's never the same! So I am continually fascinated.<br />
<br />
In any case, definitely a fun one to pick up. Not very heavy-handed with the "business advice", either, so don't let that part of the title scare you away.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>CURRENTLY READING:</b><br />
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<td><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/119322.The_Golden_Compass"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE5xS8bYmOisy0TLAMGDvnlS5ruDY_0Vhn60Mi2smm_mzfF5Mj6P4CwNiy42DbGEnqyykGxc3O7-VlZrWf1RPruiQtWNN5tGXXnflen-z3xJg88yGJG6jBTLmh7Kk4YzhswjvzhY_QPuYA/s200/The+Golden+Compass.jpg" width="133" /></a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/151.Anna_Karenina"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje8WSmsVFLd838ztLGKwhBtAB-p9J309dGnx1HzNJJNLqQ7qh-2l5cDUgbWpBohvJjfVu2UAwHEp2qi1WJYkzaGw7921bGP9J5ojBe8DsYBX6Kobo4Kl4mWhZAujNRPWcFc-a0j3elpZlk/s200/Anna+Karenina.jpg" width="133" /></a><span id="goog_729581919"></span><span id="goog_729581920"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39020.1491"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv_jHKmTCJLj7jxRWBS6PmXH7EqQz7ZNCTfMyTjfHOslQsHgfqnLij6MGdTzxKtJ8nitpvDXhYSZOLHYPAIFyYG2c0ZNrj-bstAlVtglTHxFKTfdGKTu8qvaW_X3bmSrKAa_vPTEhrEnej/s200/1491.jpg" width="135" /></a></td>
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<td><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29780253-born-a-crime"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgySL7NSCUshg46mPFQH5Rs4B7CSowk-HCzIox-iZriCGx1cKRxYWcBCm_80xpvW9uQgvxSSXTPK8uBAvgqZifwXZUxXuO6PUKMtISc8S4snYcb-GTrPk_ITY3EUKXfpDRX3p8kJ6s8yW4R/s200/Born+A+Crime.jpg" width="131" /></a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30821598-my-not-so-perfect-life"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6SB1TcZ9dUaqYPVWlAlOVGVrNjC_H_2lZsLui0RHjlOzx1SRFEjz97mAdbzitbVVxYn6rT0ut0SHWlikaAGA6yIgrazOSWdMTxhxV3NvtbKBmeGZUm0MvJAJYwm0noAkN-kotA9i32kuw/s200/My+Not-So+Perfect+Life.jpg" width="132" /></a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25893709-my-name-is-lucy-barton"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKRoVr6Z5-Cw6cqvUg6BtPv9tQjgHfMrt1S4ElDFUm79q2xUBkRcxkN8k7R0_B0qOZr0R1F5umlajJY1qrkJ2JpRaiuc-KtREwYVT6tD1Bbrd7ocxe2wn_jT8pm8HNjWZKSBGQk_Kq1IU0/s1600/My+Name+is+Lucy+Barton.jpg" width="132" /></a></td>
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<br />
Trevor Noah's book is still incredibly enjoyable - now to add to the unforgettable pooping story is the one about Hitler! Oh my gosh, I was laughing so much while listening to this - I am certain people think I'm insane, because they can't see my earbud when I'm listening. And I don't want to give anything away, so all I can say is just: Do yourself a favor and read it! - What I love most about it, and what is making it a 5-star book for me, is that Noah not only masterfully relates his formative years, he also delves quite deeply into many social issues with - unsurprisingly - quite a bit of depth and perspective. For every memorable story, he also has some great insight into the way things work - in South Africa, in America, and in the world.<br />
<br />
I've begun <i>My Name is Lucy Barton</i>, and so far (maybe an hour in?) it's...slow, but kind of poetically bucolic (although not everything in the town where Lucy grew up was sunshine & roses, of course). I am enjoying listening to the narration of this woman's life in bits & pieces. I have no idea where the story is going at this point, but...it's not unenjoyable to listen to, nonetheless.<br />
<br />
The other books are slow but steady progress...I kind of pick up each in turn. I'm about halfway through the Tolstoy, and I can't believe it! It's hefty but so engaging. And I'm still not totally into <i>The Golden Compass</i>, although it's a good adventure read.<br />
<br />
So...I'll just keep chugging along! (I've been immersed in trains recently, as that's the current theme of my daughter's Kindermusik classes - hence the above turn of phrase.) See you next week!<br />
<br />
Yours, <br />
Arianna
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ariannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08897265001298963078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7806423717382502345.post-22671314901494683642017-03-02T08:00:00.000-05:002017-03-02T08:00:02.352-05:00TOB 2017 - Thoughts, Progress & Updates 2<style>
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<td bgcolor="#E47AE5" id="posttable" width="50%"><span style="font-family: "im fell dw pica" , serif; font-size: 30px; line-height: 1em;"><b><i>Tournament of Books 2017</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "im fell dw pica" , serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 1em;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span> <span style="font-family: "im fell dw pica" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 24px; line-height: 24px;"><b><i>Thoughts - Progress - Updates 2</i></b></span></span><br />
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Hello again! So glad you came back. Last time I gave you a little update on why I've been away for some time and now I'll divulge on that a little further. I had so many changes this past year: job, relationship, moving. I am now happily living in Newington, have a new boyfriend (who gets me surprisingly well) and might even have an opportunity to snag a part-time book related job (something I've been trying to do for a very long time).<br />
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Back to the books. As I mentioned last time, I've been slacking in the reading department (due to all the distraction). I gave <a href="http://www.shelfnotes.com/2017/02/tob-2017-thoughts-progress-updates.html" target="_blank">some thoughts</a> on a few of the ToB books that I enjoyed so far. I wish I could say I've kept the momentum up, but I haven't. I think this might be due to the fact that the last few books have been letting me down, sadly.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQqSmvyuUiFmU4XqXtfEmruMzvshzZLL35EeVXGCI-r3vGp1wJBTIGR2UNK0w4e2QxSrU4NBSQnx-2UEBeUbFtoqxl7OVeVpQNia5DMtORyD1RwqRmM70yaFYEuuYCGoWUxtZGGh4okrg3/s1600/griefisathing25334576.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQqSmvyuUiFmU4XqXtfEmruMzvshzZLL35EeVXGCI-r3vGp1wJBTIGR2UNK0w4e2QxSrU4NBSQnx-2UEBeUbFtoqxl7OVeVpQNia5DMtORyD1RwqRmM70yaFYEuuYCGoWUxtZGGh4okrg3/s320/griefisathing25334576.jpg" width="207" /></a>First up? I tackled "Grief Is the Thing with Feathers" by Max Porter, which is a very short book and I read it all in one sitting. This was DEFINITELY not my kind of book. Not only did it remind me of "Department of Speculation", which is another book that didn't "do it" for me... but I am not a poetry/prose gal. I'm struggling to rate this book. It's not poorly written... in fact, it's beautiful in many ways... it's just not for me. I have never been a poetry person and this is pretty much that. I could definitely see someone giving this 5 stars and loving everything about it... and my rating (2-Stars) reflects exactly why books are so subjective. I'm glad that the TOB brought this to my hands because I think it's important to keep trying things outside of the box... tastes do change over time. Who knows, maybe later down the road poetry will start to "click".<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhblTmsih9c76Y-rQhafyjWVtmk0tYvzD77iLp8qsOuK72lDG6OGDK-RyQS7or9iNeV6LMBd_Q_NFwADXnTWfdE0EgSdc6XMYhGU0mb3S0opuNsichxTGR21QXYLx0W6UlJX3fP-UaiAKMC/s1600/allthebirds25372801.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhblTmsih9c76Y-rQhafyjWVtmk0tYvzD77iLp8qsOuK72lDG6OGDK-RyQS7or9iNeV6LMBd_Q_NFwADXnTWfdE0EgSdc6XMYhGU0mb3S0opuNsichxTGR21QXYLx0W6UlJX3fP-UaiAKMC/s320/allthebirds25372801.jpg" width="210" /></a>I've also picked up "All the Birds in the Sky" by Charlie Jane Anders and this was a book that I should have LOVED. Filled with magic, a little science fiction, child narrative mixed with coming of age... how did I not like this? I didn't. Ugh, very frustrating. Part of me thinks it's because I wasn't in the mood or something... but that's not it. Talking it over with a few readers in the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/group/invite/3183-tournament-of-books?invite_key=dec0a7d24f0c1fe906bf75ff5cb2084e5b6580f9&utm_medium=email&utm_source=copypastegroup" target="_blank">ToB Goodreads Group</a> (check it out and join if you haven't already), a few mentioned something about the similarities with this and "The Magicians" by Lev Grossman. After that was brought up... things clicked... Yes, that's it! That's the frustration I was having. It just so happens that I read "The Magicians" very recently with a group of my friends (Arianna, Marsha and Jess). We not only read it but hashed it out. I don't think ANY magical school "potteresque" book would have a chance with me after such a recent breakdown of "The Magicians".<span style="background-color: transparent;"> </span><br />
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So after reading two books that didn't do it for me, I am finishing up "Sweet Lamb of Heaven" by Lydia Millet (another "okay" book) and I've started listening to "My Name is Lucy Barton" by Elizabeth Strout (which so far has been pretty darn good). I'm hoping things look up for me (in the reading department). Next up on my list will be "Version Control" by Dexter Palmer, which should be another book that has all the bits I love and crave (science-fiction, current events, technology, physics, scientific philosophy). Hopefully this one will be that itch I've needed scratching.<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent;">Have you read any of the books yet? Any you'd recommend for me to pick next? Which book do you think will take the win? So far, I have no clear book to cheer for... this is the first tournament that it's happened this way. I can only cross my fingers and hope I find that gem before the tournament starts! </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent;">Happy Reading,</span></div>
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AmberBug</div>
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AmberBughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16142607754098201494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7806423717382502345.post-68432979552516559752017-02-28T20:32:00.000-05:002017-02-28T20:35:15.794-05:00Tuesday Check-In<style>
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Dear Reader,<br />
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I managed to finish two whole books last Thursday, what a red-letter day! Both about 3 stars for me, I think.<br />
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<b>FINISHED:</b><br />
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<td><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17333223-the-goldfinch"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHrFTcRVFb1082BaMz5yNL7a4gFH25DAksVVUFdK7eDFuKXYhDy4Mc0szlMHI2rRmy7dwn-Zu6TIE8l4D8rRWcexL9-8Qg96RiFls5KnvQANq9IOs-6PkJYHS7-zFsRV5vtHRAwddkhgRW/s200/The+Goldfinch.jpg" width="129" /></a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18764826-the-house-we-grew-up-in"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKYkAfOWpIA4OWLSVZMpevmwqVT14meapfdFu8x9u7mOZnoD96cZCisH1-3dJIDxoSOb-dEY8gVpcJTbP1dhk910jDKTUXSlLXr5MctTDb8GkMU1zYNnftllxaLfXzkDYD_Zs083YEjWfs/s200/The+House+We+Grew+Up+In.jpg" width="131" /></a></td>
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<i>The Goldfinch</i> turned out, ultimately, to be severely disappointing. It started off amazingly, and I couldn't put it down. What promise! What great characters! (Loved Boris!) But...it lost me about midway through, and then I just couldn't wait to be done with the thing. Too much pointless introspection at the end, which I kind of just half-listened to. For some reason, I just couldn't seem to muster up any interest in Theo's life when he was in his thirties. Blah. It's too bad, because Tartt really is a great writer, but her stories always seem to fall flat for me. I think it's going to take a lot to convince me to read another from her.<br />
<br />
<i>The House We Grew Up In</i> was a nice little diversion; more of a light read about a dysfunctional family, stories of which always intrigue me. This book outlined a bunch of memorable characters that made up this family which really fell apart one awful day in the early 2000s, and it took them decades to find their way back to each other, to forgive, to understand, to accept each other again. It was a good diversion read when I couldn't get into my heavier books (read: when I was nursing my daughter at 5 in the morning!).<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>CURRENTLY READING:</b><br />
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<td><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/119322.The_Golden_Compass"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE5xS8bYmOisy0TLAMGDvnlS5ruDY_0Vhn60Mi2smm_mzfF5Mj6P4CwNiy42DbGEnqyykGxc3O7-VlZrWf1RPruiQtWNN5tGXXnflen-z3xJg88yGJG6jBTLmh7Kk4YzhswjvzhY_QPuYA/s200/The+Golden+Compass.jpg" width="133" /></a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/151.Anna_Karenina"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje8WSmsVFLd838ztLGKwhBtAB-p9J309dGnx1HzNJJNLqQ7qh-2l5cDUgbWpBohvJjfVu2UAwHEp2qi1WJYkzaGw7921bGP9J5ojBe8DsYBX6Kobo4Kl4mWhZAujNRPWcFc-a0j3elpZlk/s200/Anna+Karenina.jpg" width="133" /></a><span id="goog_729581919"></span><span id="goog_729581920"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12609433-the-power-of-habit"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii4vunL9Ssdr6M8pyWM4AwsTFRyq0hz5pgQdF1dyfhMhlgCHp55Q-a5j_hJeU7_Dq55qYA8aKvONNU5gObyShEcQZ-37XE30q9q-aNI2VXz18ZquBo_bHSLH6LxYECJPNZLYkF1dG5O3zo/s200/The+Power+of+Habit.jpg" width="132" /></a></td>
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<td><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39020.1491"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv_jHKmTCJLj7jxRWBS6PmXH7EqQz7ZNCTfMyTjfHOslQsHgfqnLij6MGdTzxKtJ8nitpvDXhYSZOLHYPAIFyYG2c0ZNrj-bstAlVtglTHxFKTfdGKTu8qvaW_X3bmSrKAa_vPTEhrEnej/s200/1491.jpg" width="135" /></a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29780253-born-a-crime"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgySL7NSCUshg46mPFQH5Rs4B7CSowk-HCzIox-iZriCGx1cKRxYWcBCm_80xpvW9uQgvxSSXTPK8uBAvgqZifwXZUxXuO6PUKMtISc8S4snYcb-GTrPk_ITY3EUKXfpDRX3p8kJ6s8yW4R/s200/Born+A+Crime.jpg" width="131" /></a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30821598-my-not-so-perfect-life"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6SB1TcZ9dUaqYPVWlAlOVGVrNjC_H_2lZsLui0RHjlOzx1SRFEjz97mAdbzitbVVxYn6rT0ut0SHWlikaAGA6yIgrazOSWdMTxhxV3NvtbKBmeGZUm0MvJAJYwm0noAkN-kotA9i32kuw/s200/My+Not-So+Perfect+Life.jpg" width="132" /></a></td>
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So I've since begun two new books to replace those above. The first is Trevor Noah's autobiography, <i>Born a Crime, </i>which I freaking LOVE. I knew it got good ratings, but I still wasn't sure I was going to like it as much as I do! Oh, my goodness. You'll be sold once you get to the pooping part, hah! Having him narrate his own story is really enjoyable to listen to. And he's just got just a great storyteller's personality. I would recommend this to anyone & everyone.<br />
<br />
And the other is <i>My Not So Perfect Life</i>, which I received a ARC of free in the mail - it's my replacement "light read." I haven't read Sophie Kinsella before, but she's typically "chick lit", right? Well, I could use a good, fun, girly read - and I like that this one points out that the grass isn't always greener. It came out in early February, so <i>of course</i> I'm already too late for a preview review, but...ah, c'est la vie. I have <i>barely</i> cracked the cover on this one, though, so I'll let you know whether I will stick with it.<br />
<br />
I'm almost done with <i>The Power of Habit</i>, which has been really very enjoyable. I'm still upset, though, by the story about the woman who gambled away everything she had just because she was - <i>Oh, poor me!</i> - a bored housewife. I get that she had a problem that she couldn't control once she was in really deep, but...why did she have to go to the casino in the first place?! What I wouldn't give to have some down time to get chores done, much less more time to pursue all of my interests! She could have taken a class, joined the PTA, started going to the gym, read a freaking book! Man, her story infuriated me. Which, I know was the point - the author draws an interesting parallel between her story and that of a man who murdered his wife while sleepwalking (the horror!). But, still. I found myself yelling at my audiobook in the car all too often while the narrator was relaying her story.<br />
<br />
<b>ON DECK:</b><br />
I'm trying to read more for Black History month. I know it technically ends today, but I feel I didn't get to read enough for it, so I'm going to personally continue it for a while longer. Any must-read suggestions??<br />
<br />
Also, I've got to read <i>My Name is Lucy Barton</i> for my book club - I really haven't been keeping up with my book club, and I miss it! That's queued up to follow <i>The Power of Habit</i>.<br />
<br />
Well, I'm off to go pick up <i>1491 </i>for a bit. Happy reading!<br />
<br />
Yours, <br />
Arianna
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ariannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08897265001298963078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7806423717382502345.post-19025237429602927682017-02-23T08:00:00.000-05:002017-02-23T08:00:01.375-05:00TOB 2017 - Thoughts, Progress & Updates<style>
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<td bgcolor="#E47AE5" id="posttable" width="50%"><span style="font-family: "im fell dw pica" , serif; font-size: 30px; line-height: 1em;"><b><i>Tournament of Books 2017</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "im fell dw pica" , serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 1em;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span> <span style="font-family: "im fell dw pica" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 24px; line-height: 24px;"><b><i>Thoughts - Progress - Updates</i></b></span></span><br />
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Hello everyone!! I've missed you. I think Arianna has mentioned our hiatus and I think this was a much-needed break for both of us. It's kinda funny that we both had so much going on at the same time but you can never predict where life takes you.<br />
<br />
So... I'm not going to lie... I've been pretty bad about reading as well as blogging during this time away. My reading lately has been all for the Tournament of Books. Yep, it's that time of year again and I'm SO behind. Normally, when the shortlist comes out I've read at least a few of the books on that list. This year? Only ONE. Ugh....<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAp9YhXzgtEicGbRTRqpuzjt0TfWktap8OphhnXufts94U-YPU_oqCVZtvUezalqgELqyRBoMZQLx2eYAR6uxQ05smXPKmF6uxsHBu_fjnFOjaY-_8GlOc8IBUYVWVT56o46MJDzsCnl79/s1600/charliefreeman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAp9YhXzgtEicGbRTRqpuzjt0TfWktap8OphhnXufts94U-YPU_oqCVZtvUezalqgELqyRBoMZQLx2eYAR6uxQ05smXPKmF6uxsHBu_fjnFOjaY-_8GlOc8IBUYVWVT56o46MJDzsCnl79/s320/charliefreeman.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
Okay, so I've been slacking BUT I have been catching up a bit. I finished "We Love You, Charlie Freeman". This book is going to elicit quite a conversation during the Tournament and I think with everything going on right now in the media, it'll be quite interesting to see where that discussion goes. If you haven't heard anything about this book yet, the basic premise is a family recruited to teach sign language to a chimp. This Institute that hires this family holds a secret past that is slowly revealed over time. One of the craziest things I learned while reading this was that back in the day people were afraid to let deaf people use sign language in schools, they thought that it would encourage the deaf community to marry only each other and "create a perpetuating race of non-hearers". They would actually force them to wear mittens so they couldn't communicate that way. Anyways, this book was a solid 3-Star read for me. It didn't come together the way I was hoping but I appreciate what the Author was doing.<br />
<br />
What else? I read "The Vegetarian" by Kang Han earlier in the year. That was a solid 4-Star read but I'll admit that it's been too long for me to elaborate on what I liked about it. I am looking forward to revisiting it during the ToB.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglRNPg0-6RF8nUn7FdhAMP5kxrLVG_PWV5NIYKqON7xPzvpc1CG8DhpMoelWw0wM1E9ssbz4ds2vH8Q3Z7DWmj9q9KophGACU8euStyFiuQyHEvfN5Ulxg8VJLy_26LVl-UfFlBrj3-LAY/s1600/moonglow30046315.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglRNPg0-6RF8nUn7FdhAMP5kxrLVG_PWV5NIYKqON7xPzvpc1CG8DhpMoelWw0wM1E9ssbz4ds2vH8Q3Z7DWmj9q9KophGACU8euStyFiuQyHEvfN5Ulxg8VJLy_26LVl-UfFlBrj3-LAY/s320/moonglow30046315.jpg" width="212" /></a>Oh, and "Moonglow" by Michael Chabon, which I am sad to admit is the first I've read from him. Parts of it punched me and other bored me to death. The Grandfather and his existential angst told through his war experiences as well as his love for space - positively brilliant. The family stuff, the Grandmother... most of that didn't come together for me. I want to write more about this and perhaps I'll come back later for a fully formed review but my initial gut reaction was to give this 3 Stars... a few days later 4 Stars. That one part of the book - when he finds the rocket and talks about life, this planet, and the fragility of the human race - I felt so moved... I wish Chabon focused entirely on THAT. However, to be fair, this book was based on stories from his father on his deathbed. I did see glimpses of "The Tsar of Love and Techno" with this one and maybe that's my biggest disappointment... the stories didn't come together like they did for that book. I am a huge fan of that contender. However, the brilliance of this book can be seen in one of my favorite quotes from the book:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"The rocket was beautiful. In conception it had been shaped by an artist to break a chain that had bound the human race ever since we first gained consciousness of earth's gravity and all it's analogs in suffering, failure and pain. It was at once a prayer sent heavenward and the answer to that prayer: Bear me away from this awful place."</i></blockquote>
<span style="background-color: transparent;">I have read a few more from the list and would love to get into that but I think that'll have to wait until next time. Stay tuned for my thoughts on a few of my LEAST favorite ToB picks so far. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent;">Happy Reading,</span></div>
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AmberBug</div>
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AmberBughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16142607754098201494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7806423717382502345.post-49346671358988475022017-02-21T18:57:00.000-05:002017-02-21T18:57:05.842-05:00Tuesday Check-In<style>
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Dear Reader,<br />
<br />
Hi, gang! This one's gonna be a short post, because I don't have much to report - I'm still in the middle of a bunch of books:<br />
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<td><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/119322.The_Golden_Compass"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE5xS8bYmOisy0TLAMGDvnlS5ruDY_0Vhn60Mi2smm_mzfF5Mj6P4CwNiy42DbGEnqyykGxc3O7-VlZrWf1RPruiQtWNN5tGXXnflen-z3xJg88yGJG6jBTLmh7Kk4YzhswjvzhY_QPuYA/s200/The+Golden+Compass.jpg" width="133" /></a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/151.Anna_Karenina"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje8WSmsVFLd838ztLGKwhBtAB-p9J309dGnx1HzNJJNLqQ7qh-2l5cDUgbWpBohvJjfVu2UAwHEp2qi1WJYkzaGw7921bGP9J5ojBe8DsYBX6Kobo4Kl4mWhZAujNRPWcFc-a0j3elpZlk/s200/Anna+Karenina.jpg" width="133" /></a><span id="goog_729581919"></span><span id="goog_729581920"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17333223-the-goldfinch"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSjpzv-LsWYhc4dmrbnmB3wmdC2JmOW1ZxkeMloqxOnibMKYgPCOxIASqXaKNUX-yv9WSf05HOyvyJ55KS0SDdPH0OTksczMb_kzVzljFG4TsdzB1Tu7AVpPPUlhHOnQdO0yTkbOCRoQ3w/s200/The+Goldfinch.jpg" width="129" /></a><span id="goog_729581931"></span><span id="goog_729581932"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a></td>
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<td><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12609433-the-power-of-habit"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii4vunL9Ssdr6M8pyWM4AwsTFRyq0hz5pgQdF1dyfhMhlgCHp55Q-a5j_hJeU7_Dq55qYA8aKvONNU5gObyShEcQZ-37XE30q9q-aNI2VXz18ZquBo_bHSLH6LxYECJPNZLYkF1dG5O3zo/s200/The+Power+of+Habit.jpg" width="132" /></a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39020.1491"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv_jHKmTCJLj7jxRWBS6PmXH7EqQz7ZNCTfMyTjfHOslQsHgfqnLij6MGdTzxKtJ8nitpvDXhYSZOLHYPAIFyYG2c0ZNrj-bstAlVtglTHxFKTfdGKTu8qvaW_X3bmSrKAa_vPTEhrEnej/s200/1491.jpg" width="135" /></a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18764826-the-house-we-grew-up-in"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCGBMB2Nku_MamT32Vuwzsr58iNVspOm7GbM52Q3b-4qAKtK0M1jGBMlfhTjRUDxYKrZKAJrcPzV9wchXEqBYUSv3NYz4HCu65ZgTOpZS67ET2-kHcSejreL87eYhh7NOnfySDF_xICAsh/s200/The+House+We+Grew+Up+In.jpg" width="131" /></a></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGF03rVlU6vGZf8Y8rAYR9oGK-NGHV9jAFS_LMoqk6xz4lRRfxwH7ugikNMP_fyUIMccgq5y9TffDWDSpgvmCpg3cVNqp_HjxlmBvy1qqJgOGuHBuAym5wMEmq4GO0KjuxHuXMrEs_zxVX/s1600/The+Color+Purple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGF03rVlU6vGZf8Y8rAYR9oGK-NGHV9jAFS_LMoqk6xz4lRRfxwH7ugikNMP_fyUIMccgq5y9TffDWDSpgvmCpg3cVNqp_HjxlmBvy1qqJgOGuHBuAym5wMEmq4GO0KjuxHuXMrEs_zxVX/s200/The+Color+Purple.jpg" width="121" /></a></div>
Making steady progress on all, but nothing much to report. I did love <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11486.The_Color_Purple" target="_blank">The Color Purple</a></i>, which I flew through. Celie is an amazing character, and one I won't soon forget. I wish I had been older to see the talk about this book when it was first released.<br />
<br />
I'd love to say more, but I just don't have the time today. Sorry this is such a lame post! I hope to have more (or at least better!) updates next week. Until then, happy reading!<br />
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<br />
Yours, <br />
Arianna
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ariannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08897265001298963078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7806423717382502345.post-51214440385166995352017-02-14T18:04:00.000-05:002017-02-17T07:10:43.603-05:00Tuesday Check-In<style>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF3hNJyl9oEHz0dZnwxPifT1TuUyNSNWuCUOHKQ_Qgz955hZUREqolZBh2K6RzViRzL9oyPzyykIdEXKjGv5t0-9dB2hZ3yzUc1d6Br4y4N8obSt1WsyMKRyekPvv1v0KgP6skdafP9jHP/s1600/City+on+Fire.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF3hNJyl9oEHz0dZnwxPifT1TuUyNSNWuCUOHKQ_Qgz955hZUREqolZBh2K6RzViRzL9oyPzyykIdEXKjGv5t0-9dB2hZ3yzUc1d6Br4y4N8obSt1WsyMKRyekPvv1v0KgP6skdafP9jHP/s200/City+on+Fire.jpg" width="135" /></a></div>
Over the weekend, I <i>finally </i>finished <i>City on Fire</i>. I'd give it a solid 4 stars. Hallberg is a fantastic writer, and I'd like to see more from him. I thought the book was really ambitious and so many times it lived up to its accolades (well, pre-release), but it got a bit too wrapped up in itself and ended up being a bit disappointing, although overall very satisfying. Which is a shame, because that first chapter really shone with such promise. But it was such a great homage to the NYC of the 1970s - I was able to feel like I had been there, myself.<br />
<br />
I had to admit, though, I was a bit frustrated by this author who seemed to really know SO MUCH (I loved how many casual references he threw into the book - I learned a lot!) and probably researched everything, but he didn't bother to find out that Vassar doesn't have sororities. Never has. That irked me. But, I know, such a small part in the grand scheme of things...<br />
<br />
Anyway, with that behemoth under my belt, that means I'm only in the middle of TWO huge books now: <i>Anna Karenina </i>and <i>The Goldfinch. </i>Making slow but steady progress on both.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYwDzd-ypOzr-8Vd18W8mhyLyuGRqKu0osyYUEDrklMzpTNZ_0H4Lj6ZzW4trIeFJCx0Fk4v3u4QuY1UqzbuTn3W8gYJB3OJFaWD9kO9s8o-pFDwGoHj5lRWuRrqHA8tCqYTArJoS-E4BJ/s1600/The+Color+Purple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYwDzd-ypOzr-8Vd18W8mhyLyuGRqKu0osyYUEDrklMzpTNZ_0H4Lj6ZzW4trIeFJCx0Fk4v3u4QuY1UqzbuTn3W8gYJB3OJFaWD9kO9s8o-pFDwGoHj5lRWuRrqHA8tCqYTArJoS-E4BJ/s200/The+Color+Purple.jpg" width="121" /></a></div>
In other news, I've started to read <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11486.The_Color_Purple" target="_blank">The Color Purple</a></i> for Black History Month, because that's been on my to-read for what feels like ever! So far (maybe 80 pages in) it's fantastic. A bit difficult to get used to Celie's writing, but once you do, the book flows wonderfully. I think this will be a pretty quick read for me, despite some difficult subject matter. I'm so glad I've finally gotten around to it. And, I'm looking forward to seeing Whoopi's portrayal after I finish reading!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl9Pe5GC7BF4knsQTTKO-3SqJVaL-cAcm9fq150IR2bBsmXwo530VhMmNTzVksHTRkX3VquM0WKqNzFy3PtWjqHGJXY0kZ9mD7-9D8-ygkQVsHeG5H2lR-lBY2t0h6jr5sdz-8UTa3DVqw/s1600/The+House+We+Grew+Up+In.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl9Pe5GC7BF4knsQTTKO-3SqJVaL-cAcm9fq150IR2bBsmXwo530VhMmNTzVksHTRkX3VquM0WKqNzFy3PtWjqHGJXY0kZ9mD7-9D8-ygkQVsHeG5H2lR-lBY2t0h6jr5sdz-8UTa3DVqw/s200/The+House+We+Grew+Up+In.jpg" width="131" /></a>I also picked up an ebook I'd let languish for a while while trying to get through <i>City on Fire</i> by reading it on my phone (originally I'd started with the ARC we received at BEA 2015, but I just don't find as much time for picking up <span style="background-color: transparent;">books these days, unfortunately!). So my current phone read (started last November!) is </span><i style="background-color: transparent;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18764826-the-house-we-grew-up-in" target="_blank">The House We Grew Up In</a></i><span style="background-color: transparent;">, which I received as an ARC via </span><a href="https://s2.netgalley.com/" style="background-color: transparent;" target="_blank">Netgalley</a><span style="background-color: transparent;"> ages ago - I'm trying to get through some Netgalley backlog before I request any more materials there. (I mean, the book was published at the start of 2013! That's how behind I am.) It's an intriguing British family story that revolves around this fascinating, perpetually childish matriarch who is a hoarder, and the effect that her problem has on her family - which includes the tight-laced eldest daughter with her reactionary cleanliness bug, the defeated husband who's divorced her but lives next door, and the lost-at-sea younger siblings. I am also really flying through this book; it's a nice break from the denser stuff I've been reading, but it's no fluffy novel, either. I do enjoy these close examinations of families and how these people - who might not have otherwise connected, but are forced into closeness because they were born into the same family - learn to grow together.</span><br />
<br />
I hope you all are having lovely reading lives, these days. I feel like mine is really starting to pick back up!<br />
<br />
Yours, <br />
Arianna
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ariannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08897265001298963078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7806423717382502345.post-789988478809462082017-02-07T18:30:00.000-05:002017-02-07T18:30:02.188-05:00Tuesday Check-In<style>
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<br />
Hi! I unfortunately haven't finished a book since my last post, but I wanted to check in anyway, as part of a new style of posting we're experimenting with.<br />
<br />
Oh, wait! I <i>have</i> finished a book: <i>Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians</i>! That was a fun YA adventure. I don't think I'll continue with the series, but it definitely might be something I recommend to my daughter when she is older. It was a great divergence from regular YA, and I do love that there was a strong female character (a warrior, who protected the protagonist). Again, the "Evil Librarians" part had me loving the book more than I might have otherwise, I must admit. But definitely a worthwhile read; I'll have to check out more BranSan, but now I'm thinking more <i>The Way of Kings</i>.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoiAx1s1J4zJrPf45UIWRcu2OIDWeiJ8BswMjXz3gv5UwkmBmTOy9Vk8QasxPTcD1K2MIDPSrT1tkJ04Ir89DJ6VQX0bOieYmmMJO6dabNlxru-brpYF-ihDk9sPRLpsYkMnGh49teeTCF/s1600/The+Power+of+Habit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoiAx1s1J4zJrPf45UIWRcu2OIDWeiJ8BswMjXz3gv5UwkmBmTOy9Vk8QasxPTcD1K2MIDPSrT1tkJ04Ir89DJ6VQX0bOieYmmMJO6dabNlxru-brpYF-ihDk9sPRLpsYkMnGh49teeTCF/s200/The+Power+of+Habit.jpg" width="132" /></a>And what has replaced my morning commute audiobook, then, you might ask? Well, <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12609433-the-power-of-habit" target="_blank">The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business</a></i>. This is an audiobook borrowed from my <br />
sister, although I had been wanting to read it. I have a soft spot for pop psychology books! (I'm not huge into business advice books, but this one doesn't tread that much into that sort of territory, so I think it's safe.) I'm fascinated by the stories Duhigg tells of people who have changed their lives significantly by simply altering a habit (it all seems very Pavlovian to me, really), as well as the stories he told of those with brain damage who were able to maintain somewhat normal lives through the power of habit. I am about 1/3 of the way through right now, and reading about football - which normally would bore me to tears, but I'm eagerly reading about it in this book!<br />
<br />
Otherwise, I'm just chugging along through the other books I mentioned in my <a href="http://www.shelfnotes.com/2017/01/my-current-reading-life.html" target="_blank">last update post</a>. <i>City on Fire</i> is actually becoming really engaging again during the last 100 pages, so I hope it holds up through the end! And I still can't put <i>The Goldfinch</i> down. I hope soon I'll have some more finished-book updates for you. Until then, happy reading!<br />
<br />
Yours, <br />
Arianna
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ariannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08897265001298963078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7806423717382502345.post-56334887121990784742017-02-01T08:00:00.000-05:002017-02-01T08:00:32.295-05:00The Girl on the Train<style>
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<td bgcolor="#E47AE5" id="posttable" width="50%"><span style="font-family: "im fell dw pica" , serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 1em;"><b><i>The Girl on the Train</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "im fell dw pica" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 24px;">Paula Hawkins</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "im fell dw pica" , serif; font-size: 18px;">3.5 / 5</span></td>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ0Zd82lxF9j1eYfQ60eG4yg-uLl2wjcxPYBQOqOoEHpyQxFI_79R5zFLecM1eBiPtogV3Fy98ziWSscWraDNHndmGTVKHvG5zfu7dyLfThhkL4cmpfsEYuLW3pnB-jT1zFb-G4vHxOypr/s1600/The+Girl+on+the+Train.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ0Zd82lxF9j1eYfQ60eG4yg-uLl2wjcxPYBQOqOoEHpyQxFI_79R5zFLecM1eBiPtogV3Fy98ziWSscWraDNHndmGTVKHvG5zfu7dyLfThhkL4cmpfsEYuLW3pnB-jT1zFb-G4vHxOypr/s1600/The+Girl+on+the+Train.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
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Published 2015</center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16px;"><em><b>First Sentence</b><br />"She's buried beneath a silver birch tree, down towards the old train tracks, her grave marked with a cairn."</em></span></td>
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<td bgcolor="#FFFF33" id="posttable" width="50%"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 0em;"><b>Publisher's Description:</b></span><br />
<strong style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.8000001907349px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">A debut psychological thriller that will forever change the way you look at other people's lives.</strong><br />
<br style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.8000001907349px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;" />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.8000001907349px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning. Every day she rattles down the track, flashes past a stretch of cozy suburban homes, and stops at the signal that allows her to daily watch the same couple breakfasting on their deck. She’s even started to feel like she knows them. “Jess and Jason,” she calls them. Their life—as she sees it—is perfect. Not unlike the life she recently lost.</span><br />
<br style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.8000001907349px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;" />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.8000001907349px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">And then she sees something shocking. It’s only a minute until the train moves on, but it’s enough. Now everything’s changed. Unable to keep it to herself, Rachel offers what she knows to the police, and becomes inextricably entwined in what happens next, as well as in the lives of everyone involved. Has she done more harm than good?</span><br />
<br style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.8000001907349px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;" />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.8000001907349px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">A compulsively readable, emotionally immersive, Hitchcockian thriller that draws comparisons to</span><em style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.8000001907349px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;"> Gone Girl</em><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.8000001907349px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">, </span><em style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.8000001907349px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">The Silent Wife</em><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.8000001907349px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">, or </span><em style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.8000001907349px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">Before I Go to Sleep</em><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.8000001907349px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">, this is an electrifying debut embraced by readers across markets and categories.</span></td>
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Dear Reader,<br />
<br />
Augh, another too-hyped book that I found to be a letdown! I have to stop getting myself so excited for these books! Ninety-nine percent of the time, they don't live up to their accolades. (But at least there are those who do, and they often make up for the others.)<br />
<br />
Don't get me wrong - Troy can attest, I couldn't put this book down all weekend, nor could I stop talking about it. But! I felt like the "big reveal" was rather predictable much earlier on, and that the whole rest of the book was kind of...pointless. I didn't need to know that much about how everything wrapped up. I just needed to know the how & the why.<br />
<br />
I loved the premise of this book - hearing about it on a webinar last November, I was eager to pick it up, imagining a modern-day <i>Rear Window</i> (one of my favorite Jimmy Stewarts). And it started off with a ton of promise, as the reader got to know Rachel's sad life (and indulge in a little schadenfreude). We could understand the frustration & helplessness she felt (especially those of us who had been through that situation, in one form or another). We sympathized with the situation she found herself in, and could see why she would want to allow herself the escape of becoming a bit too nosy about the life of another couple ("the perfect couple"). That she didn't know them at all just made it easier for her to invent perfection. So when things go downhill quickly for "Jess & Jason", it makes sense that Rachel feels a connection to them, a responsibility to help out where she can.<br />
<br />
I enjoyed how the book flipped between the narration of three women, all of whom were tied together through Rachel. Their unique voices helped shape the story, and seeing things from their perspectives really changed my sympathies and alignments as time went on. I was solidly pro-Rachel the whole book, but felt various amounts of sympathy for the other two.<br />
<br />
I think this book is great for those who enjoyed <i>Gone Girl</i> and <i>Before I Go to Sleep </i>and other similar thrillers; it certainly is engrossing and a great weekend read! I just...wasn't all that won over by it, in the end. Unfortunately!<br />
<br />
Yours, <br />
Arianna
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<td>Hardcover: <br />
<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=ss_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=shenot-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=1594633665&asins=1594633665&linkId=7OQ2HIUN3623NV3Y&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;">
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<td>Kindle: <br />
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ariannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08897265001298963078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7806423717382502345.post-69599974482204448192017-01-30T18:00:00.000-05:002017-02-07T09:15:22.947-05:00My current reading life.<style>
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<br />
Hi! Been a while, eh? Amber & I both needed a break from blogging for various reasons, but we're hoping to revive Shelfnotes and see where things go. Perhaps we'll be working in a different format; we're not sure! But we hope we can breathe some new life into our beloved book site.<br />
<br />
So, I suppose an update is in order, first. Since having a baby in March of 2016, my reading life has changed significantly. For a while - during those first few heady months - I was barely reading anything, of course. But eventually I was able to establish some new reading habits - totally different from my old ones. I haven't had a chance to pick up many physical books for several reasons, mostly due to time constraints and baby's interest in putting everything under the sun in her mouth. But I do get a lot of opportunity to read on my phone, and plenty of audiobooking time when I am driving to and from work (another recent change: a commute to go with a new house).<br />
<br />
So, a bit unorthodox for me (I do so miss my books, which still haven't been totally unpacked), but I'm happy to be reading. What am I reading, then, you might ask? I'm glad to share! I'm in the middle of a bunch of books and have only finished two so far this year:<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent;"><b>FINISHED</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3rJ173Zinug4S4faWEw5bUiMBmmMVyRLF9eDgG3LEP8f9T7M1URNDMWHLHzTyE-wqnqjLM-xR04vEcDPmQbFuBoy2tR2eT1blx_iBVf3DaIfU6hsGQPrwaKbVnQPp99cgCmcKuR_izt2Q/s1600/TransAtlantic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3rJ173Zinug4S4faWEw5bUiMBmmMVyRLF9eDgG3LEP8f9T7M1URNDMWHLHzTyE-wqnqjLM-xR04vEcDPmQbFuBoy2tR2eT1blx_iBVf3DaIfU6hsGQPrwaKbVnQPp99cgCmcKuR_izt2Q/s200/TransAtlantic.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16085517-transatlantic"><i>TransAtlantic</i></a> (</span><span style="background-color: transparent;">Colum McCann)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent;">This one was pretty good but not great...I definitely preferred </span><i style="background-color: transparent;">Let the Great World Spin</i><span style="background-color: transparent;">, which I actually just read this past summer (getting my Colum McCann on all at once, apparently!). I picked up </span><i style="background-color: transparent;">TransAtlantic</i><span style="background-color: transparent;"> because I've had it on my shelf for a while - we got copies signed by the author at one of the BEAs, and it's languished on my shelf ever since. (Despite that McCann was a charming Irishman in person!) The story was fascinating, and there's no denying McCann is a great writer, but I'd love to see him focus on one storyline for the entirety of a book. While I do love the concept of overlapping lives (and how everything ties together), I think he'd do so great focusing on just one. Some of the vignettes were certainly better than others, too - I was just about snoozing through the senator's story, but I did love the one that focused on Lily building her second family, and then her empire. McCann's characters are memorable and so achingly human.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOS3NoffgX7m-Chbd2HylEM_pbFktpHo2oCDIvUdVASM6OglY9gwI2Enous-GbNMaMNR8xO8q739ibaHT0lMmxUzZiHGaXkuiZ6qTtiGJUMYKJ6tz2TOqe3-bupLqgVwPyYaSM05U5t-Qs/s1600/Into+the+Beautiful+North.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOS3NoffgX7m-Chbd2HylEM_pbFktpHo2oCDIvUdVASM6OglY9gwI2Enous-GbNMaMNR8xO8q739ibaHT0lMmxUzZiHGaXkuiZ6qTtiGJUMYKJ6tz2TOqe3-bupLqgVwPyYaSM05U5t-Qs/s200/Into+the+Beautiful+North.jpg" width="129" /></a></div>
<i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5970496-into-the-beautiful-north" target="_blank">Into the Beautiful North</a> (</i><span style="background-color: transparent;">Luis Alberto Urrea)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent;">This book was the Big Read selection for the Poughkeepsie Public Library in 2016; I was late getting to it, but still wanted to read it. It was a really well done YA adventure - I'd give it 3.5 stars. I feel it was definitely an important read for many to encounter especially right now, in such polarizing times. Urrea humanizes the "other" so well: he shows the reader all sides and situations, investigating the many shades of grey anyone's story can be. If everyone would just read about Nayeli and her friends, they might be more empathetic. Urrea created an unforgettable cast of characters who you wanted to cry along with in their frustrations and cheer with in their triumphs. </span><br />
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<b>READING</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoPJjMksV3F9Tln0SDbK0nGeAQBuaQUSazjhn1Q28e1gdC28qEsPGeNNsbXDL_Tued_28-fGFmcqMdiSE4H9ywFt7Q4m8APv_BtpeNqD2HuNTfzUqeuurVh53J3ZTanECKxLDPc3N5KTq_/s1600/City+on+Fire.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoPJjMksV3F9Tln0SDbK0nGeAQBuaQUSazjhn1Q28e1gdC28qEsPGeNNsbXDL_Tued_28-fGFmcqMdiSE4H9ywFt7Q4m8APv_BtpeNqD2HuNTfzUqeuurVh53J3ZTanECKxLDPc3N5KTq_/s200/City+on+Fire.jpg" width="135" /></a></div>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24189224-city-on-fire"><i>City on Fire</i></a> (Garth Risk Hallberg)<br />
This book is so difficult for me to write about, especially being 600+ pages in. Hallberg is an absolutely amazing writer - I am continually struck by his turns of phrase, and it's so easy to see why this book was the subject of a high-stakes bidding war. However, I also understand why its Goodreads ratings aren't as high as was expected of the book's performance, and why it didn't end up being the bestseller it might have been. I'm going to struggle to really review this book once I'm done with it, but I am really engaged with it, if not wholly enjoying it. It hasn't fully drawn me in, even though it's hooked me - does that make sense? I'm eager to see the resolution of the epic story, though!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitQrLZTg9IjOVh2so-FPFUjyML5aDImjpfSk9eUJo_UN0VTlJNvVZ5Gk7oNETBBNy5XOM5YuJzy2fzbtM2xT0lrc79U1TFSFjS_lq8KYVmBJWCEZNP01aiWMjbwKHDW76hxaPgjaQLYxpd/s1600/Alcatraz+Versus+the+Evil+Librarians.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitQrLZTg9IjOVh2so-FPFUjyML5aDImjpfSk9eUJo_UN0VTlJNvVZ5Gk7oNETBBNy5XOM5YuJzy2fzbtM2xT0lrc79U1TFSFjS_lq8KYVmBJWCEZNP01aiWMjbwKHDW76hxaPgjaQLYxpd/s200/Alcatraz+Versus+the+Evil+Librarians.jpg" width="155" /></a></div>
<i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/623976.Alcatraz_Versus_the_Evil_Librarians">Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians</a></i> (Brandon Sanderson)<br />
I'm almost done with this one - I've been audiobooking it on my commute. It's fun and hilarious, and I see why BranSan (that's what my husband and I call Sanderson - his favorite author - for short) is so popular! But, this is clearly geared towards kids, and I think I next need to read one of his non-YA books to truly catch the BranSan bug. While Alcatraz's breaking-the-fourth-wall wit is great, the book's self-consciousness can get kind of annoying after a while. I think, though, that for a kid, it would be really fun, and a nice change from the classics one might be forced to read in school. Also - the whole reason I am reading this at all? The evil librarians! So it gets bonus points just for that.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOWu-R41oFLJRChpuCoZCjfTe7M6CzlggMnGHhcLQ45ceUckd6odeeb_ox1AiJGjXFOs2TZxgCqHpqTjkvXlOAK8R97wCLkrW0ygs69AGSwAW7VhLn6zM3hCTYj04HTL6htCa9WWlHxTTV/s1600/1491.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOWu-R41oFLJRChpuCoZCjfTe7M6CzlggMnGHhcLQ45ceUckd6odeeb_ox1AiJGjXFOs2TZxgCqHpqTjkvXlOAK8R97wCLkrW0ygs69AGSwAW7VhLn6zM3hCTYj04HTL6htCa9WWlHxTTV/s200/1491.jpg" width="135" /></a></div>
<i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39020.1491">1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus</a></i> (Charles C. Mann)<br />
Slowww going on this one - I think I've been picking through it for over a year! But it's pretty fantastic. I'm learning so much about the pre-Columbian Americas, and how we've interpreted and revisited many of our assumptions about the continents before the arrival of the Europeans. I think this is an important text for any high school U.S. History teacher to read and share with their students.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSFM__leZUSKObCIOfCS3vdht_hIItjMzdC6jY8IUBCFboreZhCoWnt3kU-U139fcNglgQLSdJbrupSSZjJjiHZy7p6Z_rfUkGtEg-qS-hArslkuaQX0Gm3Z2ajmujsDf7YAa06Yua2Q6w/s1600/The+Goldfinch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSFM__leZUSKObCIOfCS3vdht_hIItjMzdC6jY8IUBCFboreZhCoWnt3kU-U139fcNglgQLSdJbrupSSZjJjiHZy7p6Z_rfUkGtEg-qS-hArslkuaQX0Gm3Z2ajmujsDf7YAa06Yua2Q6w/s200/The+Goldfinch.jpg" width="129" /></a></div>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17333223-the-goldfinch" target="_blank"><i>The Goldfinch</i></a> (Donna Tartt)<br />
I read <i>The Secret History </i>a couple of years ago and was severely unimpressed with Tartt, so I kept putting off reading this one because I didn't have much faith in it, despite the rave reviews! However, I'm now unable to put this one down! It's not terribly riveting in terms of a mystery like <i>Secret History</i> was, but it is really well written and you just want to keep reading to find out how Theo's life turns out.<br />
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<i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/151.Anna_Karenina" target="_blank">Anna Karenina</a></i> (Leo Tolstoy)<br />
I'm about 1/3 of the way through this tome, and reading it piecemeal as it was originally published - about a chapter a day! I am loving doing this, even though it will take me quite a while to complete. But I imagine I am a Russian during Tolstoy's time, eagerly awaiting the next day's installment. As with most thousand-page Russian novels, this one likes to delve quite a bit into the philosophy of the Russian state, but the story still holds up despite the interesting digressions.<br />
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<i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/119322.The_Golden_Compass" target="_blank">The Golden Compass</a></i> (Philip Pullman)<br />
This one I've been meaning to read for a while, since it's gotten such great reviews. I'm not terribly far into it yet (maybe 1/5 of the way in?), but it's got an engaging setup and a compelling protagonist in Lyra, the orphan who runs amok in the streets of an alternate-universe Oxford, in which everyone has a sort of "spirit animal" and children are disappearing for mysterious reasons.<br />
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<br />
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You'll also note that not a single one of these books is recently published or to-be published: I've decided to take a break for a few months from the, well, breakneck pace of reading we'd been doing to focus more on things I've been wanting to read. So, you may see more classics (or less recently published) books here, but I hope you'll still enjoy hearing about the stories I'm encountering.<br />
<br />
I missed you, Shelfnotes! I hope you'll hear more from me this year. xo<br />
<br />
Yours,<br />
Arianna<br />
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ariannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08897265001298963078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7806423717382502345.post-2787222327856612152017-01-20T11:00:00.000-05:002017-01-20T11:36:32.480-05:00A Brief History of Seven Killings<style>
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<td bgcolor="#E47AE5" id="posttable" width="50%"><span style="font-family: "im fell dw pica" , serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 1em;"><b><i>A Brief History of Seven Killings</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "im fell dw pica" , serif; font-size: 24px;">Marlon James</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "im fell dw pica" , serif; font-size: 18px;">4/5</span></td>
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Published 2014</center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16px;"><em><b>First Sentence</b><br />"Listen. Dead people never stop talking."</em></span>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 0em;"><b>Publisher's Description:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 0em;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px;">From the acclaimed author of The Book of Night Women comes a masterfully written novel that explores the attempted assassination of Bob Marley in the late 1970s. <br />
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On December 3, 1976, just before the Jamaican general election and two days before Bob Marley was to play the Smile Jamaica Concert, gunmen stormed his house, machine guns blazing. The attack nearly killed the Reggae superstar, his wife, and his manager, and injured several others. Marley would go on to perform at the free concert on December 5, but he left the country the next day, not to return for two years.<br />
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Deftly spanning decades and continents and peopled with a wide range of characters—assassins, journalists, drug dealers, and even ghosts—A Brief History of Seven Killings is the fictional exploration of that dangerous and unstable time and its bloody aftermath, from the streets and slums of Kingston in the 70s, to the crack wars in 80s New York, to a radically altered Jamaica in the 90s. Brilliantly inventive and stunningly ambitious, this novel is a revealing modern epic that will secure Marlon James’ place among the great literary talents of his generation.</span><br />
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Dear Reader,<br />
<br />
-What the bombocloth this is?<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 1.5em;">-A review of this book called "A Brief History of Seven Killings"</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 1.5em;">-What kinda batty boy business is dat?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 1.5em;">-I can assure you, I'm not a batty boy. Although, before reading this book I would have had no idea what that even meant.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 1.5em;">-Who the r'asscloth-you-talking-to?</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 1.5em;">-The readers, they want to know how the book was and if they should read it.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 1.5em;">-Tell dem is no business of dem. This too big for you.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 1.5em;">-Excuse me? Too big? Now THAT is a challenge, haha.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 1.5em;">-Brethren, who the r'asscloth going care, eh?</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 1.5em;">-Trust me, people will. Now leave and let me get down to it.</span><br />
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Now where was I? Oh yes, the book. Wow, what a giant doorstop filled with an entire world I hardly knew existed. I was scooped right up into the tropical paradise of the ghetto, a great vacation spot. To be honest with you, no review I can do will ever do justice to this book. This must be experienced first hand, you'll have to struggle with the patios just like I did. Surprisingly enough, the first half was my favorite, the second part brought me out of the experience (when everything moved to NY). This would have been a five star read for me if it stayed native and felt closer to that feeling the first half of the book was chock full of.<br />
<br />
I'm not going to lie to you, this book is NOT easy... you will struggle BUT this struggle is completely worth the pay out. This book will probably be dropped by many who don't feel like wasting time with immersing themselves in the world/language... and as understandable as that is, it also saddens me. Those of you... will be missing out. So without spoiling things or attempting to review a book that is beyond words for me, I'll leave it up to you. Don't be a bombocloth, try it... you might like it.
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<br />
Happy Reading, <br />
AmberBug
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P.S. - This book is also a contender for the <a href="http://www.themorningnews.org/tob/">Tournament of Books</a> this year.
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AmberBughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16142607754098201494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7806423717382502345.post-28805998035887757832016-05-04T23:04:00.000-04:002016-05-04T23:04:19.550-04:00The Furies - review by Arianna<style>
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<td bgcolor="#E47AE5" id="posttable" width="50%"><span style="font-family: "im fell dw pica" , serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 1em;"><b><i>The Furies</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "im fell dw pica" , serif; font-size: 24px;">Natalie Haynes </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "im fell dw pica" , serif; font-size: 18px;">3 / 5</span></td>
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Published 2014</center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16px;"><em><b>First Sentence</b><br />"The first thing they'll ask me is how I met her."</em></span>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 0em;"><b>Publisher's Description:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 0em;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px;">When you open up, who will you let in?<br />
<br />
When Alex Morris loses her fiancé in dreadful circumstances, she moves from London to Edinburgh to make a break with the past. Alex takes a job at a Pupil Referral Unit, which accepts the students excluded from other schools in the city. These are troubled, difficult kids and Alex is terrified of what she's taken on.<br />
<br />
There is one class - a group of five teenagers - who intimidate Alex and every other teacher on The Unit. But with the help of the Greek tragedies she teaches, Alex gradually develops a rapport with them. Finding them enthralled by tales of cruel fate and bloody revenge, she even begins to worry that they are taking her lessons to heart, and that a whole new tragedy is being performed, right in front of her...</span><br />
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Dear Reader,<br />
<br />
First off: apologies for the long hiatus! We've had a lot going on in our own lives lately: I've had a beautiful baby girl, and AmberBug has started an awesome new job! Both of which are keeping us quite busy. Not, of course, too busy to read! But unfortunately it's meant giving a bit less attention to our blog. We hope to resume more regular postings soon!<br />
<br />
In the meantime, on to my review...<br />
<br />
Unlike <a href="http://www.shelfnotes.com/2014/08/the-furies.html" target="_blank">AmberBug</a>, I<span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 1.5em;"> went into this book with absolutely no expectations. I think that actually helped quite a bit, because I would also have been disappointed if I were expecting a really suspenseful, can't-put-it-down novel. This was definitely NOT that. It was, I suppose, more of a character study, although I found it odd that I didn't connect at all on any level with any of the characters - even though I think the author intended for me to. While I felt detached sympathy for Alex, the main character, I didn't really care about her outcome. And that was true several times over for all of her (what felt like peripheral) students. It was so odd, because I felt like you'd just barely met everyone and, boom, there was the crux of the plot! I think the author spent more time with those characters in her head, and expected we'd done the same? In any case, I found I just didn't care about anyone in the story. And I didn't believe in the main characters' motivations, which meant the denoument felt incrdibly flimsy to me. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 1.5em;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 1.5em;">I also didn't like how the reader was made to feel as if the entire group of students were involved in the crime being outlined, from the title and from how much attention was equally paid to everyone in the class. I wasn't quite sure how the rest of the students played into the actions of the one. Why did the reader have to spend so much time with all of them? Just to learn about the tragic lives of troubled youths?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 1.5em;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 1.5em;">And to me, the connections between the story and the discussed Greek plays were VERY tenuous. While I enjoyed learning a bit more about a few classic Greek tragedies, I felt as if I didn't get a very thorough understanding of them, and yet at the same time - like Amber - I felt as if I were stuck back in a high school English classroom. Boring!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 1.5em;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 1.5em;">And, I'm sorry - naming the other boy in a fight Donny Brooks: REALLY? That got to me, even though I laughed out loud upon first encountering it. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 1.5em;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 1.5em;">Overall, I'm not sure I would recommend this book to anyone, although I certainly didn't hate reading it. Some of the writing was really great. I just felt like the novel dragged quite a bit, and my time could have been spent better elsewhere. But I do agree with Amber that the inclusion of the Greek plays helped make the book quite a bit more interesting, and I did come away with a bit more knowledge, which I always appreciate. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 1.5em;"><br /></span>
Yours,<br />
Arianna<br />
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ariannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08897265001298963078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7806423717382502345.post-9059180599434606132016-04-04T17:09:00.001-04:002016-04-05T12:08:22.695-04:00The Final Empire By Brandon Sanderson - Audiobook<style>
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<td bgcolor="#E47AE5" id="posttable" width="50%"><span style="font-family: "im fell dw pica" , serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 1em;"><b><i>Mistborn: The Final Empire</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "im fell dw pica" , serif; font-size: 24px;">Brandon Sanderson</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "im fell dw pica" , serif; font-size: 18px;">5 out of 5</span></td>
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Published 2006</center>
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<em style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>First Sentence</b></em></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16px;"><em>"</em><i><span style="font-family: , sans-serif; line-height: 24px; text-indent: 22.4px;">Ash fell from the sky</span>..."</i></span>
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<td bgcolor="#FFFF33" id="posttable" width="50%"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 0em;"><b>Publisher's Description:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">In a world where ash falls from the sky, and mist dominates the night, an evil cloaks the land and stifles all life. The future of the empire rests on the shoulders of a troublemaker and his young apprentice. Together, can they fill the world with color once more?</span><br />
<span id="freeText3417033780495035790" style="font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br />In Brandon Sanderson's intriguing tale of love, loss, despair and hope, a new kind of magic enters the stage — Allomancy, a magic of the metals.</span><span style="font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"> </span></td>
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Dear Reader,</div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em;">
I am very glad one of my friends turned me onto this series. The fantasy realm that Brandon Sanderson has crafted is tight. I would describe it as similar to feudalistic, pre-industrial earth. There are two classes; the Skaa and the nobleborn. The skaa are under the harsh enslavement of the nobleclass. There is a demi-god ruler referred to as the Lord Ruler. 1,000 years ago an event occured that gave the Lord Ruler his divine powers and the structure of the world was reformed. Now ash falls from the sky, every thing is gray or black, even plants and the sky. At night mists cover the world and have mystical properties. Also at the time his transformation the Lord Ruler gifted all of his supporters a magical condition of allomancy. Allomancy is the magical power of being able to burn specific metals to access certain superhuman abilities. The original supporters have long since passed away but their descendants make up the nobleclass. The heredity of allomancy is passed from generation, because of this the Canton of Inquisition forbids a noble person from procreating with skaa. If they do choose to rape a skaa woman they have to kill her soon after to avoid any halfbreed people. The two main characters, Vin and Kelsier were both born as skaa but due to the fact that the nobleborn have illegally fathered children, they are mistborn. They ingest small bits of metals and acquire special powers. For example Pewter gives inhuman strength, tin enhances all of the 6 senses Steel allows you to push metal objects, iron allows you to pull on metal objects, <span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 1.5em;">This makes them be able to fly and jump by balancing the pushes and pulls of the metals around them in the city.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 1.5em;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 1.5em;"> Bronze allows the allomancer to soothe people or groups of people depending on how skilled they are. Copper burning masks their usage of allomancy from other allomancers. Some people only have one of the 11 metals and so they are known by their various names such as a thug, a Smoker or tin-eye. If you're born with more than one ability to burn metals then you can burn them all and are mistborn. The mistborn are the highest echelon of powerful warriors. Atium is a metal that allows the mistborn the ability to see the shadow images of all possible moves their opponent is and could make. This allows them to intercept or dodge blows seconds before the person moves. Atium is so precious and powerful it is also used as a currency </span></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Vin is a young girl who has lived a rough skaa life as a bandit/ thief. Her brother Ream raised her and also beat and degrading her. As the story starts he has recently abandoned her. Kelsier is the charasmatic leader of a group of skaa who plan to over throw the Lord Ruler. Kelsier has a particularly strong agenda again the noble class and the lord ruler since they beat his wife to death in front of him and sent him to the Atium mines to be worked to death. The idea of overthrowing the Lord Ruler is crazy since he has godlike powers and seems immortal. Rebellions of the past attempt many times to kill him but they had never </span><span style="line-height: 24px;">succeeded</span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">. All the odds seem again them but little by little they work on a strategy to weaken the noblemen, deplete the army in the capital city of Luthadel, and to rally the skaa masses. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Vin is discovered by Kelsier and his crew, he essentially gives her a new family and a new chance at happiness. Her </span><span style="line-height: 24px;">character</span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> has a lot of growing to do from being a battered street urchin to a badass mistborn. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Sanderson builds up a lot of awful so that the reader can grow more and more angry and the ugly world of, "The Final Empire." The reader definitely will be rooting for the underdog to find a way to take out all the bad guys and like a video game defeat the final master bad guy.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">There are some really great </span><span style="line-height: 24px;">unexpected</span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> plot twists that I can't tell you about but I can say that the story is very </span><span style="line-height: 24px;">enthralling</span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">. I also love how detailed he gets when he describes a battle between allomancers, the coins that they drop and the breastplates that they push off on when they are deflecting and flying around each other. He's set up a great starting point for many other adventures and mysteries of the metals to unfold. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">The theme of religion and it's use in society is addressed in a noteable way. The lord ruler is both their supreme leader and their god. The skaa are supposed to believe this and their for submit willingly to their enslaved lives. In the tradition of Firefly and Battle Star Gallactica the author gives the people a unique curse. In this world they don't say, " My God!" they say, " Lord ruler!"</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">The Final Empire has a clear caste system, the rich and powerful and the weak masses. There are some parallels to the way people viewed African Americans in the south before the civil war and these fictional people. Ellend, a nobleman, and his friends wonder out loud if skaa are as intelligent as the people of the nobleclass are. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">There's a little My-Fair-Lady-action going on when they teach Vin to play the part of a rural noblelady named, Lady Villette. She has to grow her hair out, wear ball gowns, high heels and learn all the house names and alliances. ( Sort of Game-of-Throney) They have her attend balls as a spy and she ends up meeting her love interest there. Her teacher, Sazed, is a cool character, kind of like the Giles role from Buffy. He knows all the stuff and has the patience to teach her despite her desire to go play in the mists. </span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 1.5em;">The plan of the 'crew' ( Kelsier's crew of allomancers and Vin) seems gallant and a little hopeless. How the plot resolves was unexpected and that is a rare statement for someone who likes to read. I should says <i><b>likes to listen</b></i> since I almost always do the audiobook version of books. On that note I did like the voice of the narrator, Michael Kramer. </span><br />
<br />
<div style="line-height: 1.5em;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em;">
Yours, </div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em;">
Marsha</div>
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</center>Endeavorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17556581535629422689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7806423717382502345.post-6761243350722577762016-04-04T08:00:00.000-04:002016-03-21T12:13:36.256-04:00The Postman Always Rings Twice<br />
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<td bgcolor="#E47AE5" width="50%"><span style="font-family: "im fell dw pica" , serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 1em;"><b><i>The Postman Always Rings Twice</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "im fell dw pica" , serif; font-size: 24px;">James M. Cain</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "im fell dw pica" , serif; font-size: 18px;">4/5</span></td>
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Published 1934</center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16px;"><em><b>First Sentence</b><br />"They threw me off the hay truck about noon."</em></span>
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<td bgcolor="#FFFF33" width="50%"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 0em;"><b>Publisher's Description:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px;">An amoral young tramp. A beautiful, sullen woman with an inconvenient husband. A problem that has only one grisly solution--a solution that only creates other problems that no one can ever solve. First published in 1934 and banned in Boston for its explosive mixture of violence and eroticism, The Postman Always Rings Twice is a classic of the roman noir. It established James M. Cain as a major novelist with an unsparing vision of America's bleak underside, and was acknowledged by Albert Camus as the model for The Stranger.</span></td>
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<td bgcolor="00CCFF" colspan="2" style="background-image: url('https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-K6IRC8GXNlY/Uf7g-hJgDjI/AAAAAAAAPuM/Nf983KH7bfA/w484-h281-no/crumpled_paperwhite2.jpg'); line-height: 1.5em;"><br />
Dear Reader,<br />
<br />
Can you believe I went into reading this book without ever watching any of the movies or knowing the plot line? Well, I did and you know what? I loved it. It might have been just because of that reason, I didn't know the plot. For anyone who does know the plot, you have to admit that it's pretty darn clever. You have a beautiful married woman who falls in love with a drifter who comes to work with her elderly and fat husband. The two elicit a love affair that turns into something more, plotting to get rid of the inconvenience of her marriage. What do you get when you put two terrible people together, make them fall in love and figure out ways to trust the untrustworthy? A really great story. That's what this is.
<br />
<br />
After reading the book, now I've got to see the movies (especially the 80's version that stars Jack Nicholson & Jessica Lange). Check out some photos from the movie below (the last picture is just so you can check out the young & beautiful Jessica Lange):
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnPnbXiv_zF8NpAEABTs8381jZyQZtzy6ytb6fslszQiMIK8ga8wEctrrUgic-c-oV-O4MaXxusQUWCHXfq0SuhLGPfhyhjcxXzMXaxyjUA72iI0pcBdhBQIvJbEPYSq59juGMFSwO5r4O/s1600/oldpostman72746-004-CEE287FF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnPnbXiv_zF8NpAEABTs8381jZyQZtzy6ytb6fslszQiMIK8ga8wEctrrUgic-c-oV-O4MaXxusQUWCHXfq0SuhLGPfhyhjcxXzMXaxyjUA72iI0pcBdhBQIvJbEPYSq59juGMFSwO5r4O/s320/oldpostman72746-004-CEE287FF.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lana Turner & John Garfield in the 1946 Movie Version</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8sQiAyZFp47gdh7QyUCQqcYcJXoLZCLmt_IhYbmy9Egs6y-q9_VaoEEE4xN55vEdy253Vd6X1qx5kAFePmoTINXgJa1_tVFsYLiLTrxwBYYsFhdzoevtYC9atToZnJKHwr6scR1vpopff/s1600/postman80s_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8sQiAyZFp47gdh7QyUCQqcYcJXoLZCLmt_IhYbmy9Egs6y-q9_VaoEEE4xN55vEdy253Vd6X1qx5kAFePmoTINXgJa1_tVFsYLiLTrxwBYYsFhdzoevtYC9atToZnJKHwr6scR1vpopff/s320/postman80s_.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jessica Lange & Jack Nicholson in the 1981 Movie Version</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkajUjcpi-bG43v2U-GWiSzdp9nmjtNj_vfMZCEzl0e5pbhPDnif59lrPaGStOvUJo6LPDJrPyGacIZKez8tfQTi4fMqCm_cWjFn3pNxWoBsPO052Od_Fz0mzkNgqyixLiTtPOu4XjI19l/s1600/tumblr_m7p4ndXnaK1qbsbnoo1_500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkajUjcpi-bG43v2U-GWiSzdp9nmjtNj_vfMZCEzl0e5pbhPDnif59lrPaGStOvUJo6LPDJrPyGacIZKez8tfQTi4fMqCm_cWjFn3pNxWoBsPO052Od_Fz0mzkNgqyixLiTtPOu4XjI19l/s320/tumblr_m7p4ndXnaK1qbsbnoo1_500.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look how adorable Jack & Jessica look! Love it!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2MITLuNDgVhh9SKGtHl4AqNPQOskFhd1HMJs4R6cwrEu7Do8sgSHrfVW0G3zsAi2tqIt5-C6UoZb8ZMY2sV5BILxJzKxxeemVugSOYc3eBOTwtGVlMLTsewTops2aJvyHe9yufZQz8wpe/s1600/Jessica_Lange_226.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2MITLuNDgVhh9SKGtHl4AqNPQOskFhd1HMJs4R6cwrEu7Do8sgSHrfVW0G3zsAi2tqIt5-C6UoZb8ZMY2sV5BILxJzKxxeemVugSOYc3eBOTwtGVlMLTsewTops2aJvyHe9yufZQz8wpe/s320/Jessica_Lange_226.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She is so beautiful, Jessica Lange with her bewitching stare.</td></tr>
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Just looking at those pictures makes me want to rush out and get the movies today! I would HIGHLY suggest reading this book before watching the films though. I read them unbiasedly, without certain Hollywood Actors in my mind (which is for the best in my opinion).
<br />
<br />
Back to the book, I want to mention the language James Cain uses. He wrote the character of Frank (the vagabond) as exactly the way you'd suspect. We didn't even need a description, the dialogue alone gives us a rich and colorful view of who Frank represents. The same can be said about most of the characters, especially Cora, which results in extremely well written characters that can stand out without much of a story. However, James Cain gives us that story, and... it's a really fun ride. I felt thrown back into that time period, I could even feel the gritty air surrounding them. Cora shows us the reality of a woman selecting her path in life (to marry and be secure or to be a vagabond herself and wonder where the next meal will come from). So much has changed, yet we still feel for her because the discrimination still exists today. I also fell in love with Frank, even though he's a pretty rotten scoundrel in many ways. I think it's the typical bad boy attitude that got to me. This love story, it's my kind of love story... dirty (not in the sexual way) and honest, the way real relationships depend on trust and hardships. After reading this, I want to check out some more from James Cain. At least I can be secure in knowing the characters will be brightly colored and easily pictured, which is something I truly appreciate in any Author.
<br />
<br />
Happy Reading, <br />
AmberBug
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AmberBughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16142607754098201494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7806423717382502345.post-67879230376277207212016-03-31T08:00:00.000-04:002016-03-21T12:12:53.902-04:00Burial Rites (review by Arianna)<br />
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<td bgcolor="#E47AE5" width="50%"><span style="font-family: "im fell dw pica" , serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 1em;"><b><i>Burial Rites</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "im fell dw pica" , serif; font-size: large;">Hannah Kent</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "im fell dw pica" , serif; font-size: medium;">4.5 / 5</span></td>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvS5XrXWESJKZb5lQAVM5K29tiBTD6t-aFexasgpRpObDP-TqO0fSWc816iTbMx9Cyi7IPdRnshJ40jFN7iw31vcb_riw5kU6dIGfvWmMxBaMBMafBpqsgS4KD3UTdXXTm4LivyQaLJp_c/s1600/Burial+Rites.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvS5XrXWESJKZb5lQAVM5K29tiBTD6t-aFexasgpRpObDP-TqO0fSWc816iTbMx9Cyi7IPdRnshJ40jFN7iw31vcb_riw5kU6dIGfvWmMxBaMBMafBpqsgS4KD3UTdXXTm4LivyQaLJp_c/s1600/Burial+Rites.jpg" width="291" /></a></div>
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Published 2013</center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16px;"><em><b>First Sentences</b><br />"They said I must die. They said that I stole the breath from men, and now they must steal mine."</em></span>
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<td bgcolor="#FFFF33" width="50%"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 0em;"><b>Publisher's Description:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13.63636302947998px; line-height: 17.563634872436523px;">Set against Iceland's stark landscape, Hannah Kent brings to vivid life the story of Agnes, who, charged with the brutal murder of her former master, is sent to an isolated farm to await execution.</span><br />
<br style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.63636302947998px; line-height: 17.563634872436523px;" />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13.63636302947998px; line-height: 17.563634872436523px;">Horrified at the prospect of housing a convicted murderer, the family at first avoids Agnes. Only Tóti, a priest Agnes has mysteriously chosen to be her spiritual guardian, seeks to understand her. But as Agnes's death looms, the farmer's wife and their daughters learn there is another side to the sensational story they've heard.</span><br />
<br style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.63636302947998px; line-height: 17.563634872436523px;" />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13.63636302947998px; line-height: 17.563634872436523px;">Riveting and rich with lyricism, BURIAL RITES evokes a dramatic existence in a distant time and place, and asks the question, how can one woman hope to endure when her life depends upon the stories told by others?</span></td>
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<td bgcolor="00CCFF" colspan="2" style="background-image: url('https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-K6IRC8GXNlY/Uf7g-hJgDjI/AAAAAAAAPuM/Nf983KH7bfA/w484-h281-no/crumpled_paperwhite2.jpg'); line-height: 1.5em;"><br />
Dear Reader,<br />
<br />
I LOVED this book, and I can't stop thinking about it. I waver between giving it a full 5-star rating, but I can't make up my mind.<br />
<br />
I can't even really put my finger on why I loved it so much. Okay, I do know one reason: I read the audiobook, and the narrator was phenomenal - perhaps one of the best I've ever heard. I loved the emotion she could put into her voice; she was just like a stage actor, playing the role wholly and entirely. I've just looked her up - <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6438250.Morven_Christie" target="_blank">Morven Christie</a> is her name, if you are interested in checking out any of her work (although it appears from Goodreads that she's only recorded two books so far!).<br />
<br />
Outside of the narration though, what tied me so strongly to this book? It's funny, actually - at first I had a really difficult time getting past the first few pages of the physical book, which usually is not an issue for me. But the legalese seemed very dry to me, and I couldn't understand how both <a href="http://www.shelfnotes.com/2013/10/burial-rites.html" target="_blank">AmberBug</a> and my father could recommend the book so highly! But once I got past that point (I restarted in audio form), it sucked me right in and I couldn't stop listening. I think part of the reason is that you spend almost the entire book uncertain as to whether Agnes actually is a murderer or not. It's a mystery you desperately want to resolve, because you (along with her host family) come to really care for her, and you don't want to see her executed - innocent or not. Agnes really endears herself to the reader (as well as several characters in the book), and you start to believe that she is incapable of murder - but is she? There are so many conflicting accounts to consider. The resolution of the book is pretty staggering, and I can't recommend it strongly enough. Watching the relationships develop between Agnes, her captors, and her confessor is just so real and so poignant. And what makes it even better is the Author's Note at the end, which indicates that the book was based upon a true life story which has become something of a legend in Iceland. I think that added level of a reality-based story (Kent did a lot of research, and her account could very well be close to Agnes' true story) is what really made the book so great. I think the author did an excellent job of establishing a possible and feasible background for a real-life mystery.<br />
<br />
Yours, <br />
Arianna
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ariannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08897265001298963078noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7806423717382502345.post-59357548187002523882016-03-28T08:00:00.000-04:002016-03-21T12:11:40.886-04:00Wild Connection<br />
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<td bgcolor="#E47AE5" width="50%"><span style="font-family: "im fell dw pica" , serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 1em;"><b><i>Wild Connection: <br />What Animal Courtship <br />and Mating Tell Us about Human Relationships</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "im fell dw pica" , serif; font-size: 24px;">Jennifer L. Verdolin</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "im fell dw pica" , serif; font-size: 18px;">4/5</span></td>
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Published June 3rd, 2014</center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16px;"><em><b>First Sentence</b><br />"It wasn't until I was about eleven years old that I became acutely aware that there was a difference between boys and girls."</em></span>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 0em;"><b>Publisher's Description:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px;"><i>Wild Kingdom meets Sex and the City in this scientific perspective on dating and relationships.
</i><br />
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A specialist in animal behavior compares the courtship rituals and mating behaviors of animals to their human equivalents, revealing the many and often surprising ways we are both similar to and different from other species.
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<br />
What makes an individual attractive to the opposite sex? Does size matter? Why do we tend to "keep score" in our relationships? From perfume and cosmetics to online dating and therapy, our ultimate goal is to successfully connect with someone. So why is romance such an effort for humans, while animals have little trouble getting it right?
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<br />
Wild Connection is full of fascinating and suggestive observations about animal behavior. For example, in most species smell is an important component of determining compatibility. So are we humans doing the right thing by masking our natural scents with soaps and colognes? Royal albatrosses have a lengthy courtship period lasting several years. These birds instinctively know that casual hook-ups are not the way to find a reliable mate. And older female chimpanzees often mate with younger males. Is this the evolutionary basis of the human "cougar" phenomenon?
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Fun to read as well as educational, this unique take on the perennial human quest to find the ideal mate shows that we have much to learn from our cousins in the wild.</span><br />
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<td bgcolor="00CCFF" colspan="2" style="background-image: url('https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-K6IRC8GXNlY/Uf7g-hJgDjI/AAAAAAAAPuM/Nf983KH7bfA/w484-h281-no/crumpled_paperwhite2.jpg'); line-height: 1.5em;"><br />
Dear Reader,<br />
<br />
This book was so much fun to read. It was exactly what I was expecting and more. I think I annoyed everyone around me with my, "Did you know..." statements. This is that kind of book, the one you have to share every little awesome fact you come across with anyone around you. Don't you just love those kinds of books? Well, I do. While the animal courtship and mating facts had me a-flutter, the comparison with human relationships was a bit less intriguing to me. You see, I've found that someone and this book might have been more relatable in my mate seeking days. Although, everything she says... I agree with.<br />
<br />
This is one of those books that you'll either love, get offended or blush and run away from it. Each chapter gives us a glimpse into a mating trait or ritual that can always be related to animal behaviour in some way. She gives examples that span from cockroaches to elephants and everything in between. The animal facts are truly fascinating, and in my opinion, the best part about the book. We get taught how birds will actively seek out certain colored foods to brighten up the colors of their feathers. Why? To get those lady birds of course!<br />
<br />
I could go on and on with all the facts I've learned but honestly, I just think you should read the book. What are you waiting for? Go out and buy this book, then read it. Go on... GO!<br />
<br />
Happy Reading, <br />
AmberBug</td>
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AmberBughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16142607754098201494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7806423717382502345.post-48838149098294926692016-03-24T08:00:00.000-04:002016-03-21T12:10:55.373-04:00This is Where I Leave You (review by Arianna)<br />
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<td bgcolor="#E47AE5" width="50%"><span style="font-family: "im fell dw pica" , serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 1em;"><b><i>This is Where I Leave You</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "im fell dw pica" , serif; font-size: large;">Jonathan Tropper</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "im fell dw pica" , serif; font-size: medium;">4.5 / 5</span></td>
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Published 2009</center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16px;"><em><b>First Sentence</b></em></span><em style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20.625px;"><br />"'Dad's dead,' Wendy says offhandedly, like it's happened before, like it happens every day."</em></td>
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<td bgcolor="#FFFF33" width="50%"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 0em;"><b>Publisher's Description:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">The death of Judd Foxman’s father marks the first time that the entire Foxman family—including Judd’s mother, brothers, and sister—have been together in years. Conspicuously absent: Judd’s wife, Jen, whose fourteen-month affair with Judd’s radio-shock-jock boss has recently become painfully public.</span><br />
<br style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">Simultaneously mourning the death of his father and the demise of his marriage, Judd joins the rest of the Foxmans as they reluctantly submit to their patriarch’s dying request: to spend the seven days following the funeral together. In the same house. Like a family.</span><br />
<br style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">As the week quickly spins out of control, longstanding grudges resurface, secrets are revealed, and old passions reawakened. For Judd, it’s a weeklong attempt to make sense of the mess his life has become while trying in vain not to get sucked into the regressive battles of his madly dysfunctional family. All of which would be hard enough without the bomb Jen dropped the day Judd’s father died: She’s pregnant.</span><br />
<br style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" />
<em style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">This Is Where I Leave You</em><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"> is Jonathan Tropper's most accomplished work to date, a riotously funny, emotionally raw novel about love, marriage, divorce, family, and the ties that bind—whether we like it or not.</span></td>
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<td bgcolor="00CCFF" colspan="2" style="background-image: url('https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-K6IRC8GXNlY/Uf7g-hJgDjI/AAAAAAAAPuM/Nf983KH7bfA/w484-h281-no/crumpled_paperwhite2.jpg'); line-height: 1.5em;"><br />
Dear Reader,<br />
<br />
I don't know how much more I could add to <a href="http://www.shelfnotes.com/2014/04/this-is-where-i-leave-you.html" target="_blank">Amber's comprehensive review</a> of this book, especially without giving things away! She is right - I would definitely classify it as a dark comedy, and a very enjoyable one at that. The Foxman family is a crazy mess, but underneath all of their issues they clearly love each other. They have each others' backs and they are there when someone needs a shoulder to cry on (well...usually). I loved the oddball family and all of its messed up issues. I am really looking forward to the upcoming movie, especially after Amber & I (along with our friend Claire) got to see a panel at BookCon which featured Jonathan Tropper, Tina Fey, Jason Bateman, and Shawn Levy (the director). The cast looks really well selected! Even though I felt like Judd (played by Jason Bateman) was younger in the book...but, from the preview clips they showed the audience, it doesn't appear to be a game-changer: Bateman was masterful in the role.<br />
<br />
I don't know what else really to write about this book that hasn't already been said. Especially because it is essentially a character study of an entire family, and there isn't much plot aside from the main storyline, wherein Judd must attend his father's funeral shortly after having found his wife in bed with his boss. A nuts but not unimaginable scenario, one which Tropper handles with grace and aplomb - he writes a very true-to-life story. The players are so real, and the situations so tangible. Readers can identify with the family tension and can easily put themselves into the same situation, mentally. However, don't try asking yourself what you'd do in the same situation - because the characters will constantly surprise you!<br />
<br />
The ending of the book seemed perfect, though. The decision Judd makes is exactly the right one, I believe.<br />
<br />
Yours, <br />
Arianna
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ariannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08897265001298963078noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7806423717382502345.post-69546056782641051412016-03-18T08:00:00.000-04:002016-03-18T08:00:21.247-04:00Me and Mr. Booker<style>
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<td bgcolor="#E47AE5" id="posttable" width="50%"><span style="font-family: "im fell dw pica" , serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 1em;"><b><i>Me and Mr. Booker</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "im fell dw pica" , serif; font-size: 24px;">Cory Taylor</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "im fell dw pica" , serif; font-size: 18px;">3/5</span></td>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUE_dsh3x_3Vn0dVzSUO2Rz52N6-09WV2HaUfNWtLRck2TK4MKrLB2wAfdC1iOM_Xrfn9MAKvuccy1a9gnNPo0A3ZhTZHbHJ2wSDB8xzEyL0xXnp9ujUG_NXrZwiPgQPMCPYUyESwgdWEE/s1600/meandmrbooker15811106.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUE_dsh3x_3Vn0dVzSUO2Rz52N6-09WV2HaUfNWtLRck2TK4MKrLB2wAfdC1iOM_Xrfn9MAKvuccy1a9gnNPo0A3ZhTZHbHJ2wSDB8xzEyL0xXnp9ujUG_NXrZwiPgQPMCPYUyESwgdWEE/s1600/meandmrbooker15811106.jpg" /></a></div>
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<center>
Published 2011</center>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16px;"><em><b>First Sentence</b><br />"Everything I am about to tell you happened because I was waiting for it, or something like it."</em></span>
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<td bgcolor="#FFFF33" id="posttable" width="50%"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 0em;"><b><br /></b></span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 0em;"><b>Publisher's Description:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 0em;"><b><br /></b></span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px;">Looking back, Martha could’ve said no when Mr. Booker first tried to kiss her. That would’ve been the sensible thing to do. But Martha is sixteen, she lives in a small dull town — a cemetery with lights — her father is mad, her home is stifling, and she’s waiting for the rest of her life to begin. Of course Martha would kiss the charming Englishman who brightened her world with style, adventure, whiskey, cigarettes and sex. But Martha didn’t count on the consequences. Me and Mr. Booker is a story about feeling old when you’re young and acting young when you’re not</span></td>
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Dear Reader,<br />
<br />
This was definitely a book. I'm not sure if I enjoyed it or what but I kept reading, so that's something. This has been compared to Lolita, and while I can definitely see why... I didn't have that same feeling of disgust. Martha, sixteen and bored with her small town life, meets the Bookers through one of her mother's parties. Lacking a father with any good qualities, it's hardly a surprise that Martha is taken with Mr. Booker. This couple is all glam (especially to a sixteen-year-old), with a keen interest in Martha, taking her out with them on a regular basis.<br />
<br />
I didn't exactly have anything to gripe about but I wasn't exactly wowed either. Cory Taylor writes a great page, and you definitely get a great feel of who the cast is. I just don't have much to say about anything else. It was a book. It was a book that I read start to finish. It was a book that kept my interest. It was a book. <span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 1.5em;"> </span><br />
<br />
Happy Reading,<br />
AmberBug</td>
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AmberBughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16142607754098201494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7806423717382502345.post-66016837996202743242016-03-15T08:00:00.000-04:002016-03-15T08:00:26.501-04:00The Invaders<style>
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<td bgcolor="#E47AE5" id="posttable" width="50%"><span style="font-family: "im fell dw pica" , serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 1em;"><b><i>The Invaders</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "im fell dw pica" , serif; font-size: 24px;">Karolina Waclawiak</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "im fell dw pica" , serif; font-size: 18px;">3/5</span></td>
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<br />
<center>
Published 2015</center>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16px;"><em><b>First Sentence</b><br />"When Jeffrey's first wife told me he had a voracious appetite for women, I assumed she was just trying to be vindictive."</em></span>
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<td bgcolor="#FFFF33" id="posttable" width="50%"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 0em;"><b><br /></b></span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 0em;"><b>Publisher's Description:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 0em;"><b><br /></b></span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px;">Over the course of a summer in a wealthy Connecticut community, a forty-something woman and her college-age stepson’s lives fall apart in a series of violent shocks.<br />
<br />Cheryl has never been the right kind of country-club wife. She's always felt like an outsider, and now, in her mid-forties—facing the harsh realities of aging while her marriage disintegrates and her troubled stepson, Teddy, is kicked out of college—she feels cast adrift by the sparkling seaside community of Little Neck Cove, Connecticut. So when Teddy shows up at home just as a storm brewing off the coast threatens to destroy the precarious safe haven of the cove, she joins him in an epic downward spiral. <br />
<br />The Invaders, a searing follow-up to Karolina Waclawiak’s critically acclaimed debut novel, How to Get Into the Twin Palms, casts a harsh light on the glossy sheen of even the most “perfect” lives in America's exclusive beach communities. With sharp wit and dark humor, The Invaders exposes the lies and insecurities that run like fault lines through our culture, threatening to pitch bored housewives, pill-popping children, and suspicious neighbors headlong into the suburban abyss.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></td>
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Dear Reader,<br />
<br />
Take a look at that first sentence... it says it all. This is a story centered around the rich Connecticut shoreline snobs, the ones who care what others think, nitpick about everything and judge each other with an evil eye. I know people like this, I live and grew up in Connecticut (even if not in the same social class as these characters). Here's the thing, I've heard people complain that these characters are too over the top... well guess what... they really aren't! These people exist... yep. I hear ya, it's kinda depressing, but it's true.<br />
<br />
For those of you who haven't read the book, the characters are full of hot air and get all in a huff when their small beach community threatens to be overrun by "tourists". Fortunately, the main character Cheryl didn't grow up in this social circle and has a little disdain for the ridiculous actions of the others. Unfortunately, Cheryl wants to be included in the social circle and this starts to change who she is. We don't get to see much of her past but with some reminiscent chapters, we can tell she came from lower middle working class. Her family is left behind while she gets swept up in her new husband's life. Understandably, the life he shows her is sparkly and new. Little does she know that what she is leaving behind has value, just as much as this new life.<br />
<br />
The Invaders is a Tournament of Books pick, and I'm happy it forced me to read this one. I didn't love it, but I certainly didn't hate it (as some others did). I feel the beauty of the book lies within the characters and the reality of this world. There is a place for this story, these people exist and why not write about them? I won't deny that the ending was completely unsatisfying and confusing but the journey was truthful and relatable. This book isn't to be taken as a light beach read... there is real depth here and it's up to the reader to find it. <br />
<br />
Happy Reading,<br />
AmberBug</td>
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AmberBughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16142607754098201494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7806423717382502345.post-59180257434564494122016-03-10T08:00:00.000-05:002016-03-10T08:00:12.171-05:00The Tsar of Love and Techno<style>
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<td bgcolor="#E47AE5" id="posttable" width="50%"><span style="font-family: "im fell dw pica" , serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 1em;"><b><i>The Tsar of Love and Techno</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "im fell dw pica" , serif; font-size: 24px;">Anthony Marra</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "im fell dw pica" , serif; font-size: 18px;">5/5</span></td>
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<br />
<center>
Published 2015</center>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16px;"><em><b>First Sentence</b><br />"I am an artist first, a censor second."</em></span>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 0em;"><b>Publisher's Description:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 0em;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px;">This stunning, exquisitely written collection introduces a cast of remarkable characters whose lives intersect in ways both life-affirming and heartbreaking. A 1930s Soviet censor painstakingly corrects offending photographs, deep underneath Leningrad, bewitched by the image of a disgraced prima ballerina. A chorus of women recount their stories and those of their grandmothers, former gulag prisoners who settled their Siberian mining town. Two pairs of brothers share a fierce, protective love. Young men across the former USSR face violence at home and in the military. And great sacrifices are made in the name of an oil landscape unremarkable except for the almost incomprehensibly peaceful past it depicts. In stunning prose, with rich character portraits and a sense of history reverberating into the present, The Tsar of Love and Techno is a captivating work from one of our greatest new talents.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></td>
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Dear Reader,<br />
<br />
This is another book that has been sitting on my shelf collecting dust from Book Expo America this year (and I'm killing myself for that). I'm always a little reluctant to pick up a short story collection because I don't usually "LOVE" them, only like (or really like). So this was quite a surprise, as you can see by my rating of five stars, I loved this one. I loved his debut book, "A Constellation of Vital Phenomena" and this one is just as fantastic and tear jerking. Speaking of tears... this one got me pretty bad. I'm not one to cry much and this is the second book in a year to have made me cry ("A Little Life" was the other one). This is also the very first time I've cried over a short story collection. Although, calling this short stories is something I wouldn't do. I'm actually surprised the publisher and/or Author decided to do this, seeing as many readers shy away from them. I would probably put this more under a collection of stories that make a novel (very David Mitchell).<br />
<br />
Each "story" is told from various characters in the same world, each with a voice to turn a cold, bleak setting into something relatable. So much is written about 1930s Soviet Russia, the best was being able to view the world from the eyes of characters you would never imagine. One of my favorites being the Soviet censor, who has the heart of an artist but has to suppress that talent and use it in a very dark way. This story starts all the others which connect through family, friends, the passing of someone on the sidewalk. Everything joins, which is why I think it's unfair for the book to be typecast as a short story collection when it is so much more. You get to know this world, the characters, and the interconnecting stories so well that it elicits emotion, strong emotion. I don't want to go into detail because this would spoil the journey for you, rather I would just push this into your hands and make sure you gave it a shot. For those of you who haven't read Marra... pick up one of these books, he is fast becoming an Author to admire and watch. I know I will be waiting (not so patiently) for his next book. I should also give a shout out to the amazing Tournament of Books collaborators for picking this one to be included. I can't wait to shout along from the sidelines, between this one and A Little Life... ugh, it'll be hard to choose.
<br />
<br />
Happy Reading,<br />
AmberBug</td>
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AmberBughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16142607754098201494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7806423717382502345.post-56582052933853530732016-03-08T20:50:00.000-05:002016-03-08T20:50:00.184-05:00& Sons<style>
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<td bgcolor="#E47AE5" id="posttable" width="50%"><span style="font-family: IM Fell DW Pica, serif;"><span style="font-size: 24px; line-height: 24px;"><b><i>& Sons</i></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: IM Fell DW Pica, serif;"><span style="font-size: 24px;">David Gilbert</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: IM Fell DW Pica, serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">4 / 5</span></span></td>
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Published 2013</center>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 16px;"><em><b>First Sentence</b><br />"Once upon a time, the moon had a moon."</em></span>
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<td bgcolor="#FFFF33" id="posttable" width="50%"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 0em;"><b>Publisher's Description:</b></span><br />
<span id="freeText9517318776265377701" style="font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">The funeral of Charles Henry Topping on Manhattan’s Upper East Side would have been a minor affair (his two-hundred-word obit in The New York Times notwithstanding) but for the presence of one particular mourner: the notoriously reclusive author A. N. Dyer, whose novel Ampersand stands as a classic of American teenage angst. But as Andrew Newbold Dyer delivers the eulogy for his oldest friend, he suffers a breakdown over the life he’s led and the people he’s hurt and the novel that will forever endure as his legacy. He must gather his three sons for the first time in many years—before it’s too late.<br /><br />So begins a wild, transformative, heartbreaking week, as witnessed by Philip Topping, who, like his late father, finds himself caught up in the swirl of the Dyer family. First there’s son Richard, a struggling screenwriter and father, returning from self-imposed exile in California. In the middle lingers Jamie, settled in Brooklyn after his twenty-year mission of making documentaries about human suffering. And last is Andy, the half brother whose mysterious birth tore the Dyers apart seventeen years ago, now in New York on spring break, determined to lose his virginity before returning to the prestigious New England boarding school that inspired Ampersand. But only when the real purpose of this reunion comes to light do these sons realize just how much is at stake, not only for their father but for themselves and three generations of their family.</span><span style="font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"> </span></td>
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Dear Reader,<br />
<br />
I was surprised to like this book as much as I did. I received it quite a while ago as a First Reads from Goodreads, but kept never getting around to it. On a whim, I picked up the audiobook of the title instead, and because I seem to be able to read audiobooks with a lot more regularity these days than regular books (listening while walking the dog & doing chores helps with this!), I had much more success getting into it.<br />
<br />
The story was something of a meta-novel, where the novel itself revolved largely around the 1960s publication of a <i>Catcher in the Rye</i>-type book - by which I mean it had achieved the same sort of success, and A.N. Dyer was still being read as required reading in high schools 50 years later. It certainly felt to me as if Dyer was intentionally supposed to be a fictional Salinger. Which was fascinating, because it meant we got to glimpse what Salinger's life might have been like, particularly if he'd fathered three sons. It was interesting to see how people treated Dyer and his family because of this fame - it's certainly a different flavor of celebrity than that of a movie star, but it retains its own cachet. As well as its own sort of fan base.<br />
<br />
I have to say I wasn't particularly fond of how the narrator was omniscient; it made the telling of all angles of the story somewhat awkward at times. While being a tenuous family friend (with a bit of a heavy-handed obsession with Dyer), Philip managed to insinuate himself into quite a bit of the story. I felt as if this was an odd choice of narrative technique, but it did allow the reader access to various parts which a normal first-person narrative would not have. Why the author chose to go with that rather than a third-person perspective, I don't know. It was a bold if possibly unnecessary choice.<br />
<br />
There was a big twist to the book, too, which I don't want to discuss too much, but it was pretty refreshing and a clever, very unique idea. It made the reader think a lot about the possibility and its implications. Arg, that isn't helping much. All I will say is that it made reading the book worthwhile; it is "revealed" rather early, but makes the rest of the story so much more intriguing.<br />
<br />
Yours, <br />
Arianna
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</center>ariannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08897265001298963078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7806423717382502345.post-45554339302039681382016-03-04T08:00:00.001-05:002016-03-04T08:00:13.632-05:00Bats of the Republic<style>
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<td bgcolor="#E47AE5" id="posttable" width="50%"><span style="font-family: "im fell dw pica" , serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 1em;"><b><i>Bats of the Republic: An Illuminated Novel</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "im fell dw pica" , serif; font-size: 24px;">Zachary Thomas Dodson</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "im fell dw pica" , serif; font-size: 18px;">4/5</span></td>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhga_rf2MEoMmNWWfcZcHEjYYZYK8VXksmUOoXicIS4_AmC4F9ajQHV87TVmPOp0JV9gqE4Yu_n6ratItbR24WjXwhDudnz6mFrlUzbd5NdrEXPRvKW77V2navosSH0lc_yW11HRgbYhXbS/s1600/bats24724564.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhga_rf2MEoMmNWWfcZcHEjYYZYK8VXksmUOoXicIS4_AmC4F9ajQHV87TVmPOp0JV9gqE4Yu_n6ratItbR24WjXwhDudnz6mFrlUzbd5NdrEXPRvKW77V2navosSH0lc_yW11HRgbYhXbS/s320/bats24724564.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>
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Published 2015</center>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16px;"><em><b>First Sentence</b><br />"It was the third massacre I'd witnessed."</em></span>
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<td bgcolor="#FFFF33" id="posttable" width="50%"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 0em;"><b><br /></b></span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 0em;"><b>Publisher's Description:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 0em;"><b><br /></b></span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px;">Bats of the Republic features original artwork and an immaculate design to create a unique novel of adventure and science fiction, of political intrigue and future dystopian struggles, and, at its riveting core, of love.<br />
<br />In 1843 Chicago, fragile naturalist Zadock Thomas falls in love with the high society daughter of Joseph Gray, a prominent ornithologist. Mr. Gray sets an impossible condition for their marriage—Zadock must deliver a sealed and highly secretive letter to General Irion, fighting one thousand miles southwest, deep within the embattled and newly independent Republic of Texas. The fate of the Union lies within the mysterious contents of that sealed letter, but that is only the beginning . . .<br /><br />Three hundred years later, in the dystopian city-state of the Texas Republic, Zeke Thomas has just received news of the death of his grandfather, an esteemed Chicago senator. The world has crumbled. Paper documents are banned, citizens are watched, and dissenters are thrown over the walls into "the rot." When Zeke inherits—and then loses—a very old, sealed letter from his grandfather, Zeke finds himself and the women he loves at the heart of a conspiracy whose secrets he must unravel, if it doesn't destroy his relationship, his family legacy, and the entire republic first.<br /><br />The two propulsive narratives converge through a wildly creative assortment of documents, books within books, maps, notes, illustrations, and more. Zach Dodson has created a gorgeous work of art and an eye-popping commercial adventure for the 21st century.</span></td>
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Dear Reader,<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDvu62o01LnuZAd-sbqkxuDEgbIwNzlYXIUlhmbYxSFm9D5cdZbgodM9a5v9076nS8KrRPFinl3Xlr59cxSwvVdd3yl1GFKKNiZxdE2nsAH7Q8YVgpccjMQMR9aorhtj9KOFhWt7HdJ2SZ/s1600/zachery1157193.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDvu62o01LnuZAd-sbqkxuDEgbIwNzlYXIUlhmbYxSFm9D5cdZbgodM9a5v9076nS8KrRPFinl3Xlr59cxSwvVdd3yl1GFKKNiZxdE2nsAH7Q8YVgpccjMQMR9aorhtj9KOFhWt7HdJ2SZ/s320/zachery1157193.jpg" /></a>The fun I had with this book! It reminded me of my time as a kid reading a 'choose your own adventure' book. It was borderline mixed media - not many loose leaf breadcrumbs or anything out on the www to connect to the pages. The art, though! Brilliant. I loved the feel, look and touch of this book. The spine was velvet lined (which ended up filled with cat/dog fur by the time I was finished). Have you seen this Author by the way? Check him out (pic to the right). He's as wacky as his book, and that moustache is FANCY! Speaking of mustaches, there are a few moustached characters - very distinguished gentlemen.<br />
<br />
Let me get to the book... what an adventure. I haven't had this much fun reading in a long time. "Bats" is chock full of MAPS (Love maps), letters (LOVE letters, history (yeah, history is cool), and the future (o0oo so very sci-fi, love that too). It is unlike anything I've ever read but at the same time reminded me of quite a few books I've read... if that makes sense. I was reminded of George Orwell's "1984", the future is controlled very similarly. I also got hints of Mark Z. Danielewski and the multi-colored text. Although, I couldn't find a strong distinction as to why the text was colored differently (where as Danielewski has purpose for everything he does funky in his books). If anyone found a connection, please share it with me! Anyways, this book goes back and forth in time (no middle here) between 1843 & 2143, both centering around Texas and Chicago. To try and explain the states in the future would ruin the surprise but let's just say Texas isn't just Texas and Chicago isn't just Chicago. The future is very sterile, a little bleak but with control and order. The past is just that... the past (but chock full of rich and exciting history). The surprising thing is that I didn't connect well with the main characters from the future, or even the main character from the past. My favorite storyline/character was within the sisters and the book within a book. Something about it reminded me a little of "Pride and Prejudice" with courtships and strong-willed females. I told you this book has many reminiscent moments towards some great classics. I wonder if the Author did this on purpose?<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF2EY0pGxAUs08mT5oDHaMCbj6ALXiz7exlurNmcKwe7Bxwvg4FdqeAL81zSPHYoLlDYjHLiDHcxi2vNXIlFscjAf7VSOQYJE0tMvRPlTA6bTdBs4pZ3QUmBcvrHKMmsYfatCocj3fPDNa/s1600/CY7gQ6sUAAEFsWf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF2EY0pGxAUs08mT5oDHaMCbj6ALXiz7exlurNmcKwe7Bxwvg4FdqeAL81zSPHYoLlDYjHLiDHcxi2vNXIlFscjAf7VSOQYJE0tMvRPlTA6bTdBs4pZ3QUmBcvrHKMmsYfatCocj3fPDNa/s200/CY7gQ6sUAAEFsWf.jpg" width="150" /></a>So, we are left with the one burning question... should you read this book? Well, do what I did... crack the spine and feel the eyes of the bat staring into your soul... telling you to read this book. Yep, THAT'S what hooked me from the start... the bats! If the bats don't get you... the snakes will. I promise you that you'll embark upon an adventure like no other, filled with beautiful drawings and imaginative storylines. You will want to find out how it ends.<br />
<br />
<br />
Happy Reading,<br />
AmberBug<br />
<br />
P.S. - I can't wait to see how far this one goes in the Tournament of Books. </td>
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AmberBughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16142607754098201494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7806423717382502345.post-44698229679989146292016-03-01T05:41:00.000-05:002016-03-01T05:41:25.726-05:00Hatchet<style>
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<span style="font-family: "im fell dw pica" , serif; font-size: 24px;">Gary Paulsen</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "im fell dw pica" , serif; font-size: 18px;">2 / 5</span></td>
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Published 1986</center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16px;"><em><b>First Sentence</b><br />"Brian Robeson stared out the window of the small plane at the endless green northern wilderness below."</em></span>
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<td bgcolor="#FFFF33" id="posttable" width="50%"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 0em;"><b>Publisher's Description:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.8px; line-height: 12.88px;">ALONE</span><br />
<br style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.8px; line-height: 12.88px;" />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.8px; line-height: 12.88px;">Thirteen-year-old Brian Robeson is on his way to visit his father when the single-engine plane in which he is flying crashes. Suddenly, Brian finds himself alone in the Canadian wilderness with nothing but a tattered Windbreaker and the hatchet his mother gave him as a present -- and the dreadful secret that has been tearing him apart since his parent's divorce. But now Brian has no time for anger, self pity, or despair -- it will take all his know-how and determination, and more courage than he knew he possessed, to survive. </span><br />
<br style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.8px; line-height: 12.88px;" />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.8px; line-height: 12.88px;">For twenty years Gary Paulsen's award-winning contemporary classic has been the survival story with which all others are compared. This new edition, with a reading group guide, will introduce a new generation of readers to this page-turning, heart-stopping adventure.</span></td>
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Dear Reader,<br />
<br />
It seemed like everyone and their mother had this book assigned to them in middle school. I never did, though, and because it was an award-winner, I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. Well? Meh. I always wonder if these books were more appealing when they were actually published, or maybe it's just that survivalist stories just aren't my jam. I suppose I was impressed by a book that could feasibly appeal to a young, male audience, which was a new idea at the time of publication. So I do appreciate that. And I know many loved this story. It just didn't draw me in. While part of me wanted to pay serious attention because you never know when you might be stranded and need basic survival skills - which I think is the appeal of the book, really - I just didn't always enjoy the minutiae of watching Brian set up camp. Part of what might have bothered me, though, was the absolute hopelessness of ever being rescued - that just felt so bleak to me, and I wondered: why bother? Of course, I understand why Brian did, but I don't know if I could have rallied quite like he did - he almost took things in stride, which I very much respect. Perhaps that is just what happens - your survival instinct kicks in before you have time to recognize your hopeless situation for what it is, because yes, food will take precedence over contemplation.<br />
<br />
Now that I think about it, perhaps the narration was also what negatively influenced the book, for me! The audiobook version featured an older male's voice which just kind of felt lethargic, and it included "dramatic music" at certain points, which I think can work really well if done right - but just wasn't, in this case. Hmm.<br />
<br />
I also do wonder if this book would have resonated with me more when I was younger. I sometimes feel as if I missed out on some great opportunities for discovering beloved books when I could have identified more with them. But, alas, such is the way life goes! I am glad that I did read this book, finally, even if it will never be a favorite.<br />
<br />
Yours, <br />
Arianna
<br />
<br />
P.S. There are sequels to this book. Sequels! I can't even fathom...has anyone ever read any of them? I am just so curious. Does Brian get stranded again and again? Do we follow him until he grows to adulthood, watching how his life is affected by this formative experience? I'm SO intrigued!<br />
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ariannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08897265001298963078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7806423717382502345.post-30721807872893906452016-02-23T05:23:00.000-05:002016-02-23T05:23:07.850-05:00Sacré Bleu<style>
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<td bgcolor="#E47AE5" id="posttable" width="50%"><span style="font-family: "im fell dw pica" , serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 1em;"><b><i>Sacré Bleu</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "im fell dw pica" , serif; font-size: 24px;">Christopher Moore</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "im fell dw pica" , serif; font-size: 18px;">3.5 / 5</span></td>
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Published 2012</center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16px;"><em><b>First Sentence</b><br />"On the day he was to be murdered, Vincent Van Gogh encountered a Gypsy on the cobbles outside the inn where he'd just eaten lunch."</em></span>
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<td bgcolor="#FFFF33" id="posttable" width="50%"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 0em;"><b>Publisher's Description:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.8px; line-height: 19.32px;">In his latest novel, Moore takes on the Great French Masters. A magnificent “Comedy d’Art”, </span><em style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.8px; line-height: 19.32px;">Sacre Bleu</em><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.8px; line-height: 19.32px;"> is part mystery, part history (sort of), part love story, and wholly hilarious as it follows a young baker-painter who joins the dapper Henri Toulouse-Lautrec on a quest to unravel the mystery behind the supposed suicide of Vincent van Gogh.</span></td>
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<span style="line-height: 24px;">Dear Reader,</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 24px;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 24px;">Meh. This was an okay book, but it was mediocre Moore at best. It certainly was no <i>Fool</i>, much less <i>Lamb</i>!! I found myself only laughing out loud a handful of times while reading <i>Sacré Bleu</i>, compared to others in his oeuvre. I didn’t feel the same level of wit, the clever banter, the “inside jokes” that pepper Moore’s other works. Perhaps it is partly because I am not an artist, but I just didn’t connect to the story all that much. I didn’t care a whit about the characters, and I certainly wasn’t all that curious about the origins of the Color Man and his sidekick. (To be honest, I didn’t even think they HAD a backstory until about 2/3 of the way through!)</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 24px;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 24px;">I will keep this review short, but I just couldn’t enjoy this one as much as others by Moore, and was disappointed by let-down expectations from such a usually great author. If you have a desire to read something hilarious (and irreverent!), I say pick up <i>Lamb</i> over <i>Sacré Bleu</i>, always!</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 24px;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 24px;">Yours,</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 24px;">Arianna</span><br />
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ariannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08897265001298963078noreply@blogger.com0