Book Review – Page 64

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

Published on May 12, 2009January 14, 2010 by Sheila (Book Journey)3 Comments

Jacob Jankowski says: “I am ninety. Or ninety-three. One or the other.” At the beginning of Water for Elephants, he is living out his days in a nursing home, hating every second of it. His life wasn’t always like this, however, because Jacob ran away and joined the circus when he was twenty-one. It wasn’t a romantic, carefree decision, to be sure. His parents were killed in an auto accident one week before he was to sit for his veterinary medicine exams at Cornell. He buried his parents, learned that they left him nothing because they had mortgaged everything to pay his tuition, returned to school, went to the exams, and didn’t write a single word. He walked out without completing the test and wound up on a circus train. The circus he joins, in Depression-era America, is second-rate at best. With Ringling Brothers as the standard, Benzini Brothers is far down the scale and pale by comparison.

How did I read this book I procrastinated on getting to until three days before the review? Very quickly! I started at the YMCA where the first few chapters hit so close to home for me that I found myself crying on the elliptical one moment and then writing on a paper towel my thoughts from the tread mill the next. Then reading while I road with Al to Crosslake to look at a job on Sunday and finally finished it this evening while Al watched The Big Bang Theory.

But – to the review. I found this book enlightening. I enjoyed the circus background – the details of what went on in a 1930’s circus from the traveling by train, the lack of pay and less than ideal living situations. I dove into the life of Jacob and how he made his way into the new and exciting life of working on a circus. The relationships built throughout this book felt genuine and I felt for Camel and loved the friendship that developed between Jacob and Kinko (Walter).

The circus workers seemed real and I could picture them with their rugged clothes, sad stories of broken homes, and childhood dreams.

I could have lived without all the words of Barbara and there was a couple parts that I would take out of my memory bank – but overall I can not fault the book. The writing is good, very good and I loved the flashbacks as Jacob tells the story of his circus days from his nursing home at the age of 90… or 93.

Highly recommended- don’t give up on the book when you run across the bit visually graphic parts…. they are few and the book is good.

Oh – and for the record. I would have killed him too. 4 rating

***Update May 12th Book review: This was an excellent review for us. The book rated high, mostly high 4’s and 5’s. We loved the circus theme and while we did discuss the crude parts of the book, found it necessary to stay true to the theme and the times. This book felt real with vibrant characters and plot themes. We loved the ending and overall had a wonderful discussion.

Hold Tight by Harlan Coben

Published on April 21, 2009July 16, 2009 by Sheila (Book Journey)Leave a comment

Mike held his son’s hand and told him to “hold tight,” and he could feel the little hand dig into his but the crush got bigger and the little hand slipped from his and Mike felt that horrible panic, as if a wave hit them at the beach and it was washing his baby out with the tide.

The separation lasted only a few seconds, ten at the most, but Mike would never forget the spike in his blood and the terror of those brief few moments.

Tia and Mike Baye never imagined they’d become the type of overprotective parents who spy on their kids. But their sixteen-year-old son Adam has been unusually distant lately, and after the suicide of his classmate Spencer Hill – the latest in a string of issues at school – they can’t help but worry. They install a sophisticated spy program on Adam’s computer, and within days they are jolted by a message from an unknown correspondent addressed to their son: “Just stay quiet and all safe.”

Meanwhile, browsing through an online memorial for Spencer put together by his classmates, Betsy Hill is struck by a photo that appears to have been taken on the night of her son’s death…and he wasn’t alone. She thinks it is Adam Baye standing just outside the camera’s range; but when Adam goes missing, it soon becomes clear that something deep and sinister has infected their community. For Tia and Mike Baye, the question they must answer is this: When it comes to your kids, is it possible to know too much?

I don’t really know why I ever even let a Harlan Coben book reach my book shelf before I have read it. They are always that good. I think this book, Hold Tight was a breath of fresh air – a suspenseful read that I could dive into and not fully make it out until the book was complete.

It is true that I loved my last read, The book Thief, as well. That book was more on the read slowly and let the beauty of the words sink in style. This book rolls over you like a freight train and you love the page turning effect it has on you.

So today – a day that I stayed in bed due to I dont even know what – flu I guess…. I slept, and I read. Its a little sad that it takes a day like this now where I am inmobilized to actually find time to read! Yet, as I stared out the window at what looked to be a pretty nice day and thought about all I could be doing – I have to say the book made the day a lot better.

Harlan is a fun, realistic writer that I find to be a lot like Dean Koontz except that Dean can go what I call “Dark Dean” at times and I find a few of his books to out there where I dont get that from Harlan.

Anyway – another fabulous read – well developed characters and while there is a lot of different things going on in the book at once, I found it flowed well and I did not get lost in the plot…. errr…. plots. A 5 in my book. Literally 😉

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Published on March 24, 2009January 14, 2010 by Sheila (Book Journey)9 Comments

It’s just a small story really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery. . . .

Set during World War II in Germany, Markus Zusak’s groundbreaking new novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement before he is marched to Dachau.

This is an unforgettable story about the ability of books to feed the soul.

I have come to a point in my life long journey through books that I truly enjoy the book that it out of the norm… you know, an author who takes an idea out of left field and molds it into a tale that tantalized the brain, that stimulates the outer reaches of your mind…..this is such a tale…. and this is exactly what drew me to The Book Thief.

Yet another book that waited patiently on my book shelf. I am sure it was the title that interested me first. It has to do with books…. and not only that, but a main character with a strong desire of needing to steal books. Interesting…

But that’s not all! Flip the book over and you find out it is told from the perspective of Death. Now that’s different…. and why not? Screwtape letters is told from the perspective of a Demon.

In recent weeks I stated seeing this book pop on on book sites that I frequent with messages like, “Book Clubs are raving!” and “The extraordinary best seller“…. and so I pulled this treasure off my book shelf and read the first 30 pages before suggesting it to the Bookies as our April read. It won the vote. So here we are, the Bookies all reading The Book Thief and I, now 333 pages into this 552 page book, am hoping they are finding it as stimulating as I am.

Like I said earlier, it is written from the perspective of Death. And in this case, Death has taken an interest in a young girl who’s brother had died and she, Liesel, is now under the care of foster parents… it is 1939. Nazi, Germany and Hitler is in his full reign. As Death narrates the story, sometimes jumping ahead to share the long-term (or in some cases short term) outcome of people in Liesel’s life, I become so entangled in the weave that I often forget the narrator and his role.

Deeply and well written, I find the book fascinating and I can get the feel of the times, the level of poverty, the act of stealing just to be fed…. even if that feeding is in the form of literature. I can relate to that and can not imagine what a life would be like not having the written word available to you freely. I too, can relate to the desperation of our Book Thief.

So – as I have said, I am not done reading the book. I have 200+ more pages to go and am glad of it. I will report back at the completion of this read, and again after the last review of the Bookies in April.

Today – March 30th, moments ago… I completed this book. I have to say – I really enjoyed the read. It is nothing like I have read before and I loved the story line. The book was beautifully written and I am still sitting here in high respect for Markus Zusak’s style in which he wrote a book that as of this date is my favorite of the year, perhaps in my top 10 of all time reads. It is not often you find a treasure when you have so much book stuff already in your head….

but I think I did.

I am excited to do the review on April 14th with the Bookies to hear their thoughts.

Update April 14th: tonight’s book review was fantastic! I love hearing everyone’s thoughts and takes from the book. It was interesting to discuss our narrator, Death as a creäture with feelings. Angie even pointed out that on page 328 Death even has hope. Our ratings were all over the board. We had a couple lows of a 1 and a 2 and a few middle of the road 3’s and several high 4’s as well as a couple 5’s. The difference in our opinions on this book made such a great review and made me thankful for each and every girl who is a part of the Bookies. I am blessed to be a part of them!

Eat This Not That

Published on March 14, 2009July 16, 2009 by Sheila (Book Journey)1 Comment

This is a great little book that I picked up on Amazon. This book compares brands of food to find the best products for health in all categories.

I really enjoyed reading through this book and actually learned quite a bit about products that I have thought were the best choices in their category only to discover there was a better choice. In other circumstances, the product I was using, was raved about – so kudos on making a few top selections!

I have been getting into this healthy eating more and more – trying to eat things not only that taste good, but are good for me. It isnt a 100% and probably never will be beacuse I love to snack and while I try to make good snacking choices as well… I do have moments of total “off the program” where I just eat whatever. (Hey, who doesn’tdo that???)

Book – excellent

A+ I have already tried some of the suggestions and loved them. This is a book I will hang on to as a Reference Book, right up there with my copy of The Top 100 Foods.

See more on this book here

Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah

Published on March 4, 2009January 14, 2010 by Sheila (Book Journey)4 Comments

Remember what childhood friendships can be like? Quite often, we become best friends with someone and probably swear to each other that this friendship will last forever. Such is the case in Kristin Hannah’s touching story Firefly Lane. We hear, “Best friends forever. They’d believed it would last, that vow, that someday they’d be old women, sitting in their rocking chairs on a creaking deck, talking about the times of their lives, and laughing. “

Even the best intentioned promises can sometimes go awry as we learn in this 30 year history of friendship between Kate and Tully. It began in 1974 when Kate Mularkey was feeling especially isolated and coming to terms with the fact that she wasn’t popular or pretty. In fact, she might best be described as ordinary.

Then, miracle of miracles a new family moved in across the street and in that family was Tully Hart , the coolest, best looking girl Kate had ever seen. Further, Tully wanted to be her friend, not just an acquaintance but best friends. They were opposites in many ways, but that didn’t matter they swore their friendship would never end.

Tully had aspirations and in the years to come she would do whatever it took to become successful, to be acknowledged by all as the best. She does reach the top as a broadcast journalist. Kate, although, has no such dreams. She simply wants to be a wife and mother, which she does with her husband Johnny and daughter Marah.

Years pass, 30 of them, when suddenly a friendship that was to last forever seems irreparably broken.

I nominated this book for our March Bookies read and it won the vote. I know it was the friendship storyline that drew me to choose it. I love reading about strong women friendships, I always have… and reading the back of this book led me to believe that is what we would be getting by venturing into this world of “friends forever” from a young age to adult.

While I wasn’t disappointed… I actually struggled a bit with this friendship – Tully whose life was a mess, no securities with her family, a non-existent father who last she heard was in jail, a mother who never got beyond the 60’s and drugs and lives her life in a fog…. all Tully really has going for her is her incredible beauty which she learns how to use at a young age to get things she wants.

Kate on the flip side of that is a wallflower. Quietly living out her life with both parents intact, while pretty, she doesn’t know it or have the confidence to enhance it. She dresses outdated, she wears glasses that should have been tossed decades ago and she lives life in the shadows and prefers it that way.

Put these two together and while I love to see Kate grow stronger in herself and that is yes, thanks to Tully – Tully takes advantage of the friendship again and again and again throughout the book all the way to the point of it effecting a relationship between Kate and her teenage daughter.

Honestly – there were times I would have shown Tully the door – for good. Her actions angered me, and it wasn’t until I started writing the review that I in the end – the very end as in my mind I lay this book to rest – I got it.

Kate needed an outrageous Tully to become who she was going to become. Kate’s life would have never gone the way that it did if not for Tully, her marriage, her lifestyle… Kate would have continued to live life in the shadows and never known there was something more out there for her.

Tully needed Kate. If not for Kate’s level headed advice and Kate’s family – Tully would have self destructed long ago. She needed to know she was loved…. and after years of trying to find it the wrong way… she always knows it is real from Kate and her family and she is drawn like a moth to light, time and again.

Mixed feelings on parts of the book but over all I think I have to give it a 3.9.

I started and finished this book in Honduras.

Update after Bookies Review on March 10: Our book review was during a snow storm. We met at Boardwalk Bread and Bagel, 5 of us made it to this review. We all agreed that the friendship between Tully and Kate was one we were not sure we could have dealt with – mainly, Tully and her missing sensitivity chip. I was pleasantly surprised though that the book rated a high 4 overall, and while the book made us angry at times, overall the read was pretty good and the message at the end about cancer was good for all of us to remember.

For Women Only by Shaunti Feldhahn

Published on March 4, 2009July 16, 2009 by Sheila (Book Journey)3 Comments

What’s going on in a man’s mind? From their early days, every woman has struggled to understand why males behave the way they do. Even long-married women who think they understand men have only scratched the surface. Beneath a man’s rugged exterior is an even more rugged, unmapped terrain. What bestselling author Shaunti Feldhahn’s research reveals about the inner lives of men will open women’s eyes to what the men in their life—boyfriends, brothers, husbands, and sons—are really thinking and feeling. Men want to be understood, but they’re afraid to “freak out” the women they love by confessing what is happening inside their heads. This book will guide women in how to provide the loving support that modern men want and need.

I picked this book up off of Swaptree.com about a year ago and placed it on my shelf as I do with so many of the books I find. Sometimes it takes me years to get to them… others, sadly, I may never get too as books come and go in my life and sometimes it is easy for the shelved ones to get…. well…. left behind.

I was cleaning up my massive amounts of books in Janualry and compiling them into our once business office, now (and I am so excited to say this) Library. (Pause for a “woo hoo!”) I picked up this book, For Women Only, now realizing that not only do I have one copy on the shelf but two. So I pass one on to a friend… amd I start reading the other.

I loved it. From the very first chapter I had an “aha” moment that seriously, changed the way I do my marriage. Seriously…. and if you know me… I am no fan of self help books or any of that so this book to change the way I think is huge. Also productive.

By tweaking the way I acknowledge and speak to my husband, not even in a big way – but a subtle way, I almost immediately seen a difference in the way that he responds to me. This book interviews 500 men on responses to such questions as “Which is more important to you, feeling loved, or feeling respected?” The answers may surprise you.

I have a lot of books that I just read. This was not one of them. This was a little bit at a time, in some cases reading chapters again. I will keep this book as a reference and will continue to use it as a reminder. Highly recommended to all women – and for the guys, there is also a book written by the author and her husband, Jeff Feldhahn: For Men Only.

In Search of Eden by Linda Nichols

Published on March 4, 2009July 16, 2009 by Sheila (Book Journey)6 Comments

Today is your birthday… I want you to know that you are in my heart, as you always have been. I pray for you every day. I pray I did the right thing…

Thus wrote Miranda DeSpain on the anniversary of the day that changed her life forever, the day her heart was torn in pieces. Ever since that wrenching event, she has been unable to settle down, embrace life. She finds herself starting one adventure after another, trying to forget. But she never can. As she approaches her twenty-seventh birthday, she determines once again to reinvent her circumstances, to start anew. But there’s one loose end to tie up first…

This book, In Search of Eden, was loaned to me by a fellow Bookie (my book club), Brenda. It had passed through a few of the Bookies hands and now it was my turn! I brought it with me to Honduras and read it on the plane, in Texas, and then finished it in a small bedroom in the top bunk at the Manuelito Project in Talanga Honduras.

This was a good read. I enjoyed the story line and character development. Miranda is a likable character, and while she starts out with little to no self worth she grows quickly in her mission and in her liking of herself for who she is.

This is a great read about faith and finding where you fit into all of it.

On the plane, while reading this book, I dumped blueberry (yup… blueberry even) yogurt all over the book and me. Of all the books I brought with me, this is the only one that wasn’t mine…. figures. 🙂 I continued reading, and then passed it on to Tim Lake, our Team Leader who had not brought a book with him to read. He comments about the blue pages…..

I will be buying my friend Brenda a new copy of this book, she will want to have to continue to pass this great story around to others. I love that about books – you actually can share worlds with your friends.

Thanks Brenda for allowing me (blueberries and all) to share this read with you.

A 4.5 rating in my book….. and in my blog. 🙂

(This book passed through many hands before it got back to me… and everyone who read it really enjoyed it). A friend of mine who was expecting, after reading this named her baby girl, Eden.

Update on This Post – July 11, 2009: As of this date I am saying this is the best Faith and Fiction read so far this year. I am responding to the question presented by My Friend Amy as to what is the best Christian Fiction I have read to date… Amy’s question actually reminded me that I have a few others waiting on my book shelf that I need to get to as well. 🙂

Harry A History by Melissa Anelli

Published on March 4, 2009July 16, 2009 by Sheila (Book Journey)1 Comment

During the brief span of just one decade, hundreds of millions of perfectly ordinary people made history: they became the only ones who would remember what it was like when the Harry Potter saga was still unfinished. What it was like to seek out friends, families, online forums, fan fiction, and podcasts to get a fix between novels. When the death of a character was a hotter bet than the World Series. When the unfolding story of a boy wizard changed the way books are read for all time.

And as webmistress of The Leaky Cauldron, one of the most popular Harry Potter sites on the Internet, Melissa Anelli had a front row seat to it all. Whether it was helping Scholastic stop leaks and track down counterfeiters, hosting live PotterCasts at bookstores across the country, touring with the wizard rock band Harry and the Potters, or traveling to Edinburgh to interview J. K. Rowling personally, Melissa was at the center of the Harry Potter tornado, and nothing about her life would ever be the same.

The Harry Potter books are a triumph of the imagination that did far more than break sales records for all time. They restored the world’s sense of wonder, and took on a magical life of their own. Now the series has ended, but the story is not over. With remembrances from J. K. Rowling’s editors, agents, publicists, fans, and Rowling herself, Melissa Anelli takes us on a personal journey through every aspect of the Harry Potter phenomenon—from his very first spell to his lasting impact on the way we live and dream.

Justin bought me this book (along with The Reader) for my birthday last month. It is no secret that I, along with my kids Brad and Justin, have waited out each books arrival to the stores and usually sat around with three copies going at once of the Harry Potter books. I am just as big a fan of these books as my kids and towards the final books – finshed before either of them did. I love the story line, the story behind the author and her hardships, the amazing reads that bring out an incredible imaginative world in the minds of children and adults alike….

This book, Harry a History, took it to the next level. While I knew the books were good reading, I had no idea to the extent to which this went. I never thought about things like “Fan Get Togethers” for pre release nights…. and I didn’t really think about the fact that these books and their popularity makes our generation a kind of “they were there when it happened!” group. Kind of like being the first people to read one of the all time classics of today like Charles Dickens, C.S. Lewis, Jane Austin… while they were still alive and thinking, “well, thats a pretty good book.”

We are the generation that actually had to wait for each book to see what will happen next – our generations coming up will get to read them all at once while we wait to talk with them about “what did you think of that??? Or did you believe that?????”

I love Melissa’s story – a college student who stumbled into a position that she loved…. it sounds exciting and I dream for that kind of excitement in a career. What an amazing season of her life! She was such a large part of what was happening through the years of the books and she writes it well.

Anyway – obviously I found the book a great read. I was also impressed with the fact that kids all over the world who struggled with reading or even had dyslexia or other reading disorders, were able to correct this and even move beyond their age reading level because of these books.

A+ read for any Potter Fan. Thank you Justin for seeing this book and thinking of me – my favorite all time gifts are books! It is a gift that keeps on giving and can go with you anywhere. I finished this one in the back seat of a truck on the way to the airport in Minneapolis to go to Honduras.

Such a Pretty Fat by Jen Lancaster

Published on February 10, 2009January 14, 2010 by Sheila (Book Journey)1 Comment

Personal Training, Session One: I’m standing at the front desk, waiting for the mythical “Barbie” to appear. While I was sucking down water and aspirin earlier today, trying to shed my hangover, I started thinking about how judgmental I can be. I mean, why should I have instantly freaked out when I heard someone named Barbie was going to be my trainer? Sure, the name brings up images of gorgeous girls with long blonde hair, shiny white teeth, deep tan, and impossible-to-achieve, completely enviable figures, but maybe this Barbie is different.

Maybe Trainer Barbie is a dark, homely girl with and she took up fitness to feel better about her hump and her skin condition. Yes, that’s it. Barbie is all hideous and disfigured and she will have a heart of gold and because of this, she’ll be devoted to nothing but making me lose weight…

I stand by the magazine rack and I’m about to pull out this week’s In Touch when I hear my name being called. I turn around and look for my gargoyle of a trainer.

But I don’t see any monsters.

All I see is a gorgeous girl with long blonde hair, shiny white teeth, a deep tan, and an impossible-to- achieve, completely enviable figure standing there. “Hey, are you Jen?” she asks. “I’m Barbie!”

Of course you are.

This was our book club recommendation for February. The book description sounded hilarious… overweight character finds a personal trainer…. it sounded so funny.

I started reading all excited to get to the part where the trainer comes in and as I read and read (FYI…. Barbie the trainer shows up 2/3 into the book) I feel like I am reading someones diary.

I soon learn that the book is about the author herself and her weight struggles. And yes, she is funny – but in some parts crude with the language. The book goes on and on about what they are eating, what she says to her husband, what he says to her, what the dogs are doing, what the house looks like, what Jen wants to eat, what Jen gets to eat… and so on and so on.

Don’t get me wrong – this is my book blog so I am giving my opinion… looking on-line, she has a following who love her wit and her struggles… and in parts I did too, laughing out loud in some cases. Yet, I felt it missed something….

meaning maybe???

A plot???

It just didn’t read like a book to me.

The Bookies for the most part struggled through it too with a couple exceptions of those who loved laughing from cover to cover at Jen’s quick humor.

Overall – I had ended up rating it at our book club a high 3 but the more I think about it – I really think I am more of a 2.8 out of 5. I can’t rate this average….

breaking dawn by Stephenie Meyer

Published on January 28, 2009October 19, 2009 by Sheila (Book Journey)3 Comments

“Don’t be afraid,” I murmured
“We belong together.”

I was abruptly overwhelmed by the truth of my own words.
This moment was so perfect, so right, there was no way to doubt it.

His arms wrapped around me holding me against him.
It felt like every nerve in my body was alive wire.

“Forever,” he agreed.

And there it is…. book 4… the final installment of the Twilight series and as with all good series, the ending is bitter sweet. On one hand you know you are chomping at the bit to know how it all concludes… yet the ending is also a closing, a good bye so to speak to characters you have come to know and love. This was exactly the case here.

While the book started out frustrating to me….. Bella’s pregnancy, the change in rhythm to the book from light and sweet to now a gory, blood thirsty (literally) version… it redeemed itself once the baby was born.

I loved the post vampire Bella… she was strong and beautiful. Finally. The new Bella fought for what was right so unlike the old Bella who was confused most of the time and others had to clean up her messes. Breaking Dawn‘s cover is a metaphor for Bella’s progression throughout the entire saga. She began as the weakest (at least physically, when compared to vampires and werewolves) player on the board: the pawn. She ended as the strongest: the queen. In the end, it’s Bella that brings about the win for the Cullen’s.

The closure to this book – the battle… all of it was exceptional. Stephenie did a wonderful job bringing in such strong characters all together to witness for a cause… for Nessie. I devoured the final pages… thirsty for more.

I love the title and the fact that it is not capitalized. This gives me the sense that the “breaking dawn” is not important as a title. More so that it is like a fact… a statement of what is to come… inevitable.

The ending doesn’t disappoint. Stephenie brings this book to a great closure, leaving enough of an opening to write another if she so someday desires… after all there are characters that can still go places, and with the great fact that they do not age – the time line is endless. How exciting to think that maybe someday a story will develop about Nessie and Jacob…. how nice to know that these characters now join my favorites, locked in my mind…. along with Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

A+ reading.