Baby Girls – An Owner’s Manual (part 1) Friday, Dec 29 2006

Let me just say that I’m only reviewing the first half of this book, because that’s all I’ve read so far. It’s not that I didn’t like the book, it’s just that it’s broken down into chapters for the different stages of your baby girl’s development. I read the part on pregnancy and preparing for her, and the chapters on 1-3 months. I thought I would save the rest for when our little girl was actually born and it would be more relevant, and I would be less likely to forget what I read. Anyway….

What’s it about?
Well, as the name pretty much indicates, this book is all about having a baby girl. Actually, alot of the advice would apply to a baby of either sex, but there is some specific advice pertaining to girls. (And I have to admit, it’s kind of nice to always be reading “your daughter”, etc.)
The book covers alot of info, (so far anyway) for being a fairly small book. The first few chapters talk about preparing for your baby girl, everything from supplies to choosing a name to choosing a daycare. Then the chapters are broken down to the different ages of your baby, all I’ve read is the 1-3 month section, but I think it goes up to toddler age. Basically they cover (well, I think) alot of the same info that most baby books do. Care, feeding, hygeine, etc.

Did I like it?
I do like it. I think it’s straightforward, has a nice tone, and provides alot of good information. I will say though, that I have read ALOT of baby books (and magazines) so alot of what’s here I already knew. I can’t blame the book for that though. It’s a nice resource, maybe for someone’s first baby book, or for a husband to read who just wants to read something short. I do plan to read the rest of the book though, because I am learning some new tidbits, and the more I read things, the more I remember them! Look for the review part 2, later in 2007!

Rating:
C+

Read (1st half anyway): (Jan 07)

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More To Be Read Friday, Dec 29 2006

-The Audacity of Hope (by Barack Obama)
-Four Trials (by John Edwards)
-The Greatest Story Ever Sold – the Decline and Fall of Truth from 9/11 to Katrina
-The Working Gal’s Guide to Babyville
-Earth in the Balance (by Al Gore)
-Freakanomics

I have a few of these on hold at the library, others I may buy on amazon.com. What I’m in the mood to read next totally changes day to day, hence the first To Be Read list of fiction, then this one with 4 political works.

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Dreamakers Wednesday, Dec 27 2006

Dreamakers
by Nora Roberts

What’s it about?
Well, basically this book is a compilation of two of Nora Robert’s older stories (early 1980’s,) packaged together and republished – “Untamed” and “Less of a Stranger.”
Let me first say that I only read the first story, “Untamed.” Basically, it was about a lion tamer in a traveling circus, Jovilette, and her romance with the new owner of the circus, Keane Prescott. There’s not much more to say.

Did I like it?
I hate to say it since I like Nora Roberts, and Steve picked out this book for Christmas for me, but I really did not. It was almost a chore to finish Untamed. I learned that old Nora Roberts is nothing like her newer romance/suspense, which I’ve read several of and thoroughly enjoyed. This story was insanely predictible, it’s characters complete cliches, and plus it was just downright boring and somewhat corny. I love having new books to add to my collection though, so I don’t mind owning the book. I just don’t know if I’ll ever go back to read “Less of a Stranger.”

Rating:
D-

(Read: Jan. 07)

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The Devil Wears Prada Wednesday, Dec 27 2006

The Devil Wears Prada
by Lauren Weisberger

What’s it about?
Well, the premise of this book is pretty widely known since the movie came out a year (?) or so ago. Basically, it’s about Andy, a normal girl in NYC, who dreams of being a writer for the New York Times. She gets a job as the assistant to the editor of Runway (a top fashion) magazine. Her boss, Miranda Priestly, makes her life a living hell. The book also has storylines about her neglected boyfriend, Alex, and her party-girl friend, Lily. Some pelople say that the author of this book based Ms. Priestly on Anna Wintour (of Vogue magazine), who she did an internship for.

Did I like it?
I absolutely loved it!!! Let me say though, I’m glad I saw the movie first. I liked the movie too, but they took SO much out from the book to the movie. The book has characters and events and even whole storylines that weren’t even present in the movie, and the book lets you much more into Andy’s thoughts, which makes the story that much more interesting. There were some things changed in the movie that I didn’t see the point of (like making Alex a chef instead of a teacher) but most of the changes are understandable from a movie-making point of view. Although, like many other people, I was dissapointed they took out the climax of the book – when Andy finally tells Miranda off – in lieu of just having Andy throw her cell phone in a fountain.
Back to the book though – Steve got me this for Christmas and I started reading it the next day. I wasn’t sure if I would get into it since I had seen the movie and knew pretty much what happened. But soon I was so drawn in that I would actually get excited on my days off when I woke up and remembered I was in the middle of such a good book. I couldn’t put it down! It was interesting, funny, and easy to read. I can honestly say that it is one of my very favorite fiction books I’ve ever read. I’m so glad I own it now, and I can’t wait to read Lauren Weisenberger’s new book, “Everyone Worth Knowing.”

Rating:
A

(Read: Dec.2006)

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To Be Read Wednesday, Dec 20 2006

My current “To Be Read” list (subject to frequent additions and deletions)

-Memoirs of a Geisha
-Midwives
-The Memory Keeper’s Daughter
-The Grapes of Wrath

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The Half Life of Stars Wednesday, Dec 20 2006

The Half Life of Stars
by Louise Wener

What’s it about?

This book is about Claire, a thirtysomething Brit whose older brother Daniel goes missing. The first chapter takes place back when The Challenger exploded while a teenage Daniel and his father were at it’s launch. His father dies moments later from a heart attack after Daniel ran through the streets to get help. The next several chapters jump ahead to “the present” after Daniel goes missing and basically introduce us to her quirky family and give us an idea of what Claire is like (smart yet unpredictible, a bit immature.)
Claire takes it upon herself to go in search of Daniel, following many clues and taking her ex-husband Michael with her to Miami where she grew up.

Claire and Michael stay with Michael’s friend Huey and his girlfriend Tess, and the majority of the story follows Claire’s search for her brother in Miami, while also addressing her reunion with Michael and Huey and Tess’ lives. The book reads a bit like a mystery, with some things (family secrests, etc.) coming out that I didn’t anticipate, although I could have guessed where the book was going to head to resolve itself.

Claire eventually finds her brother on the the day of another space shuttle launch, running the same streets he ran to try to save her father. Turns out Daniel had punched his Dad, and held a huge amount of guilt thinking that he had killed him (he actually had a heart condition.) He pretty much had an affair and a breakdown, and was ready to committ suicide, but Claire saved him just in time.

Did I like it?
Ehhh…not really. I mean, the plot was interesting enough, but I didn’t care for the authors wordy, abstract writing style. Sometimes conversations took place without any indication of who was talking and I found myself skimming ahead trying to find out who the conversation was between. While there were some surprises, parts of the book were pretty predictible and I felt the author almost tried too hard to tie things together, while at the same time, parts of the ending (Huey and Tess kidnapping Harvey Weinstein) were far-fetched and almost silly.
I didn’t hate it though – the middle part of the book really held my interest more than the slow beginning or choppy end. Also, I didn’t really care for Claire. For a main character, she wasn’t likeable or even unlikeable enough to create any kind of strong interest.

Rating:
C+

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The curious incident of the dog in the night-time Wednesday, Dec 20 2006

The curious incident of the dog in the night-time
by Mark Haddon

What’s it about?

This book is about Christopher, a 15-year old autistic boy and his adventures that all begin when he finds his neighbors dog murdered by a garden fork in her front yard.
Christopher is very intellectually smart (this is evidenced throughout the book by several lengthy explanations of concepts that really have nothing to do with the story, like mathematical riddles) but, like many austic people, his mind works in very different ways. He groans when he gets overwhelmed and is very particular about food and other things in his life. He lives with his father and pet rat Toby somewhere in England.

(Warning: contains spoilers)
Anyway, after Christopher finds the dog (Wellington) murdered, his story begins to sound like a mystery, with him interviewing neighbors and searching for clues. However, mid-way through, he finds out “who did it” (his own Dad) and he also finds out that his mother, who his father had told him died, actually left to be with another man and lives in London. This freaks him out to the point that he runs away from home to go live with his mom. The mystery part of the story is over and the rest of the story follows Christopher’s journey to London, and what happens after he gets there and beyond.

Basically, Christopher’s mother ends up leaving the man she left his father for, because he’s not accepting of Christopher staying with them in London. She ends up moving back to Christopher’s hometown and he lives with her, although his relationship with his father is repaired to the point that he can spend time with him.

Did I like it?

I did. The writing style is extremely simple and explanatory (Ex: I was scared. So I ran behind the shed. I put Toby’s cage on the ground…etc.) which I personally enjoyed (I’m not a fan of wordiness.) The plot was interesting, and because I have worked with autistic children in the past I could somewhat identify with the strange way Christopher’s mind worked. I thought the ending was a tad abrupt, but other than that I liked the book alot and can see why it was popular, as it’s different than any other book I’ve ever read.

Rating:
B+

(Read: Nov-Dec. 06)

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The Girlfriend’s Guide to Baby Gear Tuesday, Dec 19 2006

The Girlfriend’s Guide to Baby Gear – what to buy, what to borrow, what to blow off
by Vicki Iovine & Peg Rosen

I debated whether or not to review this book. I mean, I read it, but it was for practical reasons (seeing that I’m 6 months pregnant.) I read alot of educational/instructional type books, especially now. Some I read front to back (like this one,) others I just skim through or read certain parts of. I finally made the “executive decision” that I would review every book that I read in it’s entirety. So here goes. (I’m not going to follow my standard format for this review…)

Like I said, I’m 6 months pregnant with my first kid, and I’m pretty clueless about everything baby-related. The huge plethora of baby products available make it totally overwhelming to a baby “newbie” like me. I’d read “The Girlfriend’s Guide to Pregnancy” (one of Vicki Iovine’s other books – perhaps her most known) shortly after becoming pregnant and when I was searching amazon.com for a book that would educate me about baby gear, I came across this one. I ended up getting it from the library and reading it early in my pregnancy, but a few months later (now) when it became time to actually register, I realized I’d forgotten much of what I read, so I headed to the bookstore to just buy my own copy of this book (that right there tells you how much I liked it the first time through.)

This book was exactly what I was looking for. I mean, I could find plenty of ads and descriptions of various baby gear in my many magazines, but what I really needed was for someone to say – “Ok, here’s what you need, here’s what you don’t. Here’s what to look for in a stroller, here’s what NOT to buy secondhand…” – which is just what this book did.

Each chapter covers a different type of baby gear, from transportation to safety to toys. Basically, the authors start by describing the gear and options are available (I had no idea there were so many options for strollers and carseats! If I had went to baby store before reading this I don’t know what I would have done!) They also tell you what you definitely need, and what you shouldn’t bother with. Although they usually mention some reputable brands, they stop short of recommending specific products (which makes complete sense considering how often new products and models come out.) They concentrate more on educating you on the product in general - i.e., what characteristics are helpful or important in that product, and what ones are frivilous (or even dangerous.)

Interspersed throughout the book are several checklists and sidebars (like “Top 10 things every new mom needs”.) Some humorous, some educational, most both. They even include a few chapters at the end on preparing yourself and your home for your baby’s arrival. There’s a separate chapter on “baby proofing” but this chapter was one of my favorites and talked about what those first few weeks would be like and suggesting some things to have on hand to make them more enjoyable (or at least bearable.) Things that make perfect sense but that I probably wouldn’t have thought of, like a spill-proof coffee mug and plenty of lightweight magazines for late-night reading.

Overall, I HIGHLY recommend this book, especially for first time moms. If you are looking for a Consumer Reports type thing that will review or recommend a specific stroller, look elsewhere. But if you are feeling overwhelmed by all the baby gear available these days, and want a straightforward explanation of what’s out there, you can’t beat Vicki and Peg’s perspective.

Rating:
B+

(read: Nov. 2006)

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A Note on Partials Monday, Dec 18 2006

Between reading “The Dive..” and the next book I’m going to cover, I read about half of two other books. Surely some serious readers would consider this a “reading sin,” but at this point I’m just not in the right mindset to force myself to finish a book I’m not enjoying. Reading is, after all, a hobby – which should be something fun. That’s my reasoning, anyway.

Let me say that I try to give a book a fair chance before I’ll give up on it. I usually skim the first few pages of a book (or “Look Inside” on amazon.com) before I even check it out from the library, to make sure it at least seems to hold my interest, so I can’t remember ever giving up on a book only a few pages in. But if, several chapters into the book, it’s just uninteresting, I have no qualms about passing it up for something else. Which is just what I did with these two books.

First, I started reading “Fahrenheit 451″ by Ray Bradbury, the story of a futuristic fireman whose job is to burn books. This is one of those classics that I never had to read in High School, so I wanted to read it now. I do this occasionally, and have found some books I really enjoyed, like “To Kill a Mockingbird” and “A Brave New World.” I plan to try to read “The Grapes of Wrath” sometime fairly soon – we’ll see how that goes.
Anyway, this is a pretty short paperback, and since I generally like stories set in the future, I thought I would like it. The langugage is simple and it’s easy to read, but after the first chapter or so it was just so BORING. It just was not holding my interest at all. The characters were bland and the storyline slow and seemingly predictable. I read a few more chapters, then carried it in my purse for a week hoping I would read it on the bus or at lunch. It never tempted me to pull it out and continue reading, and finally I just turned it back in to the library. Let me say that I would, someday, like to finish reading it, if for no reason other than to say that I’ve read it. But at this point, I need something entertaining. This was not.

After that I started reading “Gabriel’s Angel” by one of my favorite fiction authors, Nora Roberts. I got this before Thanksgiving when I wanted a light, holiday romance to read, and since this book opens during a giant snow storm, I thought it would fit the bill. Well, first of all, let me say that despite the snow globe and sprig of holly on the cover, this story takes place in April – not during the holidays. It held my interest for a while, but once the main character ‘fessed up and told her love interest her entire past, I didn’t really have a reason to keep reading, since the storyline itself was completely predictible (I know this without even finishing the book, that’s how predictible it was.) Now, Nora Roberts books aren’t generally known for their high suspense (though a few of her thrillers have kept me guessing) but usually the interesting story and likeable characters keep me reading. This story just didn’t have those things, so I passed it up. I’d like to get a TRUE Nora Roberts holiday romance to read this season, but with Christmas being less than a week away, and just having started another book, I probably won’t be able to. I’ll definitely still read more Nora in the future, just not “Gabriel’s Angel.”

Whenever I read a “partial” I’ll probably note it on here, if for no other reason that to remind myself that I already started reading that particular book and didn’t care for it. Or, in the case of Fahrenheit 451, that I may want to return and finish it when I get a chance.

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The Dive from Claussen’s Pier Friday, Dec 15 2006

The Dive from Claussen’s Pier
by Anne Packer

What’s it about?

This book’s about Carrie, a young twenty-something girl who has lived in Wisconsin her whole life, and her fiancee, her high school and college sweetheart, Mike. At the beginning of the book Carrie’s seemingly unsatisfied with their relationship, but we don’t get to delve too much into her mind, because at the end of the first chapter, Mike takes a headfirst dive into a lake and is hospitalized in a coma.
Eventually Mike does wake up, although he’s pretty much completely paralyzed. Carrie tries to play the good girlfriend for a while, but then she takes off and moves to New York City on a whim. Most of the book chronicles her time in NYC, with a strong emphasis on her relationship with an older man, the only other person she’s ever been with besides Mike. There’s also some minor plotlines involving her other friends, her “career”, etc. Towards the end of the book, Carrie does return to Wisconsin to deal with some personal issues, and we all wait with baited breath to see if she’ll return to NYC, return to Mike, or something else.

*SPOILER AHEAD*
Carrie does decide to stay in Wisconsin and is faithful and dedicated to Mike, but she ends up giving back her engagement ring and they just stay friends.
*END SPOILER*

Did I like it?
Yes, actually, I did. I usually end up liking any book that keeps me guessing – so many books are entirely predictible. I really didn’t know what Carrie was going to do up until the very end. The book was also easy to read, although a tad bit wordy (and I could have done without the lengthy sewing descriptions.)

Rating:
B

(read: Nov. 2006)

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