Just a warning…
I am trying to get away from including spoilers in my reviews, but most of the reviews currently posted here DO CONTAIN SPOILERS.
SPOILERS Tuesday, Feb 27 2007
Uncategorized 11:52 am
Goodnight Nobody Friday, Feb 23 2007
Goodnight Nobody
by Jennifer Weiner
Why did I read it?
I loved Little Earthquakes, one of Jennifer Weiner’s other books, so I was excited to read something else by her. I had ordered this as one of my enrollment selections in the Quality Paperback Book Club and I picked this up off the shelf on a Friday morning partly because it’s a large hard cover book and I was hoping I could finish it over the weekend – I hate toting hardcovers to and from work during the week. Well, that didn’t happen…
What’s it about?
Kate Klein is a (newly) suburban Connecticut housewife who is in an unhappy marriage and just doesn’t fit in with her fellow moms, with their pilates classes and perfect pedicures. One day she arrives at one of her contemporaries homes after a mysterious phone call to “meet for lunch” and finds Kitty Cavanaugh dead on the kitchen floor, with a knife in her back. Kate’s boredomn and curiousity inspires her to try and solve the mystery of Kitty’s death (with some help from her best friend, New Yorker Janie.) Her investigation brings up lots of unknown stuff about her fellow suburbians, including Kitty herself. It also brings her back into contact with a former flame, Evan.
Did I like it?
I really did not like it, which is unfortunate. I like Jennifer Weiner’s writing style, but I just did not enjoy this book at all, it was a pain to finish. First of all, I found the main character, Kate, to be whiny, self-absorbed, and annoying. The plot was boring and way too many irrelevant characters were introduced. And the ending – ugh, not only was it overly simple and just plain stupid, so many things were left unresolved at the end of the book. I just think Jennifer Weiner should stick to “chick lit” and not try to do the mystery thing.
Rating:
C-
Watermelon Sunday, Feb 18 2007
Brit Lit and Chick Lit and Fiction 8:15 am
Watermelon
by Marian Keyes
Why did I read it?
Well, I remember reading somewhere that Marian Keyes was “one of the forefounders of chick lit” (or something like that) so I figured her books would probably be good. I actually got this book in a lot of books on e-bay that I bought mainly because it included another book I wanted to read, but it looked and sounded appealing so I ended up picking it up before I did any of the other books in the lot.
What’s it about?
It’s about Claire, a 29 year-old Irish woman living in London whose husband James leaves her the day she gives birth to their daughter Kate. Devastated, Claire moves back to Dublin and in with her quirky family (mom, dad, and two of her four sisters, the hippie Anna and the vixen Helen.) Slowly but surely Claire begins to get over James and rebuild her life. It helps that she meets a young, gorgeous college student, Adam. But then, James shows up and wants her back. What will Claire do?
Did I like it?
The first 1/3 or so seemed really slow and I had a hard time getting into it. That, and Marian Keyes writing style (or maybe it’s just this book, I don’t know) is really different. Lots of internal chatter from the characters perspective and direct references to “you” (the reader.) It took some getting used to. But once I got about half way through, I started to really enjoy the book. The plot got more interesting and I got used to the characterization. And although the ending was pretty predictible, it wasn’t totally so, and it managed to stay pretty interesting.
Rating:
C+
Dreams from My Father Thursday, Feb 15 2007
Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance
by Barack Obama
Why did I read it?
Well, I’ve been on a chick lit run recently and was in the mood for something that required a little more thought. I had recently ordered this from QPB and Barack Obama just announced his candidacy for the 2008 presidential election so I thought this would be a good time to read this.
What’s it about?
Barack wrote this a few years out of Harvard law and I guess it’s kind of his memoir. In the first section “Orgins” he covers his childhood in Hawaii and Indonesia, in the second section “Chicago” he explains his early adulthood, working as a community organizer on Chicago’s south side, and in the third section “Kenya” he takes you through his lengthy visit to Africa to meet and get to know his dad’s side of the family.
Did I like it?
Not near as much as I had hoped. Although I knew there would be racial undertones and commentary, I expected more of a description of his life, and fewer lengthy passages describing race relations, etc. He DID have a very interesting life and it was intriguing to hear about his background. At times I think he went overboard introducing characters and I had a hard time keeping track of who everyone was. But I would say that this book is just as much a societal commentary as it is a memoir. Mr. Obama is a good writer, and I appreciate his story, but I just found parts of this book to be extremely boring, drawn out, and somewhat repetitive. There’s a copy of his 2004 Democratic convention Keynote address at the end of the book, and to me, this was one of the most interesting parts of the whole book. Maybe that means I’ll like his other book “The Audacity of Hope” better. I still consider myself a “fan” of Barack Obama, just not so much this book
Rating:
C
Book-buying Moratorium Tuesday, Feb 13 2007
Uncategorized 9:00 am
OK, I am officially addicted to buying books. Luckily, my addiction doesn’t come in the form of trips to Borders or Barnes and Nobles, where I would be paying full price for a book, but in the form of e-bay, where I’ve gotten some great deals (I just won an auction for “The Undomestic Goddess,” “The Ex Files,” “Watermelon,” “A Long Way Down”, and “His n’ Hers” for around $5 including shipping.) In the past month or so I’ve probably bought 20 books, between (mostly) e-bay and the Quality Paperback Book Club (which CAN get expensive, so I need to watch it.) However, part of the problem with e-bay is that it’s so accesible, since I work on a computer with Internet access all day. It’s hard for me to stay away.
It’s not the best time for me to ramp up my e-baying, since we are expecting a baby in 2 months. Books aren’t the only thing I’ve bought via e-bay recently, but they are what I’ve bought most. I used to be fine with getting library books, but since Steve (see, I blame him) bought me 2 new books for Christmas, I’ve been kind of addicted to reading books that I own. And I think I’ve kind of given in to my love of books and reading, and I’m enjoying building my book collection.
That being said, after “Jemima J” (which I just bought) and possibly one another book (from that seller, they have great combined shipping discounts which I can’t stand not taking advantage of) I am imposing a book-buying moratorium on myself. Partially for money reasons, but also because my list of “to be reads” that I own is getting pretty big. I do read fast, but I have plenty of books lined up, both chick lit and other, waiting for me to grab off the shelf.
I’m dying to try a Jodi Picoult book but I’m really going to try to stick to this.
Worldchanging Saturday, Feb 10 2007
Uncategorized 7:59 pm
Worldchanging
edited by Alex Steffen
(Currently reading)
Worldchanging is a 500-some page beast of a book that I don’t think is meant to be read cover to cover. But I find it very interesting and really do want to read every page, so I’m going to leave it on the coffee table and pick it up to read a few pages whenever the mood strikes me. This isn’t a book I’m going to be toting from work to home and it will probably take me a LONG time to actually finish the entire thing, but I wanted to add it here anyway.
Something Blue Saturday, Feb 10 2007
Chick Lit 5:43 pm
Something Blue
by Emily Giffin
Why did I read it?
Well, I picked up all three of Emily Giffin’s works on E-bay a while back, at the recommendation of many on the nest book club board. I had already read “Baby Proof” and just recently finished “Something Borrowed,” so I thought I might as well finish up “Something Blue” before moving on to a new genre (I think I’m taking a break from chick lit for a book or two.)
What’s it about?
“Something Blue” is basically a continuation (or rather, a slight overlap and then continuation ) of “Something Borrowed,” only it’s told from Darcy’s perspective rather than Rachel’s. If you remember, at the end of “Something Borrowed”, Rachel “stole” Darcy’s fiancee Dex, and Darcy found out she was pregnant by Marcus, who she was cheating on Dex with. So “Something Blue” opens with Darcy’s telling of these last events, and then her plans to marry Marcus. Well, after a very unsuccesful trip home to visit her parents and a number of other incidents, Marcus breaks up with Darcy. Then Claire, Darcy’s new “best friend” pretty much dumps her too. Darcy attempts to seduce Dex with no luck. At the end of her rope, Darcy quits her job and moves to London to live with her childhood pal, Ethan – in hopes of finding the perfect life there.
Well, as you could guess, things don’t go just as Darcy planned. She finds out that she’s expecting twin boys (not the sweet little girl she had anticipated.) She has trouble finding a job. Things turn around a bit when she meets and begins dating a sweet, handsome doctor, George, but around that time Darcy realizes who she really has feelings for – Ethan. She also begins to work through her “issues” and makes genuine positive changes to her life and personality. You can probably guess the rest of the book from here on out. (it ends with Darcy and Ethan’s wedding, including Rachel and Dex as guests.)
Did I like it?
I liked it more than “Something Borrowed” because I found Darcy’s character more interesting and was truly rooting for her (as I was not for Rachel.) I pretty much could guess where the plot was going early on, but it still kept me interested. I’m starting to really like Emily Giffin’s writing style, I just wish all of her books didn’t involve relationships gone wrong.
Rating:
B+
Something Borrowed Friday, Feb 9 2007
Something Borrowed
by Emily Giffin
Why did I read it?
I’ve heard such great things about Emily Giffin on the nest book club message board. “Baby Proof” was OK but everyone RAVES about these two (Something Borrowed, Something Blue.) I picked all 3 up on e-bay a while back and was waiting for some books in the mail, so I thought this should be a quick, good read.
What’s it about?
Rachel and Darcy have been best friends pretty much their whole life. Rachel is the smart, average-looking one, – Darcy is the beautiful, attention-getting one for whom everything seems to just fall into place. On the night of Rachel’s 30th birthday, she gets drunk and sleeps with Darcy’s fiancee, Dex (who Rachel introduced to Darcy years ago.) It turns out not to be just a drunken one night stand, as Rachel and Dex realize they have true feelings for eachother. Rachel realizes that she’s spent her whole life catering to Darcy, and that she should have “kept Dex for herself” (so to speak.) So what will happen? Will Dex call the wedding off? (he does) Will Dex and Rachel end up together (they do) What will become of Darcy (turns out she was actually cheating on Dex with HIS friend, and is pregnant with his baby.)
Did I like it?
It was pretty good. I liked it better than “Baby Proof.” I liked how the plot includes multiple characters (Hillary, Claire, Ethan, etc.) – some chick lit books fall into that predictible mode of having the main character have one best friend they’re constantly with, and that’s it. Emily Giffin’s writing style is pretty good (but it somewhat bothers me how she describes dialogue instead of writing it out sometimes.)
BUT – I’m sorry, as much as she tried to make you root for Rachel, and to justify what she was doing, I just couldn’t get on board. I have to say, I was hoping for Rachel and Dex to not end up together in the end. I wanted Rachel to choose her life-long best friend over her “love.” I’m anxious to see what becomes of Darcy in “Something Blue” (the sequel, which follows her.)
Rating:
B
Master “To Be Read” List Friday, Feb 2 2007
To Read 8:50 am
I’ve added alot of items to my “mental” to be read list, so I thought I should write them down. As always, this list is subject to frequent additions or subtractions. I’ll cross items out as I read them.
TO BE READ:
- Chick Lit
Summer Sisters by Judy Blume
Babyville by Jane Green
Good Grief by Lolly Winston (own it)
I Don’t Know How She Does It by Allison Pearson (own it)
Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner (own it)
Goodnight Nobody by Jennifer Weiner (own it)
Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin (own it)
Something Blue by Emily Giffin (own it)
Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld
24 Karat Kids by Judy Goldstein & Sebastian Stuart
Bed Rest by Sarah Bilston
Can You Keep a Secret? by Sophia Kinsella
The Undomestic Goddess by Sophia Kinsella (own it)
Jemima J by Jane Green (own it)
Lipstick Jungle by Candace Bushnell (own it)
Why Girls are Weird by Pamela Ribon
Why Moms are Weird by Pamela Ribon
Watermelon by Marian Keyes (own it)
em>His n’ Hers by Mike Gayle (own it)
The Ex Files by Jane Moore (own it)
Nearlyweds by Beth Kendrick
Confessions of SuperMom by Melanie Hauser (own it)
- Modern Fiction
My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult (own it)
The Pact by Jodi Picoult
The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger (own it)
The Girls by Lori Lansens
The Fortunate Son by Walter Mosley
Midwives by Chris Bohjalian (own it)
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
The Rent Tent by Anita Diamant
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd (own it)
I Know This Much is True by Wally Lamb
Where the Heart Is by Billie Letts (own it)
The Reader by Bernard Schlift (own it)
- Memoirs
Dreams from my Father by Barack Obama (own it)
Teacher Man by Frank McCourt (own it)
Sweet and Low by Rich Cohen
The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls
Heat by Bill Buford
Jesusland by Julia Scheeres
- Instructional/Self-Help
How to Be a Cat Detective by Vicky Halls
The Working Gal’s Guide to Babyville by Paige Hobey (own it)
Babyproofing Your Marriage by Stacy Cockrell, Cathy O’Neil, and Julia Stone
The Happiest Baby on the Block by Harvey Karp
The Diaper Diaries: The Real Poop on a New Mom’s First Year by Cynthia Copeland (own it)
The New Mom’s Companion: Care for Yourself While You Care for Your Newborn by Deborah Rosenberg and Mary Sue Miller (own it)
Nursing Mother, Working Mother by Gayle Prior
The Guilt-Free Guide to Your Life as a New Mom by Sheryl Gurrentz (own it)
- Non-Fiction
The End of Faith by Sam Harris
The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama
Earth in the Balance by Al Gore
Fat Politics by J. Eric Oliver
The Republican War on Science by Chris Mooney
The Greatest Story Ever Sold by Frank Rich
Six Feet Under: Better Living Through Death by HBO (own it)
- Classics
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
A Prayer for Owen Meaney by John Irving (own it)
Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
WOW, it looks like I have some reading to do!
New Rating System Friday, Feb 2 2007
Uncategorized 8:31 am
I’ve decided to revise my rating system a bit. Instead of using the whole “star system” (which is getting a little ridiculous with ratings like “two and three-quarter stars) I’m going to adopt the following scale. I’ll be going back and updating all of my older posts to follow this format also.
A-I LOVED it!
B-I liked it
C-Eh, it was OK
D-It wasn’t good
E-Ugh, I absolutely hated it!
