Hi again! It has been a while, but here's the latest in what I've been reading...
Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It's taken me nine months to do it, but I can now say that I have read the complete Sherlock Holmes collection: 56 short stories and 4 novels. I also watched the movie when it came out last year (or was it the year before... time flies...) and between the two I have completely fallen in love with both Sherlock and John Watson. I won't go into really describing each story, and to be honest, it's been a while since I read the first ones. But I think my favourite Holmes story will always be The Hound of the Baskervilles. I also particularly enjoyed The Adventure of the Dying Detective and The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire. In the Dying Detective, Holmes pretends to be dying of some rare disease in order to draw a confession out of a murderer. In the Sussex Vampire, a woman is believed to be a vampire because she is found with her mouth to her young child's neck, where there are pinpricks, and her mouth is covered in blood. Holmes figures out that the child's half brother was trying to kill his brother with poison darts, out of jealousy, and the mother was sucking the poison out.
Overall story rating: 9.5/10 for all
Recommendation: 13+ (the British might be more difficult for younger readers)
Over Her Dead Body by Kate White. I read another book by Kate White, this book actually takes place before that one. In this book, main character Bailey Weggins lands a great job working for a high profile celebrity magazine. Shortly after starting work, her boss is found dead in the office and Bailey makes it her business to find the killer. Another coworker dies along the way, but Bailey eventually finds her man.
Overall story rating: 9/10
Recommendation: 14+
My Wicked Vampire by Nina Bangs was by far the strangest take on vampires and other-worldly creatures that I have ever read. In this book (which is apparently part of the Castle of Dark Dreams series), main character Cinn Airmid is hired by Sparkle Stardust to work for the Castle of Dreams - an adult theme park - because Cinn has a unique ability with plants. Meaning that she can develop plants that do unimaginable things. Cinn believes that it's all science, but Sparkle knows that the truth is that Cinn is a descendant of the plant goddess Airmid and Cinn is actually a demi-goddess which means she has some of Airmid's own powers. And Airmid doesn't like what Cinn's doing to her plants. Cinn is suddently thrown into a world she never knew existed and falls for the most lethal creature of all - vampire.
Overall story rating: 7/10
Recommendation: 17+
If You Lived Here, You'd Be Home Now by Claire LaZebnik. I found this to be a really awesome "coming-of-age" story that I kind of felt able to relate to. College dropout Rickie is a 25 year old single mom to the very challenging 7 year old Noah, who has been unemployed and living with her parents since Noah was born. She can't get along with her mom, and can't understand her son. Things start to change when Noah complains that his new gym teacher pushed him too hard and let the other kids kick him and laugh at him. Rickie goes to the school in a rage and tries to get Coach Andrew Fulton fired. That of course doesn't work, but it sparks an interesting relationship between Rickie and Andrew and they ultimately fall in love. *sigh* <3
Overall story rating: 10/10
Recommendation: 14+
Smart Girls Think Twice by Cathie Linz. This was your typical romance. Between a smart, naïve girl, and a buff, guarded boy. It's more or less love at first sight, and lots of sexual tension between them for most of the book. The story wasn't very well developed/written. The characters were, I feel like the main characters are some of my friends. But the story line was lacking. And it was all very predictable - nothing new going on here. The basic opposites-attract, fall in love, then one runs away and hurts the other, and then they get back together and live happily ever after. The End.
Overall story rating: 5/10
Recommendation: 19+ (a lot of explicit imagery)
I have now read 30 out of my aimed 52 books. There are 14 weeks left of 2011 so I've got 22 books left to read, approximately 1.5 every week between now and the new year!! Wish me luck! =0D
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Monday, August 29, 2011
Yikes!! More Book Reviews
My, my, my, how the time flies! Was my last post really in May?!? Yikes! Well, things have been busy... just not that busy, I don't really have an excuse for ya. Somewhere in the course of the last 6.5 months, my goal has shifted from reading all the books on my list (which was 52 or something like that) in the year, to just reading 52 books this year, equaling out to one a week. I am, of course, trying to check off the list. But, as always, I keep accumulating more books, which look so much more interesting than the old ones, so the older ones keep getting pushed aside. But I am, slowly, working through them. So, to cover the last couple months...
Shopaholic Takes Manhattan and Shopaholic Ties the Knot by Sophie Kinsella. I've really been enjoying the Shopaholic series, I look forward to someday getting my hands on the rest of them. I think I may have bought another of Sophie's books on my last Value Village run, but I can't remember. Becky is, as always, infuriating and yet reminds me in small ways of myself. I think she gets more annoying with each book! In the Takes Manhattan book, Becky and Luke move to New York. She ends up getting into a lot of debt - again. She also can't stand Luke's mother, who only appears to have an interest in him now that he's becoming famous and making a name for himself. Unfortunately things get really sour when some reporters back in London find out that the finance guru is a complete fake and has loads of debt - overseas, to boot! This also sheds a bad light on Luke and his efforts to open the new branch of his company in New York. They have a huge fight and Becky goes home and discovers who the culprit was behind all of her bad luck. Then she makes the huge decision to sell all her things, pay off her debts, and move to New York - alone. Two months later, Luke goes to find her and proposes. In Ties the Knot, Becky is especially frustrating as she accidentally starts to plan 2 completely different weddings and hasn't got the backbone to choose one and cancel the other. Option 1: New York dream wedding, all expenses paid (by Luke's mom). Option 2: Sweet, traditional London wedding at home, with her mom and dad paying. Both weddings are planned for the same day and she manages to keep both mothers in the dark. In the end everything works out, of course, but it's a close call!!
Overall story rating: 9/10 for both
Recommendation: 14+
Too Small to Ignore by Dr. Wess Stafford was a really moving view of the world's children and how we should be ministering to them. This is not my first choice of book genre's, which I suppose is why it made the impact that it did. Dr. Stafford spent most of his growing up years in Africa as a missionary kid, and I loved the stories he shared about life as a little boy in their village. How different life was there. He also shares unpleasant stories about the boarding school he and his sister lived at for most of the year. Terrible things that people - Christians - do to children, because nobody is there to stop them. That's why children need advocates. That's why I am one. I may not have experienced the horrible things that those children, or that Dr. Stafford, have suffered, but I have compassion and empathy and a sense of justice. It was a really good read...
Overall story rating: 8/10 It's not really a story, more of a biography, but quite interesting
Recommendation: Adults and mature teenagers, particularly those interested in Compassion, the mission field, and/or child advocacy...
The Prince Next Door by Sue Civil-Brown. This was a fun little book about a thrill-seeking dermatologist who just wants to have a good time over her vacation. Her new neighbour seems mysterious enough, but then she finds out that he's trying to disprove that he is the prince of some obscure little European country that nobody's ever heard of. That's just too much of an adventure for Serena to pass up, so she and a couple of her friends decide to help Darius. The plan involves robbery and deception, with some kidnapping thrown in. Things don't turn out as planned for those involved, but they do find their answer - and, of course, Serena and Darius fall in love. :)
Overall story rating: 9/10
Recommendation: 16+
A Body to Die For by Kate White. Halfway through this book, I realized there is one that comes before, which I have since bought. Unfortunately now I know what happens in the first one, but this one was such a thriller I'm sure I'll have no problem getting through the other one. It starts off with Bailey, the main character, going to a friend's spa to relax, and discovering a dead body in the spa, her first night there. She spends the rest of that weekend (and a couple others?) comforting her friend, getting friendly with a cop, and conducting her own investigation. The murderer really is the last person you would expect...
Overall story rating: 9/10
Recommendation: 16+
The Film Club by David Gilmour. This is a true story about a dad who let his son drop out of high school on the condition that they would watch 3 movies (of Dad's choice) together every week. The father had spent some time as a film critic, so he tried to introduce his son to a wide range of different styles of movies. Old movies, new movies, art movies, fun movies, etc.etc. It was a bonding time for them and many topics were discussed during these years. It's an interesting concept, but definitely not for everyone.
Overall story rating: 7/10
Recommendation: I wouldn't really recommend it
Rapid Descent by Gwen Hunter. Parts of this book were a bit boring for me, just because it's all about kayaking so there were certain parts where it's talking about techniques or tools that I'm not familiar with, but at the same time it was interesting, and now I have a slight interest in learning to kayak. Anyway, the story is about this woman (Nell), who goes kayaking with her husband (Joe). She gets caught up in a fallen tree and is unconscious for a while. He gets worried and decides to go for help. She wakes up a day later to find his note and is worried that he might be hurt somewhere because he hasn't come back. She goes out looking for him on the water, despite being very sick. She can't find him and eventually comes across some campers who get her some medical attention. They search for Joe for a long time, but never find him. She also discovers that Joe has a family (which he told her he didn't) and they're rich. And, at the end of the search, she finds out she's pregnant. Fast forward 7 years, Nell has a booming river touring business. The cold case opens back up. Nell was always their first suspect, even now. They eventually find the body, and the real killer, and Nell finds her joy and a new love.
Overall story rating: 8/10
Recommendation: 18+
So... quick overview of all those books. It's been a while since I read some of them, so I'm a bit rusty on the stories.
Shopaholic Takes Manhattan and Shopaholic Ties the Knot by Sophie Kinsella. I've really been enjoying the Shopaholic series, I look forward to someday getting my hands on the rest of them. I think I may have bought another of Sophie's books on my last Value Village run, but I can't remember. Becky is, as always, infuriating and yet reminds me in small ways of myself. I think she gets more annoying with each book! In the Takes Manhattan book, Becky and Luke move to New York. She ends up getting into a lot of debt - again. She also can't stand Luke's mother, who only appears to have an interest in him now that he's becoming famous and making a name for himself. Unfortunately things get really sour when some reporters back in London find out that the finance guru is a complete fake and has loads of debt - overseas, to boot! This also sheds a bad light on Luke and his efforts to open the new branch of his company in New York. They have a huge fight and Becky goes home and discovers who the culprit was behind all of her bad luck. Then she makes the huge decision to sell all her things, pay off her debts, and move to New York - alone. Two months later, Luke goes to find her and proposes. In Ties the Knot, Becky is especially frustrating as she accidentally starts to plan 2 completely different weddings and hasn't got the backbone to choose one and cancel the other. Option 1: New York dream wedding, all expenses paid (by Luke's mom). Option 2: Sweet, traditional London wedding at home, with her mom and dad paying. Both weddings are planned for the same day and she manages to keep both mothers in the dark. In the end everything works out, of course, but it's a close call!!
Overall story rating: 9/10 for both
Recommendation: 14+
Too Small to Ignore by Dr. Wess Stafford was a really moving view of the world's children and how we should be ministering to them. This is not my first choice of book genre's, which I suppose is why it made the impact that it did. Dr. Stafford spent most of his growing up years in Africa as a missionary kid, and I loved the stories he shared about life as a little boy in their village. How different life was there. He also shares unpleasant stories about the boarding school he and his sister lived at for most of the year. Terrible things that people - Christians - do to children, because nobody is there to stop them. That's why children need advocates. That's why I am one. I may not have experienced the horrible things that those children, or that Dr. Stafford, have suffered, but I have compassion and empathy and a sense of justice. It was a really good read...
Overall story rating: 8/10 It's not really a story, more of a biography, but quite interesting
Recommendation: Adults and mature teenagers, particularly those interested in Compassion, the mission field, and/or child advocacy...
The Prince Next Door by Sue Civil-Brown. This was a fun little book about a thrill-seeking dermatologist who just wants to have a good time over her vacation. Her new neighbour seems mysterious enough, but then she finds out that he's trying to disprove that he is the prince of some obscure little European country that nobody's ever heard of. That's just too much of an adventure for Serena to pass up, so she and a couple of her friends decide to help Darius. The plan involves robbery and deception, with some kidnapping thrown in. Things don't turn out as planned for those involved, but they do find their answer - and, of course, Serena and Darius fall in love. :)
Overall story rating: 9/10
Recommendation: 16+
A Body to Die For by Kate White. Halfway through this book, I realized there is one that comes before, which I have since bought. Unfortunately now I know what happens in the first one, but this one was such a thriller I'm sure I'll have no problem getting through the other one. It starts off with Bailey, the main character, going to a friend's spa to relax, and discovering a dead body in the spa, her first night there. She spends the rest of that weekend (and a couple others?) comforting her friend, getting friendly with a cop, and conducting her own investigation. The murderer really is the last person you would expect...
Overall story rating: 9/10
Recommendation: 16+
The Film Club by David Gilmour. This is a true story about a dad who let his son drop out of high school on the condition that they would watch 3 movies (of Dad's choice) together every week. The father had spent some time as a film critic, so he tried to introduce his son to a wide range of different styles of movies. Old movies, new movies, art movies, fun movies, etc.etc. It was a bonding time for them and many topics were discussed during these years. It's an interesting concept, but definitely not for everyone.
Overall story rating: 7/10
Recommendation: I wouldn't really recommend it
Rapid Descent by Gwen Hunter. Parts of this book were a bit boring for me, just because it's all about kayaking so there were certain parts where it's talking about techniques or tools that I'm not familiar with, but at the same time it was interesting, and now I have a slight interest in learning to kayak. Anyway, the story is about this woman (Nell), who goes kayaking with her husband (Joe). She gets caught up in a fallen tree and is unconscious for a while. He gets worried and decides to go for help. She wakes up a day later to find his note and is worried that he might be hurt somewhere because he hasn't come back. She goes out looking for him on the water, despite being very sick. She can't find him and eventually comes across some campers who get her some medical attention. They search for Joe for a long time, but never find him. She also discovers that Joe has a family (which he told her he didn't) and they're rich. And, at the end of the search, she finds out she's pregnant. Fast forward 7 years, Nell has a booming river touring business. The cold case opens back up. Nell was always their first suspect, even now. They eventually find the body, and the real killer, and Nell finds her joy and a new love.
Overall story rating: 8/10
Recommendation: 18+
So... quick overview of all those books. It's been a while since I read some of them, so I'm a bit rusty on the stories.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Oh, dear... Book Reviews
Hm... I'm slipping! I thought I had skipped maybe 1 or 2 books, but come to find out I'm 4 behind now! Yikes! So I will just give a quick overview the books I've read in the last couple months.
"The Penny Tree" by Holly Kennedy - This was a rather true-to-life feeling story about a single mom and the trials she faces in going thru a divorce and raising 2 teenage boys on her own, 1 who is sick and 1 who has been acting out. One day a very romantic ad appears in the local paper - someone is looking for her. When she tries to contact the person, she has no luck and contacting the newspaper only tells her that the person who bought them wishes to remain anonymous and he will reveal his identity in 6 weeks' time, after the rest of the ads have run. Of the many possibilities of men she thinks it could be, her true secret admirer is someone you would never expect!
"The Monk Downstairs" by Tim Farrington - This was a really cute story about another single mom who rents out her basement as an apartment for a little extra income. She ends up renting to an ex-monk, fresh from the monastery and they, of course, fall in love. Very sweet.
"Jinxed" by Beth Ciotta - This was a pretty fun little novel. I wasn't too sure about it, because I bought it at the Dollar Tree, and there are typo's and stuff. But the story was quite amusing. Heroine Afia St. John is quite possibly the unluckiest woman alive. She was born on Friday the 13th, which her mother has never let her forget, and has been brought up to be superstitious and believing she is jinxed. Most people would agree. When she was 16 her father was killed in a freak rhinoceros attack. Her first husband died in bed with her when she was 22. Her second husband has also recently died (I don't remember the circumstances). And because of the wealth these 3 men have left behind for her, the magazines and newspapers refer to her as the Black Widow. But then her business manager runs off with all her money leaving her penniless and almost friendless. But, with the help of her godfather, unbeknown to her, she gets a job with a PI, who is actually being paid to babysit her and make sure she doesn't get into trouble. But he calls off the job when he realizes he's in love with her, then it's only a matter of convincing her that she is not bad luck or jinxed. You choose your own destiny.
"Confessions of a Shopaholic" by Sophie Kinsella - I won't lie, I didn't like Becky Bloomwood's character at all at first. I just wanted to shake her and yell "Have you no control?!" But then I realized that in my own way, I'm very much like her. She has this obsession with shopping that seems to be bigger than her. She's thousands of pounds in debt, and the thought of the state of her personal finances is enough to throw her into a panic fit, which usually results in more shopping to make her feel better. The way she justifies every purchase is just ridiculous sometimes... Anyway, the hilariously ironic part is that Becky's job is in finance journalism. She thinks she doesn't know anything about finances, because her own are such a mess and she keeps running away from them. But in the end, she (and everyone around her) realizes she knows a lot more about finances than she thought, and she finally grows up to face her problems. I really enjoyed it... looking forward to getting into the next one...
"The Penny Tree" by Holly Kennedy - This was a rather true-to-life feeling story about a single mom and the trials she faces in going thru a divorce and raising 2 teenage boys on her own, 1 who is sick and 1 who has been acting out. One day a very romantic ad appears in the local paper - someone is looking for her. When she tries to contact the person, she has no luck and contacting the newspaper only tells her that the person who bought them wishes to remain anonymous and he will reveal his identity in 6 weeks' time, after the rest of the ads have run. Of the many possibilities of men she thinks it could be, her true secret admirer is someone you would never expect!
"The Monk Downstairs" by Tim Farrington - This was a really cute story about another single mom who rents out her basement as an apartment for a little extra income. She ends up renting to an ex-monk, fresh from the monastery and they, of course, fall in love. Very sweet.
"Jinxed" by Beth Ciotta - This was a pretty fun little novel. I wasn't too sure about it, because I bought it at the Dollar Tree, and there are typo's and stuff. But the story was quite amusing. Heroine Afia St. John is quite possibly the unluckiest woman alive. She was born on Friday the 13th, which her mother has never let her forget, and has been brought up to be superstitious and believing she is jinxed. Most people would agree. When she was 16 her father was killed in a freak rhinoceros attack. Her first husband died in bed with her when she was 22. Her second husband has also recently died (I don't remember the circumstances). And because of the wealth these 3 men have left behind for her, the magazines and newspapers refer to her as the Black Widow. But then her business manager runs off with all her money leaving her penniless and almost friendless. But, with the help of her godfather, unbeknown to her, she gets a job with a PI, who is actually being paid to babysit her and make sure she doesn't get into trouble. But he calls off the job when he realizes he's in love with her, then it's only a matter of convincing her that she is not bad luck or jinxed. You choose your own destiny.
"Confessions of a Shopaholic" by Sophie Kinsella - I won't lie, I didn't like Becky Bloomwood's character at all at first. I just wanted to shake her and yell "Have you no control?!" But then I realized that in my own way, I'm very much like her. She has this obsession with shopping that seems to be bigger than her. She's thousands of pounds in debt, and the thought of the state of her personal finances is enough to throw her into a panic fit, which usually results in more shopping to make her feel better. The way she justifies every purchase is just ridiculous sometimes... Anyway, the hilariously ironic part is that Becky's job is in finance journalism. She thinks she doesn't know anything about finances, because her own are such a mess and she keeps running away from them. But in the end, she (and everyone around her) realizes she knows a lot more about finances than she thought, and she finally grows up to face her problems. I really enjoyed it... looking forward to getting into the next one...
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
April 27, 2011
I haven't forgotten! It's just taking me a really long time to get thru my current book. But I will get thru it and hopefully move on very soon! :)
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Book Review: The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
This was a really fun story, I totally enjoyed it. It had a very Lemony Snicket / Roald Dahl feel to it that was really magical and extraordinary and made you feel like anything is possible.
The story is about these 4 special children who take Mr. Benedict's crazy tests and end up joining his secret society to become spies. Their mission: to discover what exactly The Thing To Come is, and bring a stop to it. Reynie, the boy telling the story, is very bright with a knack for problem-solving and leadership. Sticky has an incredible memory. Kate is extremely resourceful and knows distances just by looking at them. Then there's Constance. Nobody really knows what her talent is, other than being obnoxiously negative and ornery. Her stubbornness does end up saving the day, but what makes her truly special doesn't come to light until the very end - surprise!
I can't really describe it much more than this without telling the whole story. The children go undercover to this private academy to solve Mr. Benedict's mystery. They find some other surprises along the way. And they have almost daily contact with Mr. Benedict and his crew across the river by using a flashlight to send Morse code messages. The messages sent back are always coded tho, so they always have to figure out what Mr. Benedict is trying to tell them, and then do it. They almost get caught a few times, but are ultimately successful.
I found it to be a really fun, interesting adventure, and when I got to the end I realized that there are at least 2 other books about these extraordinary children and their adventures. If I ever come across them I would definitely get them! :)
Overall story rating: 9/10
Recommendation: anyone - it's quite big, though
The story is about these 4 special children who take Mr. Benedict's crazy tests and end up joining his secret society to become spies. Their mission: to discover what exactly The Thing To Come is, and bring a stop to it. Reynie, the boy telling the story, is very bright with a knack for problem-solving and leadership. Sticky has an incredible memory. Kate is extremely resourceful and knows distances just by looking at them. Then there's Constance. Nobody really knows what her talent is, other than being obnoxiously negative and ornery. Her stubbornness does end up saving the day, but what makes her truly special doesn't come to light until the very end - surprise!
I can't really describe it much more than this without telling the whole story. The children go undercover to this private academy to solve Mr. Benedict's mystery. They find some other surprises along the way. And they have almost daily contact with Mr. Benedict and his crew across the river by using a flashlight to send Morse code messages. The messages sent back are always coded tho, so they always have to figure out what Mr. Benedict is trying to tell them, and then do it. They almost get caught a few times, but are ultimately successful.
I found it to be a really fun, interesting adventure, and when I got to the end I realized that there are at least 2 other books about these extraordinary children and their adventures. If I ever come across them I would definitely get them! :)
Overall story rating: 9/10
Recommendation: anyone - it's quite big, though
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Book Review: The Reader by Bernhard Schlink
I found this to be a bit of a tough read. It's written in 3 parts, and part 2 really turned me off, so it took me a lot longer than it should have to finish. I've never seen then movie, but now that I've finished the book, I think it might be interesting. Someday. I'm gonna go out to rent it right now or anything.
So it's written in the voice of the main character, Michael Berg, looking back on this particular part of his life. The first part of the book covers how Michael met Hanna Schmitz. When Michael was 15 he fell ill with hepatitis on his way home from school one day. He threw up in the road, and Hanna rescued him, cleaned him up, and took him home. He was sick for months and when he finally was well enough to, his mother sent him to find the woman and thank her for helping him. He did, and went back a few more times, and they end up having an affair, despite her being more than twice his age. She frequently asks him to read to her, which he does, and it becomes an integral part of their relationship. He doesn't tell anyone about their affair, not even his closest friends. I'm not sure exactly how long it lasts, but not much more than a year. Michael starts to feel as if he's betrayed Hanna because he can't bring himself to tell anyone about her, and he starts to want to spend more time with his friends. Then one day, Hanna disappears. He's completely distraught and depressed, but does very well to hide it from him family and friends.
In part two he goes on to college and studies law, thinking that he'd like to be a lawyer. A particular concentration of their studies is war crimes and ex-Nazis and how they should have been or should be punished for their crimes, and part of the course involves sitting through an actual trial. At the trial Michael sees Hanna for the first time in years and discovers that she was a guard in the concentration camps. He sits through every day of the trial, and after hearing stories and putting some pieces together, realizes that Hanna is illiterate. He feels this should have some effect on her case, but doesn't want to speak to her in person, and doesn't feel he can speak to the judge on her behalf. She gets sentenced to life in prison, and he goes on to marry a classmate. They have a daughter, and get divorced a few years later because Michael is constantly comparing the women in his life to Hanna.
In part three, Michael starts reading the books he had read in school, but finds that he has to read them aloud to fulfill whatever need he can't seem to satisfy any other way. And he starts recording his readings and sending them to Hanna in prison. At one point he also writes a book and sends her the recording. He's stunned when she writes him a note thanking him. He never writes back, but continues sending recordings, and she continues sending short notes. Then he gets a letter from her warden saying that she will probably be released soon and since he is the only person Hanna has contact with on the outside, it would be nice if he could arrange for a place for her to live and work, etc and be a support to her when she's released, because reintegration into society after 18 years of imprisonment is difficult, but especially for someone who's had no contact with the outside. Michael does provide these arrangements, and then it comes time for him to go to the prison to see Hanna and speak to the warden in person. Seeing Hanna is a shocking experience for him - she has aged so. He's torn over his feelings for her. She's still his Hanna, and yet she's older, she did terrible things during the war, she did terrible things in her life to cover the fact that she was illiterate, but then she did make the necessary sacrifices to learn to read and write while she was in prison. And though he knows why she left, he never forgave her for abandoning him without explanation or saying goodbye. Finally, the day before he's to pick her up, he calls the prison to speak to the warden and does speak to Hanna. The next day when he arrives at the prison, he's told that Hanna hanged herself early that morning.
The story gets wrapped up by Hanna leaving all her money to a concentration camp survivor and Michael finally learning to let go of her.
Overall story rating: 7/10
Recommendation: 17+ for mature content
So it's written in the voice of the main character, Michael Berg, looking back on this particular part of his life. The first part of the book covers how Michael met Hanna Schmitz. When Michael was 15 he fell ill with hepatitis on his way home from school one day. He threw up in the road, and Hanna rescued him, cleaned him up, and took him home. He was sick for months and when he finally was well enough to, his mother sent him to find the woman and thank her for helping him. He did, and went back a few more times, and they end up having an affair, despite her being more than twice his age. She frequently asks him to read to her, which he does, and it becomes an integral part of their relationship. He doesn't tell anyone about their affair, not even his closest friends. I'm not sure exactly how long it lasts, but not much more than a year. Michael starts to feel as if he's betrayed Hanna because he can't bring himself to tell anyone about her, and he starts to want to spend more time with his friends. Then one day, Hanna disappears. He's completely distraught and depressed, but does very well to hide it from him family and friends.
In part two he goes on to college and studies law, thinking that he'd like to be a lawyer. A particular concentration of their studies is war crimes and ex-Nazis and how they should have been or should be punished for their crimes, and part of the course involves sitting through an actual trial. At the trial Michael sees Hanna for the first time in years and discovers that she was a guard in the concentration camps. He sits through every day of the trial, and after hearing stories and putting some pieces together, realizes that Hanna is illiterate. He feels this should have some effect on her case, but doesn't want to speak to her in person, and doesn't feel he can speak to the judge on her behalf. She gets sentenced to life in prison, and he goes on to marry a classmate. They have a daughter, and get divorced a few years later because Michael is constantly comparing the women in his life to Hanna.
In part three, Michael starts reading the books he had read in school, but finds that he has to read them aloud to fulfill whatever need he can't seem to satisfy any other way. And he starts recording his readings and sending them to Hanna in prison. At one point he also writes a book and sends her the recording. He's stunned when she writes him a note thanking him. He never writes back, but continues sending recordings, and she continues sending short notes. Then he gets a letter from her warden saying that she will probably be released soon and since he is the only person Hanna has contact with on the outside, it would be nice if he could arrange for a place for her to live and work, etc and be a support to her when she's released, because reintegration into society after 18 years of imprisonment is difficult, but especially for someone who's had no contact with the outside. Michael does provide these arrangements, and then it comes time for him to go to the prison to see Hanna and speak to the warden in person. Seeing Hanna is a shocking experience for him - she has aged so. He's torn over his feelings for her. She's still his Hanna, and yet she's older, she did terrible things during the war, she did terrible things in her life to cover the fact that she was illiterate, but then she did make the necessary sacrifices to learn to read and write while she was in prison. And though he knows why she left, he never forgave her for abandoning him without explanation or saying goodbye. Finally, the day before he's to pick her up, he calls the prison to speak to the warden and does speak to Hanna. The next day when he arrives at the prison, he's told that Hanna hanged herself early that morning.
The story gets wrapped up by Hanna leaving all her money to a concentration camp survivor and Michael finally learning to let go of her.
Overall story rating: 7/10
Recommendation: 17+ for mature content
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Book Review: I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore
Ok, first off, I LOVED this book, AND movie. I saw the movie first, which I would almost recommend because you enjoy the movie, but then the book is that much better because it's got different stuff and more info. And I really don't want to spoil it for anyone, so I will really try to give the most basic of descriptions...
So, the story is about this group of 9 children from planet Lorien (who look like humans, but definitely are not) who were sent to Earth 10 years ago, each with their Cepan guardian, when Lorien was attacked by the Mogadorians (aliens from a different planet). The plan was that they would go to their space station to wait until it was safe to return, but the Mogadorians destroyed the planet and everything on it, so they were forced to come to Earth. Before they left, each child was given a number, and a charm was put on them so that should the Mogadorians ever find them, they had to be killed in numerical order. The only way the charm could be broken was if 2 or more of them were together, so they had to spread out and never make contact. And each time one is killed, no matter where they are, the others know because they painfully receive a circular scar on their leg. The first 2 have died years ago, and you see the third die right at the beginning of both book and movie. The main character is Number Four, so he and his Cepan (and father figure), Henri, know that he is next and that they must keep moving, keep changing identities. They've never stayed anywhere for more than 6 months. So after Number Three dies, they move to Paradise, Ohio, and Number Four takes on the new identity of John Smith.
Paradise, Ohio is where everything changes for Number Four (John). He starts to develop his Lorien Legacies - super powers - he meets and falls in love with Sarah Hart, he makes a best friend in Sam Goode (whose father was an alien enthusiast who disappeared years ago), an initial enemy in Mark James (police chief's son, football star, and Sarah's ex-boyfriend), and a pet Beagle who he names Bernie Kosar. Mark is pretty mean to John at first, but not so much after John throws him and his friends around in the woods one night. John eventually has to tell all 3 of them his secret, which is extremely dangerous, but turns out to be helpful when the Mogadorians finally find them.
But with the Mogadorians also comes Number Six, who is a great help, but also opens all the other Loric children up to be killed if the Mogadorians find them. Together they are stronger, but for the ones who aren't with them, it could be fatal. Four and Six's powers are different in the book from the movie, so I won't say what they are. The (intense) battle scene at the High School is also different, so I won't go into much detail there either, at this point. But the ending is the same - Four and Six defeat the Mogadorians. I also wouldn't want to completely spoil the ending for those who haven't seen/read it yet, but Four and Six do have to leave Paradise in the end.
Now for the author. Pittacus Lore, what a strange name, and so close to the name of the planet, you might say. Cool, you might say. Well, Pittacus Lore is the authors' (James Frey and Jobie Hughes) pseudonym, and also a character in the book. He is not mentioned in the movie, and only once in the book. But the back of the flyleaf reads:
Overall story rating: 10/10
Recommendation: 13+
So, the story is about this group of 9 children from planet Lorien (who look like humans, but definitely are not) who were sent to Earth 10 years ago, each with their Cepan guardian, when Lorien was attacked by the Mogadorians (aliens from a different planet). The plan was that they would go to their space station to wait until it was safe to return, but the Mogadorians destroyed the planet and everything on it, so they were forced to come to Earth. Before they left, each child was given a number, and a charm was put on them so that should the Mogadorians ever find them, they had to be killed in numerical order. The only way the charm could be broken was if 2 or more of them were together, so they had to spread out and never make contact. And each time one is killed, no matter where they are, the others know because they painfully receive a circular scar on their leg. The first 2 have died years ago, and you see the third die right at the beginning of both book and movie. The main character is Number Four, so he and his Cepan (and father figure), Henri, know that he is next and that they must keep moving, keep changing identities. They've never stayed anywhere for more than 6 months. So after Number Three dies, they move to Paradise, Ohio, and Number Four takes on the new identity of John Smith.
Paradise, Ohio is where everything changes for Number Four (John). He starts to develop his Lorien Legacies - super powers - he meets and falls in love with Sarah Hart, he makes a best friend in Sam Goode (whose father was an alien enthusiast who disappeared years ago), an initial enemy in Mark James (police chief's son, football star, and Sarah's ex-boyfriend), and a pet Beagle who he names Bernie Kosar. Mark is pretty mean to John at first, but not so much after John throws him and his friends around in the woods one night. John eventually has to tell all 3 of them his secret, which is extremely dangerous, but turns out to be helpful when the Mogadorians finally find them.
But with the Mogadorians also comes Number Six, who is a great help, but also opens all the other Loric children up to be killed if the Mogadorians find them. Together they are stronger, but for the ones who aren't with them, it could be fatal. Four and Six's powers are different in the book from the movie, so I won't say what they are. The (intense) battle scene at the High School is also different, so I won't go into much detail there either, at this point. But the ending is the same - Four and Six defeat the Mogadorians. I also wouldn't want to completely spoil the ending for those who haven't seen/read it yet, but Four and Six do have to leave Paradise in the end.
Now for the author. Pittacus Lore, what a strange name, and so close to the name of the planet, you might say. Cool, you might say. Well, Pittacus Lore is the authors' (James Frey and Jobie Hughes) pseudonym, and also a character in the book. He is not mentioned in the movie, and only once in the book. But the back of the flyleaf reads:
"Pittacus Lore is Lorien's ruling Elder. He has been on Earth for the last twelve years, preparing for the war that will decide Earth's fate. His whereabouts are unknown."I like it. Can't wait for the second book of the series - The Power of Six!!!
Overall story rating: 10/10
Recommendation: 13+
Monday, February 28, 2011
Vocabulary: Week 9
Week 9 is upon us. I don't know if I'm actually learning the definitions of these words, but I have attempted to use some in conversation... must make more of an effort!
In any case, the word I have chosen for the week of February 27 is:
In any case, the word I have chosen for the week of February 27 is:
"Febrile: marked or caused by fever; feverish."I think I should be able to remember this one... :)
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Book Review: The Curious Case of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
To quote The Miami Herald and The Daily Telegraph, "Astonishingly captivating...fierce and ingenious," and "Heart-in-the-mouth stuff, terrifying and moving. Haddon is to be congratulated for imagining a new kind of hero."
The story takes place in Swindon, England, and is written in the voice of Christopher John Francis Boone, a 15 year old boy who has extraordinary math and physics skills, and a perfect memory. It never says he is Autistic, just that he has behavioral problems, but that is the idea I get from the descriptions of his preferences and behavior.
So, in the beginning, Christopher discovers that his neighbour's poodle, Wellington, has been murdered with a garden fork in the middle of the night. And Mrs. Shears (the owner) thinks that Christopher did it, because he's a bit different and she found him holding the bloody dog in her yard. So the police come and speak to Christopher but he doesn't understand the questions and when the police officer tries to pull him up off the ground, Christopher hits him, which earns him a "caution," which haunts him for the rest of the book. Christopher decides that he's going to discover who killed Wellington, so he looks at all the likely suspects, and starts talking to various neighbours, even tho he doesn't like talking to strangers. And he decides to write this book, which will be a murder mystery.
In his detecting, an elderly lady neighbour tells Christopher that his mother, who he believes to have been dead for 3 years, never did die, she had an affair with Mr. Shears and they ran away together. But Christopher is not affected by this information because his father told him his mother was dead, and his father wouldn't lie to him, so he believe the affair happened before she died.
When Christopher's father happens upon the book, he discovers that Christopher knows the truth about his mother, and he becomes very upset, hits Christopher, and takes the book away. Christopher ends up finding his book in his father's closet among piles of letters addressed to Christopher. After reading them, he realizes that they're from his mother, and it finally sinks in that Mother is still alive and living in London.
Not long after this, Father tells Christopher that he was the one who killed Wellington. Because after Mother ran away with Mr. Shears, Father didn't know how to tell Christopher what had happened so he told him she'd died and it was just easier to keep on lying. In the meantime, Mrs. Shears became a close friend and would sometimes stay with them, and Father thought that someday she might like to live with them permanently, but she ended up caring more about her dog than she cared about them. So he'd killed the dog. Knowing that his father was a "murderer" and a liar made Christopher very frightened to be near him, so he decided that he couldn't stay there any longer. At first he was going to ask Mrs. Shears if he could stay with her, but she wasn't home and the elderly neighbour wanted him to talk about the situation with his father, so he ended up running away, deciding that he was going to find his mother in London.
The rest of the book more or less details Christopher's difficult and strenuous journey to London and shows how he was able to use the skills and knowledge in his possession to find his way around train stations and London itself. He stayed with Mother and Mr. Shears for a few days, but he and Mother eventually went back to Swindon because things weren't going very well anymore with Mr. Shears. Once home, Christopher is able to take his Maths A level exam, which he has been looking forward to for a long time and didn't think he'd be able to do while he was in London. He gets an A grade on the exam, and Mother gets a little apartment near Father's house. Father makes Christopher promise to work on their relationship by agreeing to spend a certain amount of time with him every day, and in return Father will do things to show Christopher that he can trust him again. Father buys Christopher a dog, which he names Sandy, and life starts to get back to normal for Christopher.
The closing paragraphs are so touching, and I just have to quote them:
Overall story rating: 9/10
Recommendation: 15+ for some language and content
The story takes place in Swindon, England, and is written in the voice of Christopher John Francis Boone, a 15 year old boy who has extraordinary math and physics skills, and a perfect memory. It never says he is Autistic, just that he has behavioral problems, but that is the idea I get from the descriptions of his preferences and behavior.
So, in the beginning, Christopher discovers that his neighbour's poodle, Wellington, has been murdered with a garden fork in the middle of the night. And Mrs. Shears (the owner) thinks that Christopher did it, because he's a bit different and she found him holding the bloody dog in her yard. So the police come and speak to Christopher but he doesn't understand the questions and when the police officer tries to pull him up off the ground, Christopher hits him, which earns him a "caution," which haunts him for the rest of the book. Christopher decides that he's going to discover who killed Wellington, so he looks at all the likely suspects, and starts talking to various neighbours, even tho he doesn't like talking to strangers. And he decides to write this book, which will be a murder mystery.
In his detecting, an elderly lady neighbour tells Christopher that his mother, who he believes to have been dead for 3 years, never did die, she had an affair with Mr. Shears and they ran away together. But Christopher is not affected by this information because his father told him his mother was dead, and his father wouldn't lie to him, so he believe the affair happened before she died.
When Christopher's father happens upon the book, he discovers that Christopher knows the truth about his mother, and he becomes very upset, hits Christopher, and takes the book away. Christopher ends up finding his book in his father's closet among piles of letters addressed to Christopher. After reading them, he realizes that they're from his mother, and it finally sinks in that Mother is still alive and living in London.
Not long after this, Father tells Christopher that he was the one who killed Wellington. Because after Mother ran away with Mr. Shears, Father didn't know how to tell Christopher what had happened so he told him she'd died and it was just easier to keep on lying. In the meantime, Mrs. Shears became a close friend and would sometimes stay with them, and Father thought that someday she might like to live with them permanently, but she ended up caring more about her dog than she cared about them. So he'd killed the dog. Knowing that his father was a "murderer" and a liar made Christopher very frightened to be near him, so he decided that he couldn't stay there any longer. At first he was going to ask Mrs. Shears if he could stay with her, but she wasn't home and the elderly neighbour wanted him to talk about the situation with his father, so he ended up running away, deciding that he was going to find his mother in London.
The rest of the book more or less details Christopher's difficult and strenuous journey to London and shows how he was able to use the skills and knowledge in his possession to find his way around train stations and London itself. He stayed with Mother and Mr. Shears for a few days, but he and Mother eventually went back to Swindon because things weren't going very well anymore with Mr. Shears. Once home, Christopher is able to take his Maths A level exam, which he has been looking forward to for a long time and didn't think he'd be able to do while he was in London. He gets an A grade on the exam, and Mother gets a little apartment near Father's house. Father makes Christopher promise to work on their relationship by agreeing to spend a certain amount of time with him every day, and in return Father will do things to show Christopher that he can trust him again. Father buys Christopher a dog, which he names Sandy, and life starts to get back to normal for Christopher.
The closing paragraphs are so touching, and I just have to quote them:
"{Talking about his Maths A level grade, and that he's going to take the Further Maths for A level exam next year...} And I'm going to pass it and get an A grade. And in two years' time I am going to take A-level physics and get an A grade. And then, when I've done that, I am going to go to university in another town. And it doesn't have to be in London because I don't like London and there are universities in lots of places and not all of them are in big cities. And I can live in a flat with a garden and a proper toilet. And I can take Sandy and my books and my computer. And then I will get a First Class Honors degree and I will become a scientist. And I know I can do this because I went to London on my own, and because I solved the mystery of Who Killed Wellington? and I found my mother and I was brave and I wrote a book and that means I can do anything."
Overall story rating: 9/10
Recommendation: 15+ for some language and content
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Vocabulary: Weeks 7 & 8
I wasn't able to get around to posting a new word last week because I was a bit frazzled over getting into a new routine at my new job(!!!).
So, for the week of February 13:
Here's to learning new words and doing new things and having new jobs!
So, for the week of February 13:
"Inherent: involved in the constitution or essential character of something: belonging by nature or habit: intense."And for the week of February 20:
"Ubiquitous: existing or being everywhere at the same time: constantly encountered: widespread."Inherent is a word I've heard, and possibly even used, without really knowing the definition, and in fact, what I thought it meant was a little bit off. As for ubiquitous, I've read it many times before and it seems to be a popular word to look up on Merriam-Webster online, but again, I didn't really know what it meant.
Here's to learning new words and doing new things and having new jobs!
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Book Review: Dancing with Butterflies by Reyna Grande
Dancing with Butterflies is a touching story about the lives of 4 Mexican women. Yesenia and her husband Eduardo own Alegrìa, a Folklòrico dance studio/company in Los Angeles. Elena and Adriana are sisters. Elena, the most naturally talented dancer they had, left Alegrìa to marry her boyfriend Richard when she found out she was pregnant. Adriana lives, eats, breathes Folklòrico, even tho she has to work twice as hard as everyone else and still is not the best. Her true talent is her voice, but she refuses to acknowledge it because dancing makes her feel connected to her long-dead mother. Soledad is an illegal immigrant who came to the US 17 years ago to help her mother take care of her new baby sister, Stephanie. Soledad can't speak much English, and because she has no papers there's not much she can do for work. But she is an incredibly talented costume designer, and when Alegrìa has the money, they hire her to make their costumes. She was born with a birth mark on her face, and her mother always told her that she would never be able to find a man because of it.
Since moving to the US it has been Soledad's dream to own her own dress shop. She saves every penny she can, and her dressmaker friend Rùben promises to help her make her dream come true. He has his papers so he can buy property, whereas she can't. Soledad is in love with Rùben, but he is gay, and he ends up using the money he promised Soledad to have a sex change. Soledad's dream of owning her own shop goes down the drain. Then they get word that Soledad's grandmother is dying, so Soledad and her mother and Stephanie go to Mexico to see Abuelita Licha, but she's already dead when they get there. Then it is a struggle to get Soledad back to America.
Yesenia's knee has been bothering her for sometime, but she keeps dancing in spite of it. Eventually the knee gives out and she can no longer dance. To her, this is the end of life because Folklòrico is everything to her and Eduardo. The doctor tells her that losing weight might help her knee. She eventually decides that dieting is useless, so she goes to Mexico to have liposuction without consulting her husband or son. She then becomes addicted to body-sculpting surgeries (she has a face lift and tummy tuck later on, which doesn't turn out as planned) and steals money from Alegrìa to support her addiction. Her marriage is in a shambles, and she ends up looking up an old high school love interest and having an affair with him.
Elena is almost full term when she loses her baby. The depression that takes over her ruins her marriage and her love for life. She teaches at a local high school, and after her husband leaves, a new student joins her after school Folklòrico dance program. His name is Fernando, she can see his talent and helps him join Alegrìa. She also has an affair with him, but the guilt of their affair on top of the depression from the loss of her marriage and daughter pushes her inside herself and away from everyone she cares about.
Adriana has a knack for always finding the worst men and not being able to hold a steady job. Her mother died when she was young and because Adriana looked so much like her mother, her father would beat her as he had beaten her mother. One time he hit her and she was bleeding and Elena called the cops, and they put their father in jail and made the girls live with their paternal grandparents who hated them. Elena then moved away to college and left Adriana to deal with their grandparents. Adriana has never forgiven Elena for abandoning her. Adriana hooks up with the new dancer, Emilio, at Alegrìa. Emilio is bad news, he beats her up constantly. They plot together how to take over Alegrìa now that Yesenia and Eduardo seem to be having problems and aren't doing their jobs anymore. Emilio uncovers the truth about Yesenia's surgeries and breaks the group up. Then he tells Adriana that he's going to use Stephanie to get the money to start his own dance company, and basically tells Adriana she won't have anything to do with it. She hits him over the head (in the car) and he ends up driving into a tree and running away from the scene. She wasn't wearing her seatbelt so she hit the windshield, but miraculously wasn't seriously injured.
Yesenia decides that while it's too late to save her marriage, she can still try to save Alegrìa by working to put the money she stole back, and finding Soledad to smuggle her back. She enlists Elena to take over as director of the new Alegrìa, and she agrees. Adriana finally decides to try out for a mariachi band and give up on dancing. And Soledad finally comes home after months in Mexico, 2 failed attempts at crossing the border, and an injured ankle.
Butterflies is the recurring theme because the dancers look like butterflies; in Mexican culture, butterflies are the spirits of loved ones who have passed; Soledad would always tell anyone who would listen about the Monarch butterflies coming to her hometown (which she was able to see again while she was in Mexico); and Adriana had once overheard her mother talking to Yesenia about the children dancing and said that they looked like butterflies except for Adriana who looked more like a moth, which made Adriana hate butterflies and get a tattoo of a moth on her shoulder.
The end!
Overall story rating: 9.5/10
Recommendation: 18+ for language and mature content
Since moving to the US it has been Soledad's dream to own her own dress shop. She saves every penny she can, and her dressmaker friend Rùben promises to help her make her dream come true. He has his papers so he can buy property, whereas she can't. Soledad is in love with Rùben, but he is gay, and he ends up using the money he promised Soledad to have a sex change. Soledad's dream of owning her own shop goes down the drain. Then they get word that Soledad's grandmother is dying, so Soledad and her mother and Stephanie go to Mexico to see Abuelita Licha, but she's already dead when they get there. Then it is a struggle to get Soledad back to America.
Yesenia's knee has been bothering her for sometime, but she keeps dancing in spite of it. Eventually the knee gives out and she can no longer dance. To her, this is the end of life because Folklòrico is everything to her and Eduardo. The doctor tells her that losing weight might help her knee. She eventually decides that dieting is useless, so she goes to Mexico to have liposuction without consulting her husband or son. She then becomes addicted to body-sculpting surgeries (she has a face lift and tummy tuck later on, which doesn't turn out as planned) and steals money from Alegrìa to support her addiction. Her marriage is in a shambles, and she ends up looking up an old high school love interest and having an affair with him.
Elena is almost full term when she loses her baby. The depression that takes over her ruins her marriage and her love for life. She teaches at a local high school, and after her husband leaves, a new student joins her after school Folklòrico dance program. His name is Fernando, she can see his talent and helps him join Alegrìa. She also has an affair with him, but the guilt of their affair on top of the depression from the loss of her marriage and daughter pushes her inside herself and away from everyone she cares about.
Adriana has a knack for always finding the worst men and not being able to hold a steady job. Her mother died when she was young and because Adriana looked so much like her mother, her father would beat her as he had beaten her mother. One time he hit her and she was bleeding and Elena called the cops, and they put their father in jail and made the girls live with their paternal grandparents who hated them. Elena then moved away to college and left Adriana to deal with their grandparents. Adriana has never forgiven Elena for abandoning her. Adriana hooks up with the new dancer, Emilio, at Alegrìa. Emilio is bad news, he beats her up constantly. They plot together how to take over Alegrìa now that Yesenia and Eduardo seem to be having problems and aren't doing their jobs anymore. Emilio uncovers the truth about Yesenia's surgeries and breaks the group up. Then he tells Adriana that he's going to use Stephanie to get the money to start his own dance company, and basically tells Adriana she won't have anything to do with it. She hits him over the head (in the car) and he ends up driving into a tree and running away from the scene. She wasn't wearing her seatbelt so she hit the windshield, but miraculously wasn't seriously injured.
Yesenia decides that while it's too late to save her marriage, she can still try to save Alegrìa by working to put the money she stole back, and finding Soledad to smuggle her back. She enlists Elena to take over as director of the new Alegrìa, and she agrees. Adriana finally decides to try out for a mariachi band and give up on dancing. And Soledad finally comes home after months in Mexico, 2 failed attempts at crossing the border, and an injured ankle.
Butterflies is the recurring theme because the dancers look like butterflies; in Mexican culture, butterflies are the spirits of loved ones who have passed; Soledad would always tell anyone who would listen about the Monarch butterflies coming to her hometown (which she was able to see again while she was in Mexico); and Adriana had once overheard her mother talking to Yesenia about the children dancing and said that they looked like butterflies except for Adriana who looked more like a moth, which made Adriana hate butterflies and get a tattoo of a moth on her shoulder.
The end!
Overall story rating: 9.5/10
Recommendation: 18+ for language and mature content
Book Review: 1984 by George Orwell
Since a lot of people have read this classic, I don't really feel worthy of writing a review. Therefore, I will simply quote the back cover and give my personal rating. :)
Overall story rating: 6/10
Recommendation: 14+ for language and mature content
Winston Smith works for the Ministry of Truth in London, chief city of Airstrip One. Big Brother stares out from every poster, the Thought Police uncover every act of betrayal. When Winston finds love with Julia, he discovers that life does not have to be dull and deadening, and awakens to new possibilities. Despite the police helicopters that hover and circle overhead, Winston and Julia begin to question the Party; they are drawn towards conspiracy. Yet Big Brother will not tolerate dissent - even in the mind. For those with original thoughts they invented Room 101...
Overall story rating: 6/10
Recommendation: 14+ for language and mature content
Monday, February 7, 2011
Vocabulary: Week 6
Well, here we are, week 6 of 2011. So far we've learned curmudgeon, conflagration, Coptic, frisson, and bucolic.
The word I have chosen for this week (January 30) is an adjective:
An interesting word that I found while reading last week. I might have heard it before, but had no idea of the definition. Let's see if I can make use of it this week... :o)
The word I have chosen for this week (January 30) is an adjective:
"prodigious - 1a: obsolete: being an omen: portentous; 1b: resembling or befitting a prodigy: strange, unusual; 2: exciting amazement or wonder; 3: extraordinary in bulk, quantity, or degree: enormous"
An interesting word that I found while reading last week. I might have heard it before, but had no idea of the definition. Let's see if I can make use of it this week... :o)
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Vocabulary: Week 5
I failed at using frisson in conversation this week. What can I say, I don't have that many conversations and I forgot the definitions when I do use a word. So you use the word in normal conversation and the person you're conversing with is all, "What does that mean?!" and you're all like, "Uh... I can't remember, but it works here, trust me."
Anyway, so the word for this week (January 30) is:
Anyway, so the word for this week (January 30) is:
"Bucolic: 1) of or relating to shepherds or herdsmen: pastoral, 2a) relating to or typically of rural life, b) idyllic"Hm...
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Book Review: The Suicide Club by Gayle Wilson
This is a really powerful and emotional story about some very troubled teenagers. Main character, Lindsey Sloan, is the "gifted coordinator" at Randolph-Lowen High School. She specializes in teaching the gifted and especially bright students in their small Alabama county, and surrounding counties. She's a trusted and favoured teacher and always sees the best in her students. Until Detective Jace Nolan arrives.
Jace has been sent to investigate a series of three fires that were set to black churches in the area. His team "up north" has put together a profile of the perpetrators, which they believe to be young, white, particularly intelligent males, since they've left no trace of their crimes. Jace is convinced that the culprits are among Lindsey's students, and while the fires have stopped, he believes it's only a matter of time before the individuals strike again, seeking the adrenaline high the fires gave them.
Lindsey absolutely refuses to believe that any of her students could be involved in these crimes. Even after her students make a big deal about her and the detective spending time together, and then she finds a rattlesnake in her home. Jace deduces that the very act proves that the ones who started the fires are in her class, and they think that because she's been seen with him, they think she knows something and is ratting them out to the police. Lindsey still won't believe it, although she's convinced the rattler didn't just crawl into her laundry hamper, despite what her neighbours have to say. But when someone locks her in the ticket booth at the football game and sets the booth on fire (from which Jace rescues her), she can't help but think Jace may be right, even if she can't fathom any of her students wanting to harm her.
In the meantime, the case is developing into an epidemic of suicides, starting with a young girl. One of Lindsey's students, Andrea Moore was quiet and sweet and kept to herself, and Lindsey was probably the last person she spoke to before taking her own life. When they find out that she had a history of depression and cutting, Lindsey and one of the school counselors, Shannon, are beside themselves wondering why they hadn't known and how they could have helped her. It's later on discovered that someone set up a fake profile for Andrea on a social networking site, making obscene posts supposedly written by Andrea about her sexual acts. This prompted cruel rumours and e-mails which eventually drove Andrea to her fate. The following days are hard on everyone, students and staff alike, and the counselors fear that the attention will bring about a copycat suicide - some kid thinking that they'd like the same attention and love Andrea's getting postmortem. When Lindsey discovers the next suicide victim a week later, they believe their fears have come true. Tim Harrison is the last person Lindsey would have thought would commit suicide, and nobody can figure out why, until Jace does some investigating and finds out that Tim, too, was the victim of cruel rumours and vicious e-mails in the days leading up to his death. Rumours that he was gay, which he was, but nobody knew.
Things start to spiral when the school principal is found dead, supposedly suicide, in Shannon's house. The coroner soon discovers that it was murder, however. Deciding that things have gotten way out of hand, and having been scared thinking it was her friend who was dead, Lindsey concedes that it's possible one of her students might be involved, and Shannon finally goes to the police with the hunch she's had since Jace first started the investigation.
The story climaxes with a very intense and eerily real Columbine situation, where 3 students from the gifted program come to school early bearing guns and explosives and taking Lindsey hostage, killing administration staff, first response officers, and one other student before Jace and the police force take down 2 of them and rescue Lindsey. These teens were responsible for starting the rumours about the other two, and while they hadn't made them commit suicide, it was the intended goal. Shannon had been their intended victim, but they ended up having to kill the principal when he showed up at her house and surprised them. They had had a whole list of victims, mostly in Lindsey's program, who they had intended to kill in the shooting, but got off schedule, and things ended the way they did.
Of course, there's a passionate love story going on between Jace and Lindsey, which at times feels a bit corny, but has a sweet enough ending. :)
Overall story rating: 10/10
Recommendation: 18+ for language and mature content
Jace has been sent to investigate a series of three fires that were set to black churches in the area. His team "up north" has put together a profile of the perpetrators, which they believe to be young, white, particularly intelligent males, since they've left no trace of their crimes. Jace is convinced that the culprits are among Lindsey's students, and while the fires have stopped, he believes it's only a matter of time before the individuals strike again, seeking the adrenaline high the fires gave them.
Lindsey absolutely refuses to believe that any of her students could be involved in these crimes. Even after her students make a big deal about her and the detective spending time together, and then she finds a rattlesnake in her home. Jace deduces that the very act proves that the ones who started the fires are in her class, and they think that because she's been seen with him, they think she knows something and is ratting them out to the police. Lindsey still won't believe it, although she's convinced the rattler didn't just crawl into her laundry hamper, despite what her neighbours have to say. But when someone locks her in the ticket booth at the football game and sets the booth on fire (from which Jace rescues her), she can't help but think Jace may be right, even if she can't fathom any of her students wanting to harm her.
In the meantime, the case is developing into an epidemic of suicides, starting with a young girl. One of Lindsey's students, Andrea Moore was quiet and sweet and kept to herself, and Lindsey was probably the last person she spoke to before taking her own life. When they find out that she had a history of depression and cutting, Lindsey and one of the school counselors, Shannon, are beside themselves wondering why they hadn't known and how they could have helped her. It's later on discovered that someone set up a fake profile for Andrea on a social networking site, making obscene posts supposedly written by Andrea about her sexual acts. This prompted cruel rumours and e-mails which eventually drove Andrea to her fate. The following days are hard on everyone, students and staff alike, and the counselors fear that the attention will bring about a copycat suicide - some kid thinking that they'd like the same attention and love Andrea's getting postmortem. When Lindsey discovers the next suicide victim a week later, they believe their fears have come true. Tim Harrison is the last person Lindsey would have thought would commit suicide, and nobody can figure out why, until Jace does some investigating and finds out that Tim, too, was the victim of cruel rumours and vicious e-mails in the days leading up to his death. Rumours that he was gay, which he was, but nobody knew.
Things start to spiral when the school principal is found dead, supposedly suicide, in Shannon's house. The coroner soon discovers that it was murder, however. Deciding that things have gotten way out of hand, and having been scared thinking it was her friend who was dead, Lindsey concedes that it's possible one of her students might be involved, and Shannon finally goes to the police with the hunch she's had since Jace first started the investigation.
The story climaxes with a very intense and eerily real Columbine situation, where 3 students from the gifted program come to school early bearing guns and explosives and taking Lindsey hostage, killing administration staff, first response officers, and one other student before Jace and the police force take down 2 of them and rescue Lindsey. These teens were responsible for starting the rumours about the other two, and while they hadn't made them commit suicide, it was the intended goal. Shannon had been their intended victim, but they ended up having to kill the principal when he showed up at her house and surprised them. They had had a whole list of victims, mostly in Lindsey's program, who they had intended to kill in the shooting, but got off schedule, and things ended the way they did.
Of course, there's a passionate love story going on between Jace and Lindsey, which at times feels a bit corny, but has a sweet enough ending. :)
Overall story rating: 10/10
Recommendation: 18+ for language and mature content
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Vocabulary: Week 4
Oh my! We are 4, almost 5, weeks into 2011 already!! Time sure flies...
I will admit that I didn't have much luck using curmudgeon, conflagration, or Coptic in the last week. However, I have read conflagration twice in the last 24 hours and had a renewed understanding of the word. And curmudgeon has become a bit of a family joke. I will probably never actually use Coptic in a normal sentence, but at least I know what it means. :)
The word for this week, January 23, which I did just choose last night, is:
I will admit that I didn't have much luck using curmudgeon, conflagration, or Coptic in the last week. However, I have read conflagration twice in the last 24 hours and had a renewed understanding of the word. And curmudgeon has become a bit of a family joke. I will probably never actually use Coptic in a normal sentence, but at least I know what it means. :)
The word for this week, January 23, which I did just choose last night, is:
"Frisson: a brief moment of emotional excitement: shudder, thrill."And yes, it is pronounced with a French accent. ;)
Monday, January 24, 2011
Book Review: Eye of the Beholder by Merline Lovelace
This was a very interesting military novel. The main character, Miranda "Randi" Morgan is a USAF Captain, C-130 Hercules pilot, and single mom. She's been serving in the 137th Air Lift Wing based out of Oklahoma since the birth of her son, Spencer. She was deployed to Afghanistan for 6 months, along with her best friend and ex-lover Captain Tyler Keane. During a dangerous mission, Ty got hit and had to land his craft in an abandoned Soviet base. Once landed, he and his crew were fired at from all angles. He called for help, but Randi knew the help wouldn't be there fast enough, so she landed her plane to rescue Ty and his crew. Once his crew was on board, Ty radioed in to have the backups detonate his load of munitions so that the enemy wouldn't be able to use them. He then headed for Randi's plane, but was shot, which threw him off the runway where he disrupted a landmine. Randi immediately took her plane and both crews to safety. Unfortunately, she was the only one who saw or heard the landmine, and now Ty's father, Sam Keane, has made a case against her for leaving his son to die in a foreign country.
Randi and her sisters, Sarah and Melissa, grew up with their grandparents on the family ranch where Randi now lives with her son. She also runs the numerous family businesses and rents out land to hunters and farmers. Interestingly, there are a number of runestones to be found in Oklahoma, and one of them is on the Morgan property. Sam Keane makes a significant donation of $10,000,000 to the University of Oklahoma to research these runes, but only if Miranda Morgan agrees to let them investigate the stone on her property. The handsome Dr. Pete Engstrom, UO physics professor and one of two developers of this new technology, shows up on Randi's doorstep the afternoon of Ty's funeral. She eventually consents to let him and his team onto her property.
They all know that Sam Keane has an ulterior motive for dating these runestones, and Pete threatens to stop the project if he finds out that Sam is using him to hurt anyone, especially Randi.
An intense love story pursues between Randi and Pete. Randi goes thru military investigations and ends up hiring Pete to examine a piece of her aircraft against a piece of fuselage known to have been damaged by a landmine. His results are close enough to prove that a landmine did go off near Randi's craft, which validates her story about Ty.
Before the investigation is complete, Sam tries to get custody of Randi's son on the basis that Randi and Ty had an affair shortly before she became pregnant and divorced her husband, thus opening the possibility that Spencer is Ty's son, and for abandonment during her months overseas. Randi refuses to have her son's DNA tested, as she believes it doesn't matter who Spencer's father is, and it's up to him to find out when he's old enough to make that decision. Pete shuts down his project after learning of this new development between Sam and Randi because Sam is so obviously trying to ruin Randi's life at every turn.
A twist is thrown in when Pete's lab assistant and co-developer, Anne Gillette, tries to kill Randi once and then tries to kill Randi, Pete, and Absol the dog, because Randi keeps getting in the way of the project and fame Anne feels she deserves.
In the end, they discover an ancient grave close to the runestone on the Morgan property, which they believe to be a Viking grave. Randi's charges are dismissed after Pete's findings, and she offers to let Sam be a part of Spencer's life, as a grandfather, whether they are blood-related or not. And Randi and Pete admit their love for one another and hint at spending the rest of their lives together.
The end!
Overall story rating: 8/10
Recommendation: 18+ for language and some mature content
Randi and her sisters, Sarah and Melissa, grew up with their grandparents on the family ranch where Randi now lives with her son. She also runs the numerous family businesses and rents out land to hunters and farmers. Interestingly, there are a number of runestones to be found in Oklahoma, and one of them is on the Morgan property. Sam Keane makes a significant donation of $10,000,000 to the University of Oklahoma to research these runes, but only if Miranda Morgan agrees to let them investigate the stone on her property. The handsome Dr. Pete Engstrom, UO physics professor and one of two developers of this new technology, shows up on Randi's doorstep the afternoon of Ty's funeral. She eventually consents to let him and his team onto her property.
They all know that Sam Keane has an ulterior motive for dating these runestones, and Pete threatens to stop the project if he finds out that Sam is using him to hurt anyone, especially Randi.
An intense love story pursues between Randi and Pete. Randi goes thru military investigations and ends up hiring Pete to examine a piece of her aircraft against a piece of fuselage known to have been damaged by a landmine. His results are close enough to prove that a landmine did go off near Randi's craft, which validates her story about Ty.
Before the investigation is complete, Sam tries to get custody of Randi's son on the basis that Randi and Ty had an affair shortly before she became pregnant and divorced her husband, thus opening the possibility that Spencer is Ty's son, and for abandonment during her months overseas. Randi refuses to have her son's DNA tested, as she believes it doesn't matter who Spencer's father is, and it's up to him to find out when he's old enough to make that decision. Pete shuts down his project after learning of this new development between Sam and Randi because Sam is so obviously trying to ruin Randi's life at every turn.
A twist is thrown in when Pete's lab assistant and co-developer, Anne Gillette, tries to kill Randi once and then tries to kill Randi, Pete, and Absol the dog, because Randi keeps getting in the way of the project and fame Anne feels she deserves.
In the end, they discover an ancient grave close to the runestone on the Morgan property, which they believe to be a Viking grave. Randi's charges are dismissed after Pete's findings, and she offers to let Sam be a part of Spencer's life, as a grandfather, whether they are blood-related or not. And Randi and Pete admit their love for one another and hint at spending the rest of their lives together.
The end!
Overall story rating: 8/10
Recommendation: 18+ for language and some mature content
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Book Review: Fly Away Home - Jennifer Weiner
The story is based around the family of an American senator, Richard Woodruff. Each chapter is written in the voice of one of 3 characters: his devoted wife, Sylvie; their older, serious doctor daughter, Diana; and their younger, hippie-wild-child, recovering addict daughter, Lizzie. It is also divided into 3 parts.
In part 1, you hear from each of these 3 women, who flash back and forth from what is currently happening (as each of them processes the public announcement of Richard's infidelity), and something that happened in the character's past. In this way, you learn about each of their backgrounds while the main story is still going on. You learn about how Sylvie and Richard met. You find out right away that Diana is cheating on her husband, then hear of the serious relationship that led up to her meeting her husband, and the mindset in which she chose to marry him, and how she came to be cheating on him. You learn that Diana has always resented her younger sister's beauty and charm, and felt the need to overcompensate in everything she did in order to be noticed by her parents. She also feels burdened to have to constantly clean up her younger sister's messes. Then you learn that Lizzie has always felt inferior because of Diana's good marks, and turned to drugs (and photography) because she felt invisible in her family and wanted to keep herself apart from them.
In the present, you see Sylvie dealing with the fact that her husband has cheated on her, and see her going through the motions of deciding what the next steps will be. You see Diana falling apart over being stuck in a loveless marriage and having an affair. You see Lizzie falling in love with the sweetest, most wholesome guy - but not completely, because she fears that if he finds out she's an addict, he'll hate her and leave her.
In part 2, Sylvie has left Richard and is living at her family's vacation home in Connecticut, cleaning and making the house her own, learning to cook, and meeting up with an old love interest from her teenage years. Diana's affair is taking over her life. She feels that having this secret life is actually making her a better person because she devotes all her time away from her lover to her son and her husband and keeping their home. Lizzie has been living with her sister since she was released from rehab, taking care of her nephew Milo. Then one day she tries a spin class and is in such pain that she takes 2 Advil PM, just to be able to sleep, even though her counselors told her not to take any drugs at all. She has a severe reaction to the drug, and her sister accuses her of using again and putting her son in danger, and tells her to leave immediately. So Lizzie goes back to her parents' apartment, where she finds her father in a mess. Sylvie took care of everything for Richard, and he has no idea how to take care of himself. So Lizzie steps up to the plate, taking care of her father and herself, and finally feeling like she's needed.
Then Lizzie finds out she's pregnant. She thinks she should tell Jeff, her boyfriend, but she's afraid. She goes back to tell him, but only manages to admit to him that she's a recovering addict, then can't bear to tell him the rest for fear of what he'll think. So she runs to her sister's house, where she discovers Diana with her lover. After an embarrassing confrontation, Lizzie returns to her parents' apartment, leaving Diana in fear that she will be ratted out, as she knows that Lizzie would love to turn the tables and not be the family screw-up for once. But Lizzie keeps her secret, as she's got one of her own. Through these chapters, it's also mentioned that Lizzie was sexually abused by a neighbour boy when she was 12 years old. She told Diana, who had told her parents, but she never says what her parents did about it.
Sylvie admits to her new-old friend, Tim, after he tells her why he and his wife divorced, what she and her husband did about Lizzie's abuse. Nothing. At the time, they claimed they were doing what was best for Lizzie, not putting her through having to make a statement and go through trial if they were to call the police and press charges. Instead, Richard spoke to the boy's father, the boy wrote an apology, and the father made a very generous donation to Richard's next campaign... The reality was that they hadn't wanted to make Richard look bad or ruin his chances in the campaign, and that was how Sylvie's life had always been - Richard first, everything for and about Richard. Sylvie realizes that it's time she reconnected with her daughters and try to make up for the mistakes she made in the past. Because, after all, even grown girls still need their mother.
In part 3, Diana's lover sees her with her family (he knew she was married, but she never told him about her son) and breaks it off. She is completely depressed, and ends up making an almost fatal mis-prescription at the hospital which results in a paid leave. She's lost her love, her job, and she doesn't love her husband. She decides that she will tell Gary (her husband) she wants a divorce.
Lizzie thinks she might be having a miscarriage, so rushes to the doctor, who tells her she should be on moderate bed rest. Her father's away doing political things, her mother's in Connecticut, her sister doesn't want to see her, and she doesn't think that calling her boyfriend, who she hasn't spoken to since she last saw him and admitted to being an addict, to tell him she's pregnant and needs help would be a good idea. She has no one to call, no idea what to do, when suddenly, Sylvie calls and asks her to join her at the vacation house in Connecticut for a while. It's the perfect plan, except for the whole pregnant and bed rest bit. So Lizzie comes up with an elaborate "I fell and hurt my back" story for her mom.
Diana finally confronts Gary to tell him that she doesn't love him, she had an affair, and she thinks she wants a divorce. It doesn't go at all like she had planned, and she ends up calling her mom because she can't call anyone else. Sylvie invites Diana and her family to come up for a few weeks. Diana immediately packs bags for her and her son, writes Gary a note, picks Milo up from school, and they spend the night at a hotel before arriving at the vacation house in Connecticut early the next morning. For the next few weeks, Lizzie does nothing but eat and sleep and watch movies in bed, while Diana does nothing but run and sleep. Diana loses a ridiculous amount of weight while Lizzie seems to be gaining, and Sylvie just doesn't know what to do with either of them. Eventually, Diana gets a grip and starts homeschooling Milo and takes him home to see his dad for a weekend. Lizzie discreetly visits a local doctor who tells her she doesn't need to be on bed rest anymore and that she needs to be doing getting some exercise, so she starts walking into town to her AA meetings. One day on her way to town, there stands Jeff. They have lunch and he eventually persuades her to tell him what she's been hiding. He's surprised when he hears she's pregnant, but completely supportive. She's still not sure she can trust him, tho. She ends up taking him home with her and Sylvie gives him a room at the house and invites him to stay for Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving turns out to be a humorous experience for eveyone. Grandma Selma (Sylvie's mom) arrives and immediately takes note of Diana's depression and Lizzie's growing midsection. Gary arrives, making for an awkward time for Diana. Sylvie tells her mother she's been seeing Tim, which takes everyone by surprise. Tim had been hanging around, but the girls had no idea they were seeing each other, just thought they were friends. So then Lizzie shamefacedly admits that she invited her father, thinking it would be a good surprise. So Tim arrives, with dessert, and Sylvie decides to serve the meal whether Richard is there or not. Not long into the meal, Grandma Selma asks Diana if she's getting a divorce, and then turns to Lizzie and Jeff to exclaim "I hope you two are getting married before the baby comes!" The whole group quiets then erupts in confusion. Then Richard arrives. With dessert, from Tim's grocery store. Awkward? He's then introduced to Tim, and greets everyone else, then sits down to eat and asks what's new. The whole table erupts in laughter, and young Milo sums it up quite nicely. "'Aunt Lizzie has a baby in her tummy from...' He paused, pointing at Jeff, having momentarily forgotten his name. 'That guy. ... My mom and dad are having grown-up problems, but Bubbe says nobody dies of divorce. ... I saved the best for last! We got a Wii! Can you believe it?'"
Kids say the darndest things. :)
After the Thanksgiving fiasco, the girls move back to Diana's house together. Gary gets an apartment down the street. Jeff and Lizzie set up a nursery. Then Diana and Lizzie go to meet the woman their father had the affair with. She's not much older than them, and under different circumstances, Lizzie imagines she would have been a very good friend. It was a meeting they both needed for the closure.
In the end, Richard and Sylvie decide to give their relationship a second chance. Richard says he's going to get out of politics. Sylvie tells him she wants to stay in Connecticut. So they plan to let things fall and see what happens.
The End. :)
Overall story rating: 5/10
Recommendation: no
In part 1, you hear from each of these 3 women, who flash back and forth from what is currently happening (as each of them processes the public announcement of Richard's infidelity), and something that happened in the character's past. In this way, you learn about each of their backgrounds while the main story is still going on. You learn about how Sylvie and Richard met. You find out right away that Diana is cheating on her husband, then hear of the serious relationship that led up to her meeting her husband, and the mindset in which she chose to marry him, and how she came to be cheating on him. You learn that Diana has always resented her younger sister's beauty and charm, and felt the need to overcompensate in everything she did in order to be noticed by her parents. She also feels burdened to have to constantly clean up her younger sister's messes. Then you learn that Lizzie has always felt inferior because of Diana's good marks, and turned to drugs (and photography) because she felt invisible in her family and wanted to keep herself apart from them.
In the present, you see Sylvie dealing with the fact that her husband has cheated on her, and see her going through the motions of deciding what the next steps will be. You see Diana falling apart over being stuck in a loveless marriage and having an affair. You see Lizzie falling in love with the sweetest, most wholesome guy - but not completely, because she fears that if he finds out she's an addict, he'll hate her and leave her.
In part 2, Sylvie has left Richard and is living at her family's vacation home in Connecticut, cleaning and making the house her own, learning to cook, and meeting up with an old love interest from her teenage years. Diana's affair is taking over her life. She feels that having this secret life is actually making her a better person because she devotes all her time away from her lover to her son and her husband and keeping their home. Lizzie has been living with her sister since she was released from rehab, taking care of her nephew Milo. Then one day she tries a spin class and is in such pain that she takes 2 Advil PM, just to be able to sleep, even though her counselors told her not to take any drugs at all. She has a severe reaction to the drug, and her sister accuses her of using again and putting her son in danger, and tells her to leave immediately. So Lizzie goes back to her parents' apartment, where she finds her father in a mess. Sylvie took care of everything for Richard, and he has no idea how to take care of himself. So Lizzie steps up to the plate, taking care of her father and herself, and finally feeling like she's needed.
Then Lizzie finds out she's pregnant. She thinks she should tell Jeff, her boyfriend, but she's afraid. She goes back to tell him, but only manages to admit to him that she's a recovering addict, then can't bear to tell him the rest for fear of what he'll think. So she runs to her sister's house, where she discovers Diana with her lover. After an embarrassing confrontation, Lizzie returns to her parents' apartment, leaving Diana in fear that she will be ratted out, as she knows that Lizzie would love to turn the tables and not be the family screw-up for once. But Lizzie keeps her secret, as she's got one of her own. Through these chapters, it's also mentioned that Lizzie was sexually abused by a neighbour boy when she was 12 years old. She told Diana, who had told her parents, but she never says what her parents did about it.
Sylvie admits to her new-old friend, Tim, after he tells her why he and his wife divorced, what she and her husband did about Lizzie's abuse. Nothing. At the time, they claimed they were doing what was best for Lizzie, not putting her through having to make a statement and go through trial if they were to call the police and press charges. Instead, Richard spoke to the boy's father, the boy wrote an apology, and the father made a very generous donation to Richard's next campaign... The reality was that they hadn't wanted to make Richard look bad or ruin his chances in the campaign, and that was how Sylvie's life had always been - Richard first, everything for and about Richard. Sylvie realizes that it's time she reconnected with her daughters and try to make up for the mistakes she made in the past. Because, after all, even grown girls still need their mother.
In part 3, Diana's lover sees her with her family (he knew she was married, but she never told him about her son) and breaks it off. She is completely depressed, and ends up making an almost fatal mis-prescription at the hospital which results in a paid leave. She's lost her love, her job, and she doesn't love her husband. She decides that she will tell Gary (her husband) she wants a divorce.
Lizzie thinks she might be having a miscarriage, so rushes to the doctor, who tells her she should be on moderate bed rest. Her father's away doing political things, her mother's in Connecticut, her sister doesn't want to see her, and she doesn't think that calling her boyfriend, who she hasn't spoken to since she last saw him and admitted to being an addict, to tell him she's pregnant and needs help would be a good idea. She has no one to call, no idea what to do, when suddenly, Sylvie calls and asks her to join her at the vacation house in Connecticut for a while. It's the perfect plan, except for the whole pregnant and bed rest bit. So Lizzie comes up with an elaborate "I fell and hurt my back" story for her mom.
Diana finally confronts Gary to tell him that she doesn't love him, she had an affair, and she thinks she wants a divorce. It doesn't go at all like she had planned, and she ends up calling her mom because she can't call anyone else. Sylvie invites Diana and her family to come up for a few weeks. Diana immediately packs bags for her and her son, writes Gary a note, picks Milo up from school, and they spend the night at a hotel before arriving at the vacation house in Connecticut early the next morning. For the next few weeks, Lizzie does nothing but eat and sleep and watch movies in bed, while Diana does nothing but run and sleep. Diana loses a ridiculous amount of weight while Lizzie seems to be gaining, and Sylvie just doesn't know what to do with either of them. Eventually, Diana gets a grip and starts homeschooling Milo and takes him home to see his dad for a weekend. Lizzie discreetly visits a local doctor who tells her she doesn't need to be on bed rest anymore and that she needs to be doing getting some exercise, so she starts walking into town to her AA meetings. One day on her way to town, there stands Jeff. They have lunch and he eventually persuades her to tell him what she's been hiding. He's surprised when he hears she's pregnant, but completely supportive. She's still not sure she can trust him, tho. She ends up taking him home with her and Sylvie gives him a room at the house and invites him to stay for Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving turns out to be a humorous experience for eveyone. Grandma Selma (Sylvie's mom) arrives and immediately takes note of Diana's depression and Lizzie's growing midsection. Gary arrives, making for an awkward time for Diana. Sylvie tells her mother she's been seeing Tim, which takes everyone by surprise. Tim had been hanging around, but the girls had no idea they were seeing each other, just thought they were friends. So then Lizzie shamefacedly admits that she invited her father, thinking it would be a good surprise. So Tim arrives, with dessert, and Sylvie decides to serve the meal whether Richard is there or not. Not long into the meal, Grandma Selma asks Diana if she's getting a divorce, and then turns to Lizzie and Jeff to exclaim "I hope you two are getting married before the baby comes!" The whole group quiets then erupts in confusion. Then Richard arrives. With dessert, from Tim's grocery store. Awkward? He's then introduced to Tim, and greets everyone else, then sits down to eat and asks what's new. The whole table erupts in laughter, and young Milo sums it up quite nicely. "'Aunt Lizzie has a baby in her tummy from...' He paused, pointing at Jeff, having momentarily forgotten his name. 'That guy. ... My mom and dad are having grown-up problems, but Bubbe says nobody dies of divorce. ... I saved the best for last! We got a Wii! Can you believe it?'"
Kids say the darndest things. :)
After the Thanksgiving fiasco, the girls move back to Diana's house together. Gary gets an apartment down the street. Jeff and Lizzie set up a nursery. Then Diana and Lizzie go to meet the woman their father had the affair with. She's not much older than them, and under different circumstances, Lizzie imagines she would have been a very good friend. It was a meeting they both needed for the closure.
In the end, Richard and Sylvie decide to give their relationship a second chance. Richard says he's going to get out of politics. Sylvie tells him she wants to stay in Connecticut. So they plan to let things fall and see what happens.
The End. :)
Overall story rating: 5/10
Recommendation: no
Monday, January 17, 2011
C-words
Another part of my Resolutions for 2011, which I've decided to integrate into this blog, is that I intend to learn a new word every week. By this, I mean that every week, if I haven't heard an interesting word, I will choose a word which I do not know, or am unsure of, the definition. I will write down the definition of that word here, and then try to use it in it's proper context the following week to exercise my new knowledge and commit it to memory. I am hopeful that this will help me to broaden my vocabulary and also to gain a better understanding of my own language and the words I use and read.
The word for this week (January 16) is:
Since I forgot to choose words the last couple weeks, I will also attempt to learn two other words this week. Coincidentally, they all start with "c"....
For January 2:
The word for this week (January 16) is:
"Coptic (noun): an Afro-Asiatic language descended from ancient Egyptian and used as the liturgical language of the Coptic church.
Coptic (adjective): of or relating to the Copts, their liturgical language, or their church."(I used both definitions as I'm not sure how I might use it in a normal sentence this week...)
Since I forgot to choose words the last couple weeks, I will also attempt to learn two other words this week. Coincidentally, they all start with "c"....
For January 2:
"Conflagration (noun) 1: fire; especially, a large disastrous fire. 2: conflict, war."For January 9:
"Curmudgeon (noun) 1: archaic: miser. 2: a crusty, ill-tempered, and usually old man."So, there you have it. The three C-words I randomly chose for my word-of-the-week exercise. I will check in next week with how well I'm doing at using my new words.
Monday, January 3, 2011
New Blog: January 2011
So here we are, in 2011! As part of my New Year's Resolutions, I've decided to start a blog documenting the books I read over the course of the year. Last year, I read at least 36 books (that I had written down), and I have at least 36 more on my list for this year.
So, one of my "resolutions," if you can call it that, is to read all of the books on the list (as well as any others that might cross my path) in the next 362 days. However, that's not where the resolution ends. I can fly through books, no problem. The issue comes when trying to remember what a certain book was about. So, the other part of the resolution is to write a blog post reviewing each book after I've read it. Which will also hopefully help me to keep track of all the books I've read! I plan on checking them off the list as well, so between the blog and the list, I should be able to keep track of everything. :)
My plan, I think, is to write the blog post as I'm reading the book, so the finished post will have covered days, weeks, maybe even months, if I'm not that into it. At present, I'm reading 2 books: Fly Away Home, a novel by Jennifer Weiner, and Hot Apple Cider, a conglomeration* of 44 short stories by 30 Canadian authors. I will create 2 separate blog posts for these books.
Comments are welcomed. Please note that I have a tendency to spoil, so if I mention a book that you haven't read or finished yet, please don't read the review, because I'll probably give away the ending! Sorry. Unless you don't care, then read away!
*Conglomerate: to gather into a mass or coherent whole. - www.merriam-webster.com
So, one of my "resolutions," if you can call it that, is to read all of the books on the list (as well as any others that might cross my path) in the next 362 days. However, that's not where the resolution ends. I can fly through books, no problem. The issue comes when trying to remember what a certain book was about. So, the other part of the resolution is to write a blog post reviewing each book after I've read it. Which will also hopefully help me to keep track of all the books I've read! I plan on checking them off the list as well, so between the blog and the list, I should be able to keep track of everything. :)
My plan, I think, is to write the blog post as I'm reading the book, so the finished post will have covered days, weeks, maybe even months, if I'm not that into it. At present, I'm reading 2 books: Fly Away Home, a novel by Jennifer Weiner, and Hot Apple Cider, a conglomeration* of 44 short stories by 30 Canadian authors. I will create 2 separate blog posts for these books.
Comments are welcomed. Please note that I have a tendency to spoil, so if I mention a book that you haven't read or finished yet, please don't read the review, because I'll probably give away the ending! Sorry. Unless you don't care, then read away!
*Conglomerate: to gather into a mass or coherent whole. - www.merriam-webster.com
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