For my last review of the year, I'm coming in hot with a classic. I'm a huuuuuge fan of a Dickens adaptation. The simple story of a jerk who is shown For my last review of the year, I'm coming in hot with a classic. I'm a huuuuuge fan of a Dickens adaptation. The simple story of a jerk who is shown the error of his ways (by ghosts) and decides to live life anew, with a song in his heart and a renewed application of kindness to mankind, resonates with me. Christmas simply isn't Christmas without watching the Muppet version of "A Christmas Carol." Also, my husband introduced me to "Scrooged," when we first started dating and last year brought me the campy and delightful musical adaptation, "Spirited" on Apple TV with Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds.
Despite my strong affinity for the adaptations, I had never actually read the source text (gasp) or any Dickens (double gasp) so it was a long time coming to rectify this oversight.
No shocker here, the book is fun, funny and artfully crafted. I finished reading it on the morning of Christmas Eve Eve and my family gathered in front of the TV to watch the Muppet adaptation, as is our yearly tradition. I decided it would be fun to follow along with the story and highlight anytime the Muppets used exact language (super neeeeeeerd), and I'm abso-friggin'-lutely delighted to report that it happens often.
From Gonzo referring to Scrooge as "solitary as an oyster" and Michael Caine exclaiming, "If I could work my will, every idiot who goes about with 'Merry Christmas' on his lips should be buried with a stake of holly through his heart it's in there. Whoever's call it was to be so exacting with much of the dialogue, three cheers for you. The absolute best was discovering that Gonzo's proclamation at the end "Tiny Tim...who did NOT die" is straight from Dickens, including the important capitalization of "not." Bravo.
The story holds up and reading it in the holiday season might be a new tradition of mine as it filled me with mirth. And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God bless Us, Every One!...more
Morton has created an engaging tale of love, family, and history and how the three are inextricably woven together. It's a bit long at times and partsMorton has created an engaging tale of love, family, and history and how the three are inextricably woven together. It's a bit long at times and parts could be condense or omitted but overall a very interesting read. The mystery isn't explained until the end so you will certainly stay interested. I definitely suggest that you don't read it directly after reading The 19th Wife because since they are two non-linear novels that jump around in multiple time periods it can be a bit much for your brain....more
**spoiler alert** After this novel, I'm left puzzled. I'm not exactly sure what I thought about it. This was not the best follow-up to "Say You're One**spoiler alert** After this novel, I'm left puzzled. I'm not exactly sure what I thought about it. This was not the best follow-up to "Say You're One of Them" since at its core Disgrace can be described as a story about violence in Africa. Two of these in a row is not something I would suggest.
Disgrace was odd, and the characters were put in heartbreaking and awkward situations, so for me it was hard to focus on the page. I think that the author managed to capture an unusual reality, but the dialogue seemed a little too contrived for my liking: I found it hard to focus on the characters when there were such bizarre things coming out of their mouths.
David reminded me a little of the protagonist in Richard Russo's Straight Man: academic on the edge of a breakdown, trapped in his need to philosophize and having difficulty coming to terms with the harsh reality of his situation, and of those around them.
This is a tough book to describe. It is a collection of short stories set in different locales in war-torn Africa. A simple summary of my feelings wouThis is a tough book to describe. It is a collection of short stories set in different locales in war-torn Africa. A simple summary of my feelings would be uncomfortably educational. The violence is graphic and horrific and the presence of children in each tale makes it all the more awful.
Even so, the stories are filled with hope because they show that even when faced with extraordinary situations, obstacles, and bigotry, the human spirit can remain strong. ...more
This was an interesting read because of the information it provided about the role of women in the history of the United States. From what I recall ofThis was an interesting read because of the information it provided about the role of women in the history of the United States. From what I recall of elementary and high school education there is little mention of women. This book provided information that I didn't have, and I appreciated the knowledge. The stories of women were fascinating, especially hearing of the obstacles they had to overcome.
Even though the material was compelling, the book was a tough read, or listen, if you choose the audiobook. Cokie Roberts jumped off the page a lot with her own perspective which was entertaining, but very distracting. It was a little hard to focus with her snarky commentary popping up, but again, the material was interesting....more
Ok Faulkner, you win. I was not at all pleased with Sanctuary that I read last month for my book club but was told that I would certainly like "As I LOk Faulkner, you win. I was not at all pleased with Sanctuary that I read last month for my book club but was told that I would certainly like "As I Lay Dying" and I found this to be true.
I certainly didn't like all of the characters in this novel, as some of them were odious and/or falsely pious but the characters were rich and well written. I found this book to be very thought provoking and even funny at times.
Parts of it still seemed a bit over my head but I'm eager to discuss them. This was an enjoyable read and I'm glad I gave Faulkner another shot....more
WOW. I mean, just wow. This book was fantastic. Chilling, sad, and thoughtful are the best words that come to mind. A world where clones exist merely WOW. I mean, just wow. This book was fantastic. Chilling, sad, and thoughtful are the best words that come to mind. A world where clones exist merely as organ donors certainly gives you cause to pause and think. I found this book to be flat, in a way, but it fit. The characters don't have much personality, but they aren't really supposed to, and it totally works.
I love this book and will highly recommend it to all the readers I know....more
Before Edward, before Angelus, there was Dracula. I had never read Dracula before and was intrigued to check it out. I am a big van of vampires, to beBefore Edward, before Angelus, there was Dracula. I had never read Dracula before and was intrigued to check it out. I am a big van of vampires, to be clear, I'm a fan of Joss vampires and NOT Stephanie Meyer. Ick.
Anyway, I knew a little about Dracula from the film Bram Stoker's Dracula. I found the novel to be interesting and compelling. The stories jumps around to journals and letters from many of the characters so you never really have enough information to now what is going on. Although this was interesting, as a device it did wear a little thing. I also think the novel was too long for my liking.
I found this book difficult to read because of all the different versions of vampires that I am familiar with. I was constantly comparing them all in my head and in comparison to more modern vampires, Dracula isn't all that scary. Had I read Dracula in the time it was written I would have found it to be very scary but I guess I'm just too jaded at this point. ...more
Y'ALL. I DID IT. MY 52ND BOOK! MY CANNONBALL IS COMPLEEEEEEEETE. Hip hooray! Fist bumps! High fiving angels!! Last year I didn't quite make it, and thY'ALL. I DID IT. MY 52ND BOOK! MY CANNONBALL IS COMPLEEEEEEEETE. Hip hooray! Fist bumps! High fiving angels!! Last year I didn't quite make it, and the year before I think I squeaked across the finish line or just missed the CBR deadline but this year I'm in with weeks to spare. WOOOOOOOOOO!
(Soft violins begin) Wait! Before I get off the stage, I would like to give some thank yous. Big hugs to everyone participating in CBR for serving as an inspiration to read and write. Thanks to Jim Butcher for The Dresden Files, a dozen of those fluffy fun books were on this year's journey. Shout out to N.K. Jemisin for the very cerebral The Broken Earth trilogy. Respect to Stephen Graham Jones for scaring the bejeebers out of me and props to Glennon Doyle and Jill Bolte Taylor (which I will review shortly) for breaking my brain.
On to my review! I first read My Stroke of Insight 12 years ago when I was living in Tennessee as a selection of a public library book club. At the time, I wasn't much of a non-fiction reader, so this is not anything I ever would have picked up. This has become a highly recommended favorite of mind as it completely changed the way I thought about my brain and my own capacity for change. It's short and sweet (under 200 pages) and the audio is just about 6 hours or so, and read by Taylor. She also has a Ted Talk you could check out for context.
In a nutshell, Taylor is a brain scientist who experienced a stroke and recovered from it, and this book is a distillation of that experience and what she learned about the function of her brain and the deliberate choices she made (and continues to make) to be the person she wants to be. The example that really changed things for me was when she discussed getting a speeding ticket, post-stroke. She goes into detail about how upsetting and frustrating that can be and explains that in the time immediately following the experience there are natural emotional pathways your brain will take, as a response to negative stimuli. And that is a pattern you can't immediately disrupt. HOWEVER. After that initial period of time, if she was choosing to be upset or frustrated about the ticket, that was her brain CHOOSING to focus on that, and thus SHE could choose differently. "On an intellectual level, I realized that I could monitor and shift my cognitive thoughts, but it never dawned on me that I had some say in how I perceived my emotions. No one told me that it only took ninety seconds for my biochemistry to capture, and then release me."
Only. Ninety. Seconds. And beyond that, you can CHOOSE differently! This was such valuable insight to me and has stuck with me all these years. Now, this isn't easy. She details in that example that she had to redirect her brain 100 times in order to NOT feel those negative emotions. But essentially, you train your brain to react certain ways by the repeated behaviors and actions you emphasize. So if you can work to deliberately choose a positive response, then positive circuitry gets reinforced and becomes easier to choose. WOWEE WOW.
The first half is very science-heavy as she gives necessary context for how the brain works leading up to explaining the day she had her stroke so if like me science language can get a little tedious you might have to power through a bit, but it's worth it for the insights. If you end up reading it and would like to talk about it further, I'm your girl!
Original Review - 2009: This is a life-changing read. I am going to recommend/buy it for many people in my life. The beginning can be a little science-heavy, and for someone whose interests lie elsewhere, it was a little tough. I highly recommend trying some of it on audio because it is easier to pay attention to, and also, it is read by the author who has a clear passion for the material. This novel illustrates the recovery possible of the brain after a stroke, but it is so much more than that: it illuminates the possibilities we have inside ourselves to grow from within our own minds....more
This was an interesting read. Although not lengthy, it can be a slow read because the dialect and words of the characters can be difficult to understaThis was an interesting read. Although not lengthy, it can be a slow read because the dialect and words of the characters can be difficult to understand. This was a rich text and very humorous. For me it was interesting to try to put myself into the shoes of the characters as the struggles they had was not something that I have ever experienced as a white female.
As I read this for a book club, I found the life of Zora Neale Hurston to be riveting, especially since her peers persecuted her for what they felt was an unfair portrayal of African Americans and this novel did not find acclaim until after her death. ...more
I'm not quite sure what I think about this book. The literary device used is an interesting one. The author created several short stories about peopleI'm not quite sure what I think about this book. The literary device used is an interesting one. The author created several short stories about people in a small town. The main character, Olive Kitteridege, is in all of the stories, but not always as the main character. It is up to the reader to make sense of it all.
It is definitely a novel to read quickly: because of the number of characters it can be difficult to remember who is connected or related to whom in the variety of tales.
Overall, the novel was interesting but I found it to be pretty depressing. The author attempted to give a glimpse into married life and families and seemed to only find dysfunction and heartbreak. I felt disheartened throughout, but definitely liked the pearls of wisdom strewn throughout....more
I really enjoyed this read. Originally written in 1943, this is a tale of a family in Brooklyn at the turn of the century. Poverty-stricken they choseI really enjoyed this read. Originally written in 1943, this is a tale of a family in Brooklyn at the turn of the century. Poverty-stricken they chose to have hope of a better life. The plot was straightforward and the writing style simple, but there were many nuggets of truth about coming of age and the difficulties inherent when trying to provide a better life for children in a difficult time.
This is definitely a book that I would want to reread. It is a bit lengthy at 420 pages, but it is an enjoyable stroll through the life of the Nolan family....more
A classic, and a great one at that. The writing isn't the best of all time but the ideas behind it are amazing. Huxley was definitely a man before hisA classic, and a great one at that. The writing isn't the best of all time but the ideas behind it are amazing. Huxley was definitely a man before his time and his creativity amazes me. My personal favorite novel of all time is 1984 so I like Brave New World for the similarities I draw, specifically, both novels shake me out of the complacency of every day life and make me wonder what changes I will see in my lifetime, and if they will be welcome, or horrific....more
**spoiler alert** I had a lot of hesitation going in to this book because I previously read 100 Years of Solitude and found it to be very dense and di**spoiler alert** I had a lot of hesitation going in to this book because I previously read 100 Years of Solitude and found it to be very dense and difficult. I am glad that I gave Love in the Time of Cholera a chance because I really enjoyed it, for the most part. Interestingly enough, they were similar in that 100 Years follows a town from start to finish and Love follows a relationship from start to finish.
Marquez is a gifted storyteller and it is easy to get lost in the vivid world that he creates. Even so, I found it difficult at parts to just focus on the flow and depth of the story because I was distracted by the Lolita subplot: I couldn't root for him to win his love after he ruined a young girl's life. I get it, love and relationships are complicated, but there are some things that are just unforgivable.
In addition, I'm not sure if I liked the ending. I need to think about it more: I like that the author didn't wrap everything up too neatly but it was a bit abrupt.
Overall, an interesting and complex tale of the complexity of love, destiny, and relationships....more
Ashlie aka The Cheerbrarian
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