2009 Book Reviews #4

I'm way behind on my reviews so these will be short and sweet - or not so sweet depending on the book.

Born Standing Up: A Comics Life by Steve Martin

A interesting read. I was in college when I first heard of Steve Martin. In fact, Arkansas Tech was on his college tour - yes the balloon animals, dart through the head, etc. Saw it all. Not only is this story interesting because of it being Steve Martin's story, it is also interesting to read about the people that have been in and out of his life.

Tears of the Desert: A Memoir of Survival in Darfur by Halima Bashir

Powerful story written from the heart. It's sad to realize what is going on in different parts of the world.

What to Keep by Rachel Cline

A well written story. This covers parts of 3 different decades in Denny's life beginning with the distant, somewhat neglectful childhood thourgh adulthood as a successful playwriter.

So Brave, Young and Handsome by Leif Enger

A cowboy adventure story. The narrator is a postman, turned novelist. This is the story of an adventure he took through the wild west and the people and challenges he faced. It is a story full of faith, grace and surprises.

Black Dogs by Ian McEwan

Not my favorite McEwan book. I think it is too deep for me. I enjoyed parts of it, but the overall concept of the black dogs troubled me. I never really understood that part of it - except for the fear they instilled. I'm sure there's a message there.

Comments

July 2024 Reads

I read 8 books this month I enjoyed them all with 4 of them rating 4 stars, and 4 of them rating 3 stars. Here are my thoughts on each one. The Husbands - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Holly Gramazio This was a fun book to read. It stretched my normal “based in realty” self and it was an enjoyable ride. There were a few plot holes and I expected a little more depth as far as what Lauren learned from the experience. But overall it kept my attention and entertained. Sometimes that’s enough from a book. The Drowning Woman - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Robyn Harding This was our book club pick for the month and it was a good choice. I kept guessing where it was headed and was half right and half wrong. It wasn’t always believable and the ending was a little too easy. But getting there was a fun ride. The plot does have some loose similarities to Housemaid - different settings but still a lot alike. So y...

2009 Book Reviews #7

The Office of Desire by Martha Moody This is an interesting story that covers many layers and types of desire and what happens when you give into it and also when you don't. It is set in a small doctor's office that has 5 employees, each with their own desires whether for love, money, faith, happiness, etc. It is interesting how each one deals with the desire and in the end you see the right and the wrong choices. A well written story. The Broker by John Grisham I guess I'm taking a little step back in time reading a John Grisham novel that harkens back to the first type novels that he authored. While it was an interesting book, it was also a little confusing to me. It took me a while to understand how the broker was being set up and why. If you like Grisham though, you'll like this one. It's his standard fare, set in a foreign country with just enough suspense to make you think you know where it's going, but maybe not. Blow Fly by Patricia Cornwell What a di...

2009 Book Reviews #6

A Father's Story by Lionel Dahmer I think it's normal to view any event from the stage of life you are in. As I've gotten older, I view most events as a parent so it was interesting to read a book about a real life horror story written from a dad's perspective. I did feel at times like Mr. Dahmer was over analyzing events that happened in his son's young life. But then I also think that would be the normal thing to do - to look back for signs of what was to come and to try to figure out if there was anyway that it could have been avoided. He makes no excuses for his sons behavior, and in the end seems still as confused by it as most of us are. An interesting book. Tales of a Female Nomad by Rita Golden Gelman The story of a woman who almost stumbles into a nomadic life. Ms Gelman finds herself in a marriage that is crumbling so she suggests a separation. To her surprise, not only is her husband in favor of it, but he thinks it should be for a longer amount of time...

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