My Own Little Book Corner

I'm so far behind on my reviews. What follows is abbreviated reviews of some of the books I've read this year. On this list my top 3 would be - Three Junes, Same Kind of Different as Me, and A Thousand Splendid Suns Three Junes by Julia Glass I wasn't sure about this book when I first started it, but found myself drawn to the story and the people. It is about family and the expectations they put on each other and on themselves, and about love and basically just surviving life. Girl With a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier This is an easy read that is best described as a story. I found nothing deep in it or any layers, but did enjoy the word picture it presented. It is set in Holland and I could picture the life and the world that the characters inhabited. Another decent book. Same Kind of Different as Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore A true story that is a tribute to a woman who saw people through the eyes of God. She lived a life of grace and service that reflected God...

Everything Must Go by Elizabeth Flock A story about a family affected by a terrible tragedy. The story is more about the paths that their life's take following the tragedy and the dynamics that follow. It is a depressing story and I still haven't decided if I'm glad I read it or not. The Girl Who Stopped Swimming by Joshilyn Jackson I like Ms Jackson's books - this being the third of hers I read. When I started this one I wasn't so sure, but as I got into it and the characters developed, I found myself drawn in. I was a little disappointed in the ending - too much like a movie ending for me. But well worth the read. The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch I must of been the last person on the face of the earth to know about this book. It was a Christmas gift from my good friend, June, and I hadn't heard of it before receiving it. I expected this to be a little depressing, but it really was full of positivity. In some ways it was a little too "surface level...

I read too many books since my last review, so here's what I've read - American Bee:The National Spelling Bee and the Culture of Word Nerds by James Maguire - Don't waste your time There's No Toilet Paper on the Road Less Traveled by Doug Lansky - An entertaining compilation of travel stories Portrait of a Killer Jack the Ripper Case Closed by Patricia Cornwell In Search of Eden by Linda Nichols Enduring Love by Ian McEwan - Check this one out Pistol: The Life of Pete Maravich by Mark Kriegel - Another one worth the read. Especially if you like basketball, but even if you don't it's a good life story. While I was Gone by Sue Miller Who Stole the Funny? A Novel of Hollywood by Robby Benson - You should put this high on your to be read list. The Cross Examination of Oliver Finney by Randy Singer - Another good one. Well written and a good story. Turn Away Thy Son: Little Rock Crisis that Shock the Nation" by Elizabeth Jacoway - If you like history t...

Ready to Fall by Claire Cook Don't bother reading this book. I like the premise of a book written around written correspondence only - whether it's letters, e-mails, IM's, etc. I seldom like the story that goes along with the premise though. This one is not an exception. The main character is going through a mid-life crisis of sorts and sets her sights on her soon to be divorced neighbor. The only interesting part is when she goes off to "Special Delivery" camp to discover herself. The stories about what happens while there are entertaining. But I never liked any of the characters in the book - all too self absorbed and boring. Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer This one was not exactly what I expected. I thought thee would be more about what happened in Alaska that resulted in Mr. McCandless' death. While that is covered some, the main story is about his travels before Alaska. There are also stories of other people with a vagabond heart and speculation on how th...

Summer of Light by W. Dale Cramer This is the story of a man who finds himself thrown into the role of stay at home dad. This wasn't his choice, but like many things in his life, there seems to be a larger plan to his life than his own. It is a story of faith - faith found on many different levels. The faith that sometimes we are aware of having and follow gladly and then the faith that sometimes sneaks up on us and we are almost forced to have. It is an interesting book, but I would have liked a little more detail to the story. It may be because it was written by a man so he comes from a different point of view, but I felt like there could have been more emotion to the story. All in all, worth reading just not exactly what I expected. Breach of Faith:Hurricane Katrina and the Near Death of a Great American City by Jed Horne I am glad I read this book. It brought back some memories of a time not long ago when New Orleans found itself facing one of the greatest disasters in...

Time to catch up! Since my last review I've read 17 books. You can follow the links for more details about each book if interested. Since my last review I've read 3 non-fiction books - Shattered Dreams: My Life as a Polygamist's Wife by Irene Spencer Interesting book - worth the read. I read this right before the raid in Texas so it made all of that even more interesting. I still don't understand it all and will never agree with it, but feel a little more educated about the religion behind the belief. You'll Never Nanny in This Town Again by Suzanne Hansen Written by a girl from Oregon who kind of stumbles into being a nanny and then ends up in Hollywood working for the mover and shakers. A view into the life that is sometimes encouraging, but often not. Another enjoyable book. Clapton by Eric Clapton I am not a huge Eric Clapton fan but had read several reviews on this book that highly recommended it. My sweet friends gave it to me for my birthday and I did enjo...

Atonement by Ian McEwan "On a summer day in 1935, thirteen-year-old Briony Tallis witnesses the flirtation between her older sister, Cecilia, and Robbie Turner, the son of a servant. But Briony's incomplete grasp of adult motives and her precocious imagination bring about a crime that will change all their lives, a crime whose repercussions "Atonement" follows trough the chaos and carnage of World War II and into the close of the twentieth century." This is the second of Mr. McEwan's books that I've read, having read "Saturday" as my last book in 2007. Like "Saturday" I found "Atonement" to get off to a slow start, but knowing what good reviews it has gotten and based on past experience, I hung in there and I'm glad I did. Mr. McEwan can take me away to another time and place. I liked how he showed the different view points of the actions that were taken place. I wasn't surprised by much in the book, but it was a g...

As you can see, my reading has slowed down. It's that time of year where I have a lot to do and if I'm not busy at night, I'm vegging out. That means that I'm not doing anything that makes me have to think. I'm still reading - currently "Love in the Time of Cholera." I'm enjoying it, but it may be a while before I get through it. In the meantime, my "to be read pile" is growing. But I'll eventually work through them.

Blood Orange by Drusilla Campbell "Dana Cabot cannot remember the kind of person she was before May 29th, the day she became angry at God, at her workaholic attorney husband, and herself. The day her seven-year-old daughter, Bailey, disappeared. As the months wear on without a trace of her adorable but troubled child, Dana can't help blaming her husband's controversial defense of an accused abuser for playing a role in the abduction - and it shows in the strain on their marriage. But then a shocking event offers a clue to what really happened to Bailey - and Dana's unwitting part in it. Haunted by the unthinkable consequences of revealing everything she knows, Dana must decide whether to keep the truth to herself - or risk losing the rest of her family." This story didn't exactly follow the path that I expected, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. I expected more of a "Deep End of the Ocean" story, but this is more of a story about what led ...

Patty Jane's House of Curl by Lorna Landvik "Maybe Patty Jane Dobbin should know better than to marry a man as gorgeous as Thor Rolvaag, but she's too smitten to think twice. Yet nine months into their marriage, with a baby on the way, Thor is gone. It's a good thing Patty Jane has her irrepressible sister Harriet to rely on - not to mention her extremely short, extremely rich almost-brother-in-law, Avel Ames." This is a story of family, friendship and life. It is not a feel good story, but it is full of warm emotion. I enjoyed getting to know Patty Jane, Harriet, Ione and Nora. They each had highs, lows, good and bad - just like in real life and handled it in their own way. Through it all they were there for each other and for others too. 4 stars Into Thin Air:A Personal Account of Mount Everest by Jon Krakauer "In this definitive account of the deadliest season in the history of Everest, Jon Krakauer takes the reader step-by-step from Katmandu to the moun...