My Own Little Book Corner

Big Brother by Lionel Shriver I don't know why I give author's second chances sometimes, but l'm a sucker.   Actually I will try again when it is an author that other's seem to like.  So I gave Ms Shriver another shot. The main plot of the story is an older brother whom was always idolized by his younger sister.  He shows up at her house weighing as much as a house.  The long stay is taxing enough on the sisters family, but add his weight issue and things are really heated up.  The sister has to make a decision on how best to help her brother and what she is willing to pay to help her brother.  The story, even with a plot twist that left me rolling my eyes, was not a bad story.  I just don't like Ms Shriver's writing style.  She inserts too many "facts" about diet, America;'s views of obesity, types of diets, etc.   I just wanted a story - not a research paper or sermon. Lies Your Wanted to Hear by James Whitfield Thomson I liked thi...

After a 2 year hiatus, I think I will try doing short reviews of books again. I find even if nobody else reads it, it helps me to go back and see my impression of a book to then decide what to read in the future. August 2016 was not one of my better months in reading both in number of books and enjoyment. I would say for the most part, the books I read were ok, but none stood out. So here goes -   Freeman by Leonard Pitts This is a good story that will make you think.   It weaves the tale of people from different areas of life and the country after the abolishment of slavery.  We are introduced to those who have lived the life in slavery and those who have not, but sympathize with those who have.   We see idealist, realist and those who have no hope.  The stories are compelling. The reason I did not rate this book higher is that the entire time I was reading it, I read it as a TV script.   This is not Mr. Pitt's fault, it was just in my head...

Another month - another round of reviews.  These are more my impressions than reviews as I really don't want to give much away.  I've included links in case you are interested in knowing more about the plot. I love books and love that there are so many out there.  I'm always looking for new books to read, so send me your suggestions please. Unbroken by Laura Hildenbrand I feel unAmerican and heartless saying this, but this was not one of my favorite books.  If you don't know about this book, it is the story of Louis Zamperini - a Olympic athlete, turned Air Force member, Japanese POW, returning veteran, husband.  It is a story of survival, resilience and redemption as it says in the title, which I expected to result in a lot of emotion.  Instead, I felt detached throughout the book and I had a hard time reading it.   The main reason being that to me it read too much like a history book.  I just didn't connect with the writing style of ...

Reconstructing Amelia by Kinberly McCreight This was an OK book - not nearly as good as it could have been.  Amelia is a high school girl with all the peer pressure that goes along with it.  She is raised by a single mother with whom she appears to have a good relationship.   The mother is beyond puzzled when Amelia is found after she apparently jumped from the roof of the school.   The story goes back and forth between current and past times painting the picture of what was going on in Amelia's life before that day and what her mom is going through to try to prove that Amelia did not commit suicide.  I liked the plot, just not into the writing style or how the story developed.  At times I felt like I was reading a Young Adult book, but then again, it wasn't.   Some of the story was unbelievable too and some I couldn't understand how they fit.   Not one of my favorites, but I did read it all. The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes by Diane Chamb...

The Arsonist by Sue Miller A disappointing book. By the title and summary, I expected the story line to center more on the arsonist that is leaving the community of Pomeroy on edge. The main story line revolves around a woman who has worked overseas doing aid work all of her adult life and has popped in and out of the states.  She is struggling with the need to stay in the states to help her family or the pull of leaving.  This is a somewhat sad tale of family dynamics, community and life. I never felt connected to any of the characters, who for the most part were self-centered. The most encouraging part of the book was the ending, but even that had depressing tones to it. I wanted to like this book, but just could never get there.  The Shortest Way Home by Juliette Fay I almost waited to read this book because there is a lot of similarities in the plot line to "The Arsonist".  The main character is a man that has worked overseas doing aid work for his e...

The Risk Pool by Richard Russo A great book with wonderful character development. This is the type book that stayed with me after the last page was read. I think Mr. Russo does a great job of making the characters real people with flaws like we all have but also that tiny spark of goodness. This is one of my favorite books so far this year. Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone by J.K. Rowling After hearing references to Harry Potter in sermons, I thought maybe I should read the series. I know it is a Young Adult series that caught on with the older crowd too. The style is definitely YA, but I did enjoy this first book. I enjoyed it enough that I was looking forward to reading the next one ..... Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling Reading this one right after the first book was probably not a great idea. The YA aspect really stood out to me. I almost felt as if I was re-reading the same story, just with a different set of circumstances. I've decided to try rea...

I have never thought I'd like an audio book. I've listened to different audio Bible's from time to time and while I've liked doing that, I find myself letting my mind wander. Since it had been a while since I had tried listening to a book, I thought I'd give it another chance. I checked out an audio book from our library, downloaded it to my mp3 player and have been listening while working out. I usually read a book while at the gym, but logistically that is not always easy to do. The book has to fit in the rack just right, I have to turn pages, I can't read when I jog, etc. So far the audio book has been a perfect fit. Plus I refuse to listen to it at home, so that gives me a little incentive to go work out. I think maybe I'm on to something.

I read 15 books in January. They are quite a mix of styles and topics. My favorites this month were Night , The Justice Game, American Wife and Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons . The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton A classic but not one of my favorites. Predictable from beginning to end. I really wanted to take a pen and change it up some. The Brambles by Eliza Minot I would classify this book as an "easy read" but it actually deals with a lot of heavy topics - death, eating disorders, adoption, marriage issues and even a stalker. Surprisingly it was not a depressing book, but in some ways an encouraging one. It did take me a while to get use to Ms Minot's style of writing, but I'm glad I stuck with it. Night by Elie Wiesel Wow! What can you say about a book that is a true story of being in a concentration camp. Such a sad, compelling story of survival. This should be a required book for everyone. City of Light by Lauren Belfer I enjoyed this historical ficti...

What am I thinking? I signed up for a reading challenge. There's no prizes, no recognition, no rewards - except meeting the challenge and hopefully discovering some good books. Since the most books I've read in one year is 120 and the past 2 years I've been stuck on 59, this is going to be quite the challenge. I am also trying to include as many Pulitzer Prize winners as I can in my reading. I know I won't read them all because frankly, they don't all appeal to me and I think reading should be for enjoyment, not drudgery. I do find it interesting that most people who have posted in the group do not expect to meet the challenge. I am starting the new year with full intentions of reading 144 books, but if I don't, it won't be the end of the world. Just something to shoot for. If you're interested in joining the group - check it out at Goodreads.com

Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout It's hard to start describing this book. It is actually a collection of short stories set in the town of Crosby, Maine. Through most of the stories Olive Kitteridge makes an appearance in some way - even if as just a mention. Through these snapshots we get a picture of the how others view Olive and eventually as she views herself. She is an interesting character and through out the book she reminded me of different people I know. But this book is about more than Olive. In one of the chapters an observation is made about seeing the houses around us and not really knowing what kind of life people have. To me this book is a glimpse into many lives. It is a somewhat sad story in that so many of the glimpses are of the things that are wrong in their lives. Even when I was beginning to feel a little cheery half-way through reading Winter Concert, that story took a turn. This story offered many different perspectives on people and events in life and i...