Silly and ridiculous? Yes!, but oh so funny except for Trump fans, as this political satire certainly skewers him to the max. Not sure the First Lady Silly and ridiculous? Yes!, but oh so funny except for Trump fans, as this political satire certainly skewers him to the max. Not sure the First Lady deserved the portrayal, but it IS supposed to be fiction, right?
I loved the main character, Angie Armstrong wildlife wrangler and her interesting job. Of course, cornering and euthanizing HUGE pythons was a surprise in Palm Beach as it is apparently too far north of their typical habitat. But pythons are a predominant feature of the story line. A story line that is as crazy as the looney tunes characters that inhabit it with a few exceptions!
I have never read Hiaasen before and this was an unusual choice for my f2f book club as it reassembles for monthly get togethers. Maybe the person that recommended it knew we all needed just a good laugh as we come out of our sequestered lives of the last 14 months. Hiaasen does use quite a bit of crude language and descriptions but I gave it a pass as I was so totally taken with the plot and hijinks that ensued. I'm not a fast reader but I zipped through (for me) and was happy how everything ended up....more
My turn on the hotline was fairly quiet and I was able to quickly read this lovely debut (2009) novel of food and relationships. 4 stars for the enjoyMy turn on the hotline was fairly quiet and I was able to quickly read this lovely debut (2009) novel of food and relationships. 4 stars for the enjoyment it brought me. It falls in line with a number of similarly styled novels such as Garden Spells, Water for Chocolate & Chocolat, but without as much magical realism infused throughout. The drop of magic comes from Lillian's uncanny ability to read people and know what kind of food lessons will meet their needs, which also reminded me of the bookseller in The Little Paris Bookshop.
Lillian offers small cooking classes at her restaurant & this offering brings a mix of people who have been motivated to take the class for disparate reasons, as different as the people themselves. After the set-up, each chapter then is about each student and the essential ingredients that make them who they are . At 255pp, the book is not long enough to fully flesh out each character but enough to make you care about them and wish them well.
There is some delicious writing which had me roll the phrases around and savor them just as Lillian wants you to savor the ingredients in cooking. There is definitely a focus on the food and it even tempted this non-cook in considering (fleetingly) making the effort to learn.
If you love food and light easy reading with interesting people this may be the book for you. ...more
Dr. Frankl was such an amazing man! A practicing psychiatrist when he was sent to his first of 4 concentration camps over a 3 yr period, he honed his Dr. Frankl was such an amazing man! A practicing psychiatrist when he was sent to his first of 4 concentration camps over a 3 yr period, he honed his psychological philosophy as he observed others' attitudes and his own experience towards the unavoidable suffering of the camps. He developed a therapeutic regimen named logotherapy which is more future-oriented in finding meaning or purpose in one's life than traditional psychoanalysis which delves into one's past to explain one's behavior and attitudes. Life in a concentration camp tore open the human soul and exposed its depths. The first part of the book highlights his time in the camps which are horrific and I still am gobsmacked by his ability to find meaning & purpose, to make even the smallest choices which gave him something to hang onto. To realize that the spiritual freedom of choosing is something that no one can take away.
Part 2 discusses in more depth logotherapy which says we can find meaning in our lives in several ways: 1) creating a work or doing a deed, 2) experiencing something or encountering someone (love), and/or 3) the attitude we take toward unavoidable suffering.
This edition also has a foreword by Harold Kushner which illuminated Frankl's key concepts, and an afterword by William Winsdale which gave a short bio of Frankl and how he applied his theory & pointed to other works written by Frankl.
I have highlighted much throughout the book. Certainly the need for purpose & meaning is not a new concept, but the realization of how much we need it to thrive as our life circumstances change has been accepted as a mainstream idea in the 20thC. Perhaps because we are living longer and go through more stages of our lives compared with previous centuries?
Kushner says Frankl's most enduring insight is that Forces beyond your control can take away everything you possess except one thing, your freedom to choose how you will respond to the situation....more
I can not do justice to this book in a review. It is a complex, pull the heart string tale of abuse & resilience. The most difficult part for me was kI can not do justice to this book in a review. It is a complex, pull the heart string tale of abuse & resilience. The most difficult part for me was knowing I was feeling sorry for Mr. B, who through no fault of his own behaved in an abusive way to the child he had rescued from certain death. You have to read it, to understand. Both the Child Finder & the Snow Child are lost & looking for themselves as former searches for lost children and the latter uses her imagination to survive in horrible circumstances. Nature is the other big star in this novel, the author juxtaposes the dark world of the cabin & cellar with the beauty of nature in the woods and snow. I love magical realism and I didn't feel that was what was being utilized here, unless one says our ability to imagine is magical realism....more
A dual timeline story with a main character that I should have been wholly sympathetic to, but as things evolved I didn't find her that likable. PerhaA dual timeline story with a main character that I should have been wholly sympathetic to, but as things evolved I didn't find her that likable. Perhaps with more character development all around would have been helpful. We follow Rachel on her life journey from 4 y/o to 16 or 17 y/o, alternating with her 40 something current life (1954) as a nurse. Her time in the orphanage was based on true events and her initial entry in 1919 separated from her older brother when she was 4 y/o into the "infant" building was so difficult to read and imagine, this is when my heart broke for her. The terrible way the babies & kids were neglected or treated much less the medical experimentation was sickening. One of the doctors even called the children in the experiments "material" and when referring to Rachel "it". The experiment with x-rays by Dr. Solomon (who had her own issues) left life-long physical & psychological scars on Rachel. Even at 16 y/o, when her life had purpose & with caring people she still viewed herself as a victim "The enormity of her losses swooped down on Rachel like crows to carrion." As an adult she now has her most difficult moral/ethical dilemma to confront, when Dr. Solomon comes back into her life as a dying patient with bone cancer. Is this a time for revenge or forgiveness? Compassion or neglect?
Although I felt the writing left something to be desired, the character development was lacking and the story was somewhat disjointed at times with contrived scenarios; it has plenty of themes to discuss in a book club: ethical dilemmas, relationships, Jewish culture to name a few....more
This is my first read by this author & probably won't be my last. I haven't read a lot of psychological suspense novels although they are very popula This is my first read by this author & probably won't be my last. I haven't read a lot of psychological suspense novels although they are very popular now. Hmm I feel manipulated, is that what this genre is all about? If so, the author did a bang up job! It wasn't quite the gripping story for me that many reviewers have raved about, but very interesting. I figured out a few crucial pieces well before the reveals, but some of the twists were out of nowhere and makes you rethink how you feel about the characters. I suppose that is the crux of human behavior, we are usually not all good, or all bad but a combination; and what do we do with that. The core of the story revolves around Angela and her secrets about a traumatic event in her teenage years and a current sexual assault scandal involving her successful, well-known husband. This spotlight on her husband not only begins to unravel their family but threatens Angela's carefully constructed façade. A complex suspense with some police and legal procedural parts.
This was a book club read for me and I'm eager to be involved in the discussion!...more
Engrossing read about a young, intelligent girl in the middle ages who chose to exercise her mind in lieu of trodding the path of the typical woman inEngrossing read about a young, intelligent girl in the middle ages who chose to exercise her mind in lieu of trodding the path of the typical woman in the middle ages who was considered to be inferior in every way except childbearing. Even that, if the woman did not produce a boy child she was considered a failure. Anyway, Joan after convincing her older brother to teach her to read & write, incredibly meets many mentors along the way who give her the tools to rise above her lowly birth. But it is when the Norseman attack & massacre the village, that she takes the bold move to escape her life as a woman & disguise herself as a boy/man and seeks a life of learning and the healing arts among the monks. There is much storyline before & after this life-altering decision that keeps the reader engaged in what is happening with Joan who will be known as John Anglicus. Rich in historical detail. There are a few scenes that I rolled my eyes, thinking how convenient that things worked out that way, but not enough of them to take away from the overall fascinating story and historical account. ...more
This was my f2f book club's selection and I have to admit I wasn't very excited about it. Boy, was I wrong! I will be pretty short with my review becaThis was my f2f book club's selection and I have to admit I wasn't very excited about it. Boy, was I wrong! I will be pretty short with my review because you can find some terrific reviews already done by our Goodreads community.
It's a wonderful story full of real characters, people & family dynamics you would recognize. And there were not just little fires there were some pretty big ones too! The secrets we keep and the consequences of those secrets drive the story as well as the questions as to what makes a family? The traditional model living in a utopian-like suburb, a single-parent household, the older couple adopting a child, surrogate or the people we choose to be family because of some connectedness....?
It was a quicker read than I anticipated which I can only say was due to the lovely writing and flow of the narrative. The secrets are revealed like the proverbial onion, one layer at a time. And unlike so many novels everything is not resolved and tied up in a bow at the end. Leaves you wanting more....more
I can't say too much about the story without giving important things away. A debut novel for the author, it was a light, easy read and only made it toI can't say too much about the story without giving important things away. A debut novel for the author, it was a light, easy read and only made it to 3 stars because about 3/4 of the way through the book, it became something more than just a chick lit book. A "what if" story as Kitty/Katharyn moves back and forth through two lives through her dreams or subconscious.
Update: Ok improving to 3.5 stars after discussing with my book club. About half of the group thought it was very good. I gained more insight into the MC during the discussion & I guess it showed me, I need to spend a little more time reflecting on the book prior to zipping off a review....more
I loved this gem. Who knew that reading about an aristocrat placed under house arrest for 30+ years would make such a consuming read?!! Of course the I loved this gem. Who knew that reading about an aristocrat placed under house arrest for 30+ years would make such a consuming read?!! Of course the "house" is the wonderful Metropol Hotel. Beautifully written, it follows Count Alexander Rostov's life from 1922-1954 and the people that make up his new family in the hotel, the most transforming is Sofia who is left in his care. Although after I write that I think, yet, Nina probably saves his life and years later provides him with his most precious gift. One also gets glimpses into the changes that are ongoing in Mother Russia during the time period.
Just such a wonderful immersion into an unexpected life. I savored the unfolding of the story....more
New author for me and my book club's NOV selection. I'm not sure how to review this book. I have liked other books in the magical realism genre, althoNew author for me and my book club's NOV selection. I'm not sure how to review this book. I have liked other books in the magical realism genre, although this had more of a fantasy feel to it. This is definitely a work in progress! I did enjoy it, but many times I felt lost in what was really happening. I was unsatisfied when this novella was over. I needed more. I needed explaining. I suppose that is the difference from myself as an analytical adult and the children in general having much more imagination! I mean really, a pond is an ocean? And was this a dream? "Nobody actually looks like what they really are inside." At it's core, it was good versus evil, friendship & sacrifice. I really liked the insights into how children explore the world vs adults. And I will join others in highlighting a particular passage: "Adults are content to walk the same way, hundreds of times, or thousands, perhaps it never occurs to adults to step off the paths, to creep beneath rhododendrons, to find the spaces between the fences" I'm sure I'll re-read prior to my book club meeting to ensure I can adequately describe how I feel about the book. Must let it settle in, then determine the number of stars. And although I liked this idea "you don't pass or fail at being a person.." I'm not sure I can hang onto it, when I see the evil in the world today.
I did re-read and let things seep and ended up underlining much more than I had before. I am more satisfied after reading again & realize there was even more packed into this little book than what I had originally thought. So I ended up with 5 stars for this imaginative & provocative book....more
Grisham perfectly portrays the hardscrabble life of a cotton farmer in the early 1950's. The story of the Chandler family is told from the POV of a 13Grisham perfectly portrays the hardscrabble life of a cotton farmer in the early 1950's. The story of the Chandler family is told from the POV of a 13 y/o boy during cotton-picking season ( & more importantly to him) baseball season. Life goes into high gear when it's time to get the cotton in and farmers hire migrants from "the hills" and Mexicans as laborers. They live & eat on the farm with the Chandlers. The influx of people brings a new dynamic to the Chandlers and the town itself. Luke is also a witness to some pivotal events that he keeps to himself, becoming secrets which haunt him in different ways. A simple story on the surface but there is so much more packed into this gem of a novel. Beautifully written, most likely pulled from Grisham's own growing up years as the son of a cotton farmer.
One of the jacket blurbs really said it best " a drop-dead evocation of a time and place that mark this novel as a classic slice of Americana."...more
Well it took me a L-O-N-G time to start to look forward to picking up this book each day, about 240 or so pages in long! Too much going on, too many cWell it took me a L-O-N-G time to start to look forward to picking up this book each day, about 240 or so pages in long! Too much going on, too many characters. I gave it 3 vs 2 stars just because I like the small parts where the book club members actually discussed the book they had chosen each month, and I was intrigued by the backstory of Ava and how the death of her sister & mother impacted her & others. Even though the last quarter of the book was more enjoyable to read it wrapped up a little too unbelievable for even me to swallow.
I've had friends that indicated it would be interesting to choose the book that mattered most...I was only confused by it because I knew I could never just choose ONE!! And depending on the time & circumstances of your life books change in their impact on you. A book I adored in childhood may not have the same reaction from me now. Certainly there are books that I was non-plussed by in adolescence that I re-read as an adult that I ended up getting much more out of etc etc. So this quote by one of the characters jumped out at me:
The idea of the book that matters most, Kiki said. Because I think it's like impossible to pick such a book. When you read a book, and who you are when you read it, makes it matter or not....more
" He was gambling with not only his own life but with those of his family. It wasn't that he was doing anything technically wrong by asking questions " He was gambling with not only his own life but with those of his family. It wasn't that he was doing anything technically wrong by asking questions and making inquiries, but he as acting on his own. Independent action was always a risk since it implied that the structures put in place by the state had failed; that the individual could somehow achieve something the State could not."
Soviet Russia, 1950's. The collective was what was important to the State. "There is no crime." The average person lived in fear and deprivation. Survival was the name of the game. A model soldier, Leo was part of the State's operations to ferret out dissidents, torture & kill them or send away to the gulag. He thought he was doing the right thing. His last case niggled at him, he started to think they had brought in an innocent man. Vasiliv was envious of Leo and was looking for any thing to trip him up & get him out of the way. He implicated Leo's wife as a possible spy. Leo could not denounce her & for that he & Raisa are sent away to a small outpost as punishment, where soon after a child has been discovered brutally murdered. Leo becomes involved in investigating the child's murder with the local commander of the militia. He begins to think the wrong person has been railroaded into confessing and thus continues his trajectory of revelation as he investigates a potential serial killer. He has to comes to terms with his relationship with his wife, as well as his fellow countrymen and the institutional conditioning of the State....more
Oh Boy, I really, really liked this book!! Quite a surprise as I didn't care for What Alice Forgot. Someone is dead, but you don't know who until very Oh Boy, I really, really liked this book!! Quite a surprise as I didn't care for What Alice Forgot. Someone is dead, but you don't know who until very near the end. And was it murder? I thought the way the story unfolded was quite creative & hilarious. Many laugh out-loud moments for me. The humor is layered over a very ugly darkness which made it even more powerful. Some of the main characters were broad stereotypes but I thought it really worked well in this novel. I just hope when you read it, you don't discover yourself in one of them!
Just adding after having watched the miniseries. Although the acting was wonderful, I didn't enjoy this as much as the book. No humor to cut the darkness of the plot, some unnecessary sexual scenes & I certainly don't remember that much profanity either in the book....more
Sometimes when I am so struck or moved by a book, I think I can never do it justice in a review. I waffled between 4 & 5 stars because the ending I thSometimes when I am so struck or moved by a book, I think I can never do it justice in a review. I waffled between 4 & 5 stars because the ending I thought wasn't realistic. But one small chapter compared to the rest of the book. No contest. This is my third Picoult book & I have been told by others that as one reads through them, she tends to get formulaic. Perhaps, I haven't read enough of them, because I find them to be quite provocative. The moral and/or ethical dilemma posed in the books should make one think! This one is no different as it deals with racism both overt and subtle, or even totally unrealized by an individual.
Picoult lays out the overarching issue through a tight compelling storyline: African-American nurse placed on trial after the death of a newborn of white supremacist parents, and the close-in shot of how prejudice affects a person by the 3 diverse voices that narrate the story. I was totally surprised that she used the character that most people (I hope) would be disgusted by as a major voice, but as I read on, I thought brilliant (!) and how could it be otherwise.
Another book that I never read in my youth when it seems that it was mandatory reading for most in HS or college, so thus no scholarly study on the boAnother book that I never read in my youth when it seems that it was mandatory reading for most in HS or college, so thus no scholarly study on the book. I am glad that I read it now. As I read, so much was going through my mind r/t parallels to 20thC & current affairs. It is chilling. Written in 1949, it's brilliant as it has stood the test of time as a warning. It seems that the author was impelled by the atomic bomb and growing automation, the Stalin & Hitler regimes as well as other changes in the world. Orwell developed a world that has pushed forward in the control of others, erasing history as it was and individuality. Of course, as I say that, I felt the "proles" were left with their humanity but were controlled through the suffering inflicted upon them in their poverty, starvation and inability to climb out of their social strata. I left the story a little numb over the ending. It left one without hope. I was definitely invested in Winston. Julia, not so much. I suppose I wish we knew more of a backstory. Why did she seem to escape a full brainwashing? What did she see in Winston that made her approach him? Did she really love him or just another of her small rebellious acts against the Party? Learning of those little acts of rebellion was about the only thing I liked about her. As things happened to characters it made me think of the X Files mantra "Trust No One." Parallels to today, increasing surveillance of citizenry, the ability for social media to isolate people & target them for the information (propaganda) it wants them to have through trolls & bots, Fake News, increasing xenophobia and nationalism, etc. The two minutes of hate that the party members engage in everyday. Was too eerie of a reminder of crowdthink, how easy it is to whip up emotions and get people to say and do things in a group that they wouldn't do or say individually. Do I dare say, some of Trump's rallies are like that?
"The old civilizations claimed that they were founded on love and justice. Ours is founded upon hatred." "The real power is not over things...it is over men." Fear, hatred and suffering brings people to heel. "In our world there will be no emotions except fear, rage, triumph, & self-abasement."...more
Definitely lives up to the hype with a MC that I could root for. Among many things the novel asks the question: If you had a chance to live a differenDefinitely lives up to the hype with a MC that I could root for. Among many things the novel asks the question: If you had a chance to live a different version of your life, would you? The path(s) not taken. Crouch wraps up this conundrum with some quantum mechanics, string theory, & the unanswerable question of the true nature of the universe, but it all just adds to the sense of wonder. Truly!!! No geekiness required. The deep questions are not centered in a piece of literature but a rock & rolling ride of a thriller that keeps one guessing, and indeed there is more than one twist to this mind-bending thrill ride! And I am going to leave it at that!...more