Skeletons at the Feast

Skeletons at the Feast
by: Chris Bohjalian

Fabulous book!

It is set during the end of WW2, in Germany. It starts out with a German family, sending off their father and brother to help with the war effort. You see the war from their perspective. As the story moves on you see the war from other perspectives: Jewish man, Jewish women in a concentration camp, English POW. It is very good, interesting to see from all those perspectives. It is about National Pride, turning a blind eye, seeing what is really going on.

I really enjoyed how the author brought all those stories together; weaved them into each other. I highly recommend this book. Please note, there are some sexual parts to this book - read those as you like, or don't like.

The Choice

The Choice

by: Nicholas Sparks

Too predictable. Too sappy. Not his best effort, in fact, hardly any effort.

Girl neighbor, boy neighbor, they meet, amazing weekend of parasailing (?!), motorcycle riding, so they fall in love. But, she is already "in love" with her boyfriend of many years. What to do, she must make a choice. Barf. Ok, she chooses the neighbor.

Years later, married, 2 kids, they go to a concert 2 1/2 hours away. Raining on the way home, he drives too fast, car crash, she ends up in a coma. Years ago she told him that after 12 weeks if she was ever in a coma, to please "pull the plug". Now, he has a choice to make.

Oh, this bugs me on my many levels. Do you want to know what happens? If yes, read on, I am happy to spoil it for you.

He opts NOT to pull the plug. She goes to a nursing home for care. Nine weeks later, she suddenly wakes up and asks for her husband. They live happily ever after. They never discuss how he didn't pull the plug like she wanted. Whatever.

My take away from this book is: don't drive a total of 5 hours to go to a concert if you have to be back the next morning at 8:00 for work, duh! Don't drive too fast in the rain, duh! Your life is more important than being on time. Oh my. Ok, I learned 3 things. I am happy.

The Memory Keeper's Daughter

The Memory Keeper's Daughter

by: Kim Edwards

Very hard beginning. I complained to Candice and Tatia about the sad, horrid start. I kept reading and really liked all the conflict that the author put out there.

A doctor's wife, suddenly goes into labor, terrible storm. The doctor has to deliver the baby himself with the help of his nurse. One baby born, boy, fine. Suddenly, another baby is coming - a girl. The girl has Downs Syndrome. What to do? The year is 1964. The doctor had a sister with Downs Syndrome. She died at 12 breaking his mother's heart. He wanted to save his wife, so while she slept off the effects of the gas, he had his nurse take the baby to a place that kept children like that.

Heart wrenching! What happens? Does the wife remember or know? How does the family survive? How do they all deal with their loss? Ok, I'll tell you - the husband tells the wife that the baby dies! She is so sad. They try to live on. She gives her husband a camera that is called a "Memory Keeper". He loves the new camera and the hobby. He never tells his wife about the baby. The nurse never gave the baby to that home. She couldn't. She took the baby away, moved and raised the baby on her own. The lies in the doctor's family were devastating to them all.

It was an interesting book...the decisions we make...how they affect so many people.

I liked it! I would read this author again.

If you read this book, comment, let's talk!!

Uglies

Uglies

by Scott Westerfeld

This is teen fiction. I don't know where I heard about this. Easy read. Interesting premise.

This book takes place many 100's of years in the future. Everyone is ugly until they are 16, then they have surgery to make them pretty.

Is that ok? Everyone is even. What really happens in the surgery? Are people the same after? I liked it. I am still looking for the 2nd book. It has been stolen out of every library!

In the Time of Butterflies

In the Time of Butterflies

by: Julia Alvarez

I don't know where I heard about/read about this book, but I did, it was on my list, it was in the library, so I read it....barely.

It held my interest because it was about a subject I knew nothing about. It is a fiction book, but it is based on the revolution in the Dominican (Republic). It was a dictatorship. There were 4 sisters, 3 very active in the revolution. The 3 sisters are killed. It is their story.

It seemed long and arduous, as I assume the revolution was, but I didn't really enjoy living through it. I am glad I finished. I can't really recommend it. But I do recommend reading books about subjects that you can learn about. Just find a more interesting book.

How to have that difficult conversation you've been avoiding

How to have that difficult conversation you've been avoiding

by: Henry Cloud & Dr. John Townsend

This book intrigued me too! Some conversations are hard, this book gives real nuts and bolts and examples of how to have conversations.

I did not read every word of this book either. Some sections were boring and did not pertain to me. Read the parts that interest you. I thought the book was good and quite insightful.

Raising Musical Kids

Raising Musical Kids

by: Robert A. Cutietta

I got this book because the title intrigued me.

I did not read every page, it was a skim effort. I read every word of the parts that interested me. I liked the book, very encouraging to keep working at having those musical kids.

The author gave great ideas on how to practice. That was my favorite part. The author has taught school music for many years.

Host

Host

by Stephenie Meyer

I really enjoyed this book.

I am NOT a science fiction fan. The first 50 pages of this book were really hard to me. I just kept reading because Tatia said she liked it and because I have enjoyed Stephanie's other books.

By around page 51, it got really good, I couldn't put it down.

The story is about aliens invading our world. The alien's can only live if they invade a human body. Tatia, smartly, pointed out that the book really is about good and evil. Freedom of choice, or forcing every one to be good and kind. If everyone is made to be good, the world is a much better place, everyone happy, healthy, no money worries.

Hmm, that plan sounds familiar.

I thought the book really showed all our human emotions and how they affect us. Really it is an interesting book. Read it.

Stolen Innocence

Stolen Innocence

by Ellisa Wall

This is the story of one of Warren's Jeff's people. She was assigned, (very unwillingly) at 14 to marry her cousin, who she did not like, he was 19.

To think that this was all going on in the last 20 years and currently! As you Utah people know, these people are all over Utah, many different sects.

Warren's people were raised in fear and guilty. It is very sad to me. I enjoyed the book, glad that this girl got herself out and is trying to live in the real world. I would love to talk to her about what her knowledge is of the LDS church.

Something Blue

Something Blue

by: Emily Giffin

Her books have an interesting twist, in that the titles are not always what you think the book will be about.

Should you read this book; I am not sure. In the end, it has been interesting to me, something to think about.

In the beginning, Darcy, the main character, is selfish and beautiful, which makes for a yucky person. How could you write about someone so selfish, lacking morals? To be with that person day in and day out. She ends up losing it all. And at that point begins to turn her life around. She connects again with a friend, boy, that really puts her straight. I liked that part. I re-read it. That he had the words and the courage to tell her like it was and Darcy listened. It helped her. This was the redeeming part of the whole book for me.

One of the shocking parts was where Darcy finally realized that it was a good thing and right thing to marry someone because you loved them. Not just for their money or position or because you looked good together. That was shocking to me. It made me realize that people out there have different morals, thoughts, reasons for doing what they do. To just go out and date people (meaning have sex) is just fine, it means nothing; it is just what people do. Sex without love, marriage, commitment is not good, healthy or fulfilling. It is lacking (I presume). But to be with the one person that you love and loves you, that you are both committed to is a delightful thing.

I do think the author at some points is a bit too graphic, sometimes her language is not good either. I would like to take a black sharpie and mark a few words out.

So there.