Girls' Poker Night

Girls' Poker Night
by: Jill A. Davis

This is my 2nd Jill A. Davis book. I enjoyed it, mostly, but by the end, I so wish that the characters of this book had a higher standard of morals. I would almost like to write the author and ask her to raise it all up a notch.

The main character is a writer for a newspaper. It is blurbs written about her life and friends. She sees a therapist, we learn about her life, why she has a hard time committing. It is funny and I enjoy her style. By the end, I just want to tell her about the Church. She would be happier.

Where the River Ends

Where the River Ends

by: Charles Martin

Don't read -- sad, sad, book. Only if you have far too much happiness, need to come down a bit, miss the feelings of loss and sadnes should you read this book.

What was the author thinking? Why would he want to delve into this every day.

Husband and wife, married 14 years, happy, her father does not like the husband. She gets cancer, she does not recover. It goes downhill from there!! No up side! Well, ok, at the end, the husband and father finally see the good in each other and like each other, this is at least a year after the wife has died.

I did NOT read this book fully. I was sick of the sadness. I skipped to see the happy ending, found non, started reading it backward (last page, then next to the last, etc.). Finally I understood the story was just sad! That was it for me.

Holly has read this author. Quite liked him. I will try him one more time. Every one of his book cannot be that sad!

Broken Leg Books

While me leg is healing, I am forced to read 3 books at one time....not my forte. But I can't bring a book with me from here to there with my crutches. So:



Breaking Dawn #4 in the Twilight series. I am really enjoying it. A bit too much teenage angst for me, but it is a quick, easy read. That book is at my bed. I will be done soon.



I FINISHED! It was good. If you like the twilight series you will like this book. The author ties up all loose ends. It is a big, long book, but an easy read.

What kind of name is Renesme??

P.S. While watching "The People's Court" the other day, one of the complainers was named ESME!!




At the Couch: The Last Lecture. I have only read a little of this, but I really am enjoying it. Recommend to all!

FINISHED: I really enjoyed this book. Great ideas. Great to think about. He knew how to make life a joy, have fun in the face of sad circumstances.

Read this.

In the bathroom: My Soul To Keep
I just saw this at the library (before the break), I was desperate, thought I'd try it. It is a Christian book, I think. A big movie star gets caught up in drinking and drugs, ends up in jail for 5 years, gets out, acts in local, city things, trying to do what's right in life. Interesting, but compared to "Breaking Dawn", it is a bit slow.

FINISHED! I really enjoyed this book! I enjoyed the Christian take on life. It was a nice change. The book puts 2 projects up against each other. One, regular Hollywood, the other being done by a new Christian group. They begin their meetings with prayer, sometimes a devotional! They pray for each other, care about each other, are willing to forgive and help. If only all the world would begin and end the things they do in prayer, how great that would be! It was also a tiny look into the movie-making world. I enjoyed that too. I would read this author again. Interesting note, the other day, while at the doctor to get my cast on, a woman began a conversation with me about my leg. She asked all about it. At the end, she told, I will pray for you. In light of this book, where they have many prayer circles, I appreciated her comments. It was a way better thing to say than, oh, you are a dork.

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.