Julie and Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously.
Review:
My desire to read this book came after I saw the movie. Normally I like to read a book before I see the movie, but in this case I just really wanted to see the movie. After I watched it, I got curious about the book.
The book is mainly a nonfiction memoir of a year of obsessive cooking. There are little elements of creative nonfiction interspersed throughout when Julie Powell imagines dialogue and scenarios that Julia Child lived based on her husband's letters and such.
The contrast between Julia Child's life and Julie Powell's life is not so great in the book because the book is mainly just about Julie Powell. And while I definitely enjoyed the Julia Child part of the movie, I sincerely enjoyed getting to know Julie Powell through the book. She was much more entertaining in the book with a much fouler mouth. Reading her descriptions of some of the cooking situations, like trying to get the marrow out of a cow bone or making a beef aspic, made the book grossly hilarious.
I would say to anyone who enjoyed the movie that the book is a must read.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Review #8: Faking 19 by Alyson Noel
Faking 19 by Alyson Noel
Review:
I know that some of these reviews are short, but I'm mainly writing these for myself as a way of remembering the 100 books I am reading this year. If anyone happens to read them, I'm sorry if they aren't more detailed.
I read this book because I was reading other books by Alyson Noel, and I had read some favorable reviews comparing this book to Feeling Sorry For Celia by Jaclyn Moriarty.
While both books do deal with teens with broken lives and how each teen struggles to fix those lives. However, Faking 19 fails to bring depth to her main character, Alex.
Alex does a lot of whining and even when she sees that her friend, M, is in a terrible downward spiral she doesn't take action. Even after M lets her mother think that Alex stashed drugs at M's house, Alex doesn't do anything. She simply floats through the book.
I really didn't enjoy this book much. It felt flat, and unconvincing.
Review:
I know that some of these reviews are short, but I'm mainly writing these for myself as a way of remembering the 100 books I am reading this year. If anyone happens to read them, I'm sorry if they aren't more detailed.
I read this book because I was reading other books by Alyson Noel, and I had read some favorable reviews comparing this book to Feeling Sorry For Celia by Jaclyn Moriarty.
While both books do deal with teens with broken lives and how each teen struggles to fix those lives. However, Faking 19 fails to bring depth to her main character, Alex.
Alex does a lot of whining and even when she sees that her friend, M, is in a terrible downward spiral she doesn't take action. Even after M lets her mother think that Alex stashed drugs at M's house, Alex doesn't do anything. She simply floats through the book.
I really didn't enjoy this book much. It felt flat, and unconvincing.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Review #7: Liar by Justine Larbalestier
Liar by Justine Larbalestier
Review:
I'm not going to post a synopsis for this book because I don't know that I could find or write a synopsis that would adequately explain this book.
The main character in the book is a girl named Micah, who tells you right off the bat that she is a pathological liar. That said, she promises that she is going to tell the truth to you, the reader, because it is important that you understand what happened and that you believe her.
What happened? Well, that's the main mystery of the book. Micah's supposed boyfriend (secret boyfriend actually) was found dead in the park after he had been missing for several days. As the story unfolds, Micah tells you that he was murdered.
The narration is told in Micah's voice in an extremely conversational tone. The plot jumps back and forth between the present and the past, adding to the confusing nature of the story.
I have never read a book before where I doubted everything the narrator told me. It was a fascinating experience as a reader. By the end of the book, I will admit, I really began to doubt everything Micah said because there was just so much about it that wasn't even plausible. And yet...there was a part of me that desperately wanted to believe her.
I highly recommend this book even if you aren't into thrillers or young adult books. It's just a fascinating read.
Review:
I'm not going to post a synopsis for this book because I don't know that I could find or write a synopsis that would adequately explain this book.
The main character in the book is a girl named Micah, who tells you right off the bat that she is a pathological liar. That said, she promises that she is going to tell the truth to you, the reader, because it is important that you understand what happened and that you believe her.
What happened? Well, that's the main mystery of the book. Micah's supposed boyfriend (secret boyfriend actually) was found dead in the park after he had been missing for several days. As the story unfolds, Micah tells you that he was murdered.
The narration is told in Micah's voice in an extremely conversational tone. The plot jumps back and forth between the present and the past, adding to the confusing nature of the story.
I have never read a book before where I doubted everything the narrator told me. It was a fascinating experience as a reader. By the end of the book, I will admit, I really began to doubt everything Micah said because there was just so much about it that wasn't even plausible. And yet...there was a part of me that desperately wanted to believe her.
I highly recommend this book even if you aren't into thrillers or young adult books. It's just a fascinating read.
Review #6: Art Geeks and Prom Queens by Alyson Noel
Art Geeks and Prom Queens by Alyson Noel
Synopsis:
Rio Jones is the new girl at an exclusive southern California private school. She is drawn to kids in the art crowd initially including Jas, who quickly becomes her romantic interest. When the most popular girl in school decides to befriend Rio, her life quickly spins out of control.
Review:
This book was a quick, snappy read, and definitely enjoyable for the most part. The characters were a little two-dimensional at times, and a great deal of the plot seemed lifted directly from "Mean Girls." Still if you aren't looking for total originality, this is a fun read.
Synopsis:
Rio Jones is the new girl at an exclusive southern California private school. She is drawn to kids in the art crowd initially including Jas, who quickly becomes her romantic interest. When the most popular girl in school decides to befriend Rio, her life quickly spins out of control.
Review:
This book was a quick, snappy read, and definitely enjoyable for the most part. The characters were a little two-dimensional at times, and a great deal of the plot seemed lifted directly from "Mean Girls." Still if you aren't looking for total originality, this is a fun read.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Review #5: TMI by Sarah Quigley
TMI by Sarah Quigley
Synopsis (from product description on amazon.com:
Friends call Becca the Overshare Queen, but her tendency for TMI never seemed like a problem to her until she blabs about her sweet band-geek boyfriend’s sloppy kisses—and gets dumped! Realizing it may be better to resist the temptation to overshare face-to-face, Becca decides to blog anonymously about everything instead. On her blog, Too Much Information, Becca unleashes her alter ego, Bella. Bella tells it like it is . . . though perhaps with a bit more drama. After all, no one’s going to read it, right?
Review:
Despite the fairly simple plot, this book was wonderfully fresh and original. Becca is a truly likeable character, who doesn't mean to open her big mouth as much as she does. Verbal diarrhea is just her nature.
Sarah Quigley gets the teenage angst just right without going over the top into melodrama. Another thing that impressed me about Quigley's writing was her spot-on portrayal of high school theater. Becca's interaction with her friends also reminded me a lot of some of the high schoolers in my youth group.
I think Quigley also hits the nail on the head with her themes of privacy on the Internet/blogs, or the lack thereof.
This is a book that I definitely recommend for its' funny, fresh take on the intense need of our culture to share everything about our lives with immediacy and pretend anonymity.
Synopsis (from product description on amazon.com:
Friends call Becca the Overshare Queen, but her tendency for TMI never seemed like a problem to her until she blabs about her sweet band-geek boyfriend’s sloppy kisses—and gets dumped! Realizing it may be better to resist the temptation to overshare face-to-face, Becca decides to blog anonymously about everything instead. On her blog, Too Much Information, Becca unleashes her alter ego, Bella. Bella tells it like it is . . . though perhaps with a bit more drama. After all, no one’s going to read it, right?
Review:
Despite the fairly simple plot, this book was wonderfully fresh and original. Becca is a truly likeable character, who doesn't mean to open her big mouth as much as she does. Verbal diarrhea is just her nature.
Sarah Quigley gets the teenage angst just right without going over the top into melodrama. Another thing that impressed me about Quigley's writing was her spot-on portrayal of high school theater. Becca's interaction with her friends also reminded me a lot of some of the high schoolers in my youth group.
I think Quigley also hits the nail on the head with her themes of privacy on the Internet/blogs, or the lack thereof.
This is a book that I definitely recommend for its' funny, fresh take on the intense need of our culture to share everything about our lives with immediacy and pretend anonymity.
Review #4: Real Life Homeschooling by Rhonda Barfield
Real Life Homeschoolingby Rhonda Barfield.
This was my first nonfiction book of 2010.
Whatever your feelings about homeschooling are, this book is a good read simply for its' own sake. The book highlights the lives of 21 families who homeschool. The families are all different with different reasons for teaching at home. Some families homeschool for religious reasons, while some families are completely secular. Some families are large, while others only have one or two children.
I think that this book helps change people's views of homeschoolers from weird, unsocialized freaks, to regular people. The author tries very hard to let the families and their experiences speak for themselves.
If you are a family considering homeschooling, this book helps to show what options are available to homeschoolers as well as some glimpses into the struggles and joys of teaching your children yourself.
I higly recommend giving this book a try.
This was my first nonfiction book of 2010.
Whatever your feelings about homeschooling are, this book is a good read simply for its' own sake. The book highlights the lives of 21 families who homeschool. The families are all different with different reasons for teaching at home. Some families homeschool for religious reasons, while some families are completely secular. Some families are large, while others only have one or two children.
I think that this book helps change people's views of homeschoolers from weird, unsocialized freaks, to regular people. The author tries very hard to let the families and their experiences speak for themselves.
If you are a family considering homeschooling, this book helps to show what options are available to homeschoolers as well as some glimpses into the struggles and joys of teaching your children yourself.
I higly recommend giving this book a try.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Review #3: Saving Zoe by Alyson Noel
This review is of Saving Zoe by Alyson Noel.
Review:
The plot is actually a fairly simple one to follow: Echo's older sister, Zoe, was murdered and the book is about Echo's struggle to come to grips with her death.
Alyson Noel uses Zoe's final diary entries to provide insight into Zoe's character, and as a vehicle to facilitate Echo's healing. Zoe's diary entries are a little hard to swallow at times because they are not written like a real diary would be written.
Overall, the story had more believable moments than not, which I often find lacking in Noel's writing, so that was a pleasant surprise. However, there were parts that didn't seem to fit with the story. And ultimately, Echo never quite seems to connect with her sister as Noel hopes she will.
This was an incredibly quick read, and more enjoyable than not. So, if you are willing to overlook some unbelievable moments, I would recommend this book.
Review:
The plot is actually a fairly simple one to follow: Echo's older sister, Zoe, was murdered and the book is about Echo's struggle to come to grips with her death.
Alyson Noel uses Zoe's final diary entries to provide insight into Zoe's character, and as a vehicle to facilitate Echo's healing. Zoe's diary entries are a little hard to swallow at times because they are not written like a real diary would be written.
Overall, the story had more believable moments than not, which I often find lacking in Noel's writing, so that was a pleasant surprise. However, there were parts that didn't seem to fit with the story. And ultimately, Echo never quite seems to connect with her sister as Noel hopes she will.
This was an incredibly quick read, and more enjoyable than not. So, if you are willing to overlook some unbelievable moments, I would recommend this book.
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