Mimi
Listened to this driving back across the country. The writing style is a little melodramatic (a lot is accomplished through “the sheer force of her will!”), but the story snuck up on me and Tim Curry is an awesome narrator. Good enough that we went right into Lirael (The Abhorsen Trilogy, #2), and now I have to read #3 to find out what happens next.
Finished a cluster of gratitude and habit books–a private little seminar for myself–comprising this book; Pema Chodron's [b:Taking the Leap: Freeing Ourselves from Old Habits and Fears 2571146 Taking the Leap Freeing Ourselves from Old Habits and Fears Pema Chödrön https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320388405s/2571146.jpg 7152343]; [b:Better Than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives 22889767 Better Than Before Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives Gretchen Rubin https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1415588203s/22889767.jpg 40771666] by Gretchen Rubin; and [b:Gratitude 27161964 Gratitude Oliver Sacks https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1445791421s/27161964.jpg 47201204], by Oliver Sacks. These haven't completely changed my life, but have prompted me to be ever more mindful of how fortunate I am!
Others have described this as an historical detective novel, although it's not really a detective novel at all. It's more of political mystery set in India in the early 1800s, when the British were attempting to rule India–a unique setting, for sure. While it had its dry spots, there was a genuinely surprising (for me, at least) plot twist. I will read the second in the series, since I liked the main characters.
I mostly like reading about Hemingway much more than I like reading his books, the one exception being A Moveable Feast. And since this book is about that time in his life, I enjoyed it very much. I stayed up way too late on Saturday night finishing it because I ended up liking Hadley so much and wanted to see how she fared after their divorce. I was also interested in reading about his second wife, Pauline, because I have relatives in Piggott, AR, where she's from. Her family owned the bank in town, according to this book, and I believe it's now a bed and breakfast where I've stayed. Now I have to re-read A Moveable Feast and maybe the book [b:Unbelievable Happiness and Final Sorrow|19470749|Unbelievable Happiness and Final Sorrow|Ruth A. Hawkins|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1387071351s/19470749.jpg|27556380] as well.
I read this book when I was in junior high and in my memory had judged it better than the average romance novel. Turns out it was written by a Pulitzer Prize-winning librarian (she shared the award with Carl Sandberg, for pete's sake, but who has ever heard of Margaret Widdemer?). The story and writing have not held up well at all. It was published in 1968, takes place in the 1800s in upstate New York, and has a weird anti-Southern vibe throughout (“yet there are some honorable Southern gentlemen, alas”). There is also a lot of ordering about of the supposedly strong heroine by her mysterious but handsome husband. Spoiler: they discover they're cousins, but that seems to be okay in the 1840s.
Five stars because it's an intelligent read and because I miss this classy woman and her family so much. To quote one of the contributors, the chef Marcus Samuelsson, “Michelle Obama is fierce... in the smartest, most intelligent way.”
After hearing Lesley Stahl on Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me, I was really looking forward to a lightweight and entertaining account of her grand-parenting experience, and there was indeed plenty of that. But she's also done her research into the biological and societal aspects of being a grandparent these days, and so the book is informative and fascinating on that level as well. I loved it, but, hey, I'm a grandma, too.
Just ok, really. Read some good reviews and then saw it on the new bookshelf at the library, so decided to try it.
I first read this in the 1970s, I think, long enough ago to have forgotten what an excellent biography it is. I had also somehow forgotten how Zelda actually died–a horrible end after a turbulent life.
A book of poetry in translation (in this case, Korean), not about love, for the Read Harder Challenge. I wanted to read something edgy. This definitely was. “When I take a walk on the bridge with my dead cat in my arms, people say strange things to me.”
Wavering between 3 and 4 stars... This “book about books” (a category for the Read Harder Challenge) was sometimes very good and sometimes felt thin. It did make me want to reread [b:Stuart Little 138959 Stuart Little E.B. White https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1347367311s/138959.jpg 2884160] and [b:What I Talk About When I Talk About Running 2195464 What I Talk About When I Talk About Running Haruki Murakami https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1473397159s/2195464.jpg 2475030], and to add [b:Giovanni's Room 38462 Giovanni's Room James Baldwin https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1493320612s/38462.jpg 814207] to my list, so I'll go with the 4 stars.
Fast and to the point, with as much detail about Steve Jobs as I really want to know. Takes care of my Read a Book about Technology category for the Read Harder Challenge.
For the Read Harder Challenge 2017: Read a collection of stories by a woman. I am not usually a fan of short stories, but this was quirky, moving, and full of interesting twists.
This was just fun to listen to. Not even sure I've seen Rob Lowe in much of anything except Austin Powers or the tv show Parks and Rec, but his book is actually quite interesting, and he reads it well.
This was my choice for “a book set in Central or South America, written by a Central or South American author,” and it was a great one. I pretty much loved everything about it: the intelligence, the realistically adult women, the literary references, the plot.
I now have only one category left in order to finish the 2017 Book Riot Read Harder Challenge: Read a book that is set more than 5000 miles from your location. I've started The Master and Margarita, which, from what I can tell so far, takes place in Moscow, Jerusalem, and HELL. Should fit.
(Also, why doesn't the “insert book/author” option here work for me anymore?)
A funny and rather violent mystery by the creator of Bones, the TV series. I liked it, but I am a sucker for Jack Reacher-type characters who outsmart and out-fight all the bad guys.
I heard Dr. Sherry on a podcast recently and was taken with her presentation style. She writes well, too, and knows her stuff.
Not sure what makes this “Nordic,” but enjoyed the emphasis on moderation and the fact that it wasn't too wordy.
Some parts were challenging–science!–but overall this is a fascinating and readable book.