tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25589312935973683202024-03-19T00:34:41.253-04:00High Five Book ClubA book blog created by friends that love to read. We will post reviews of books that we read telling a little about the book and the content. We will also occasionally add spoilers.Angiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11455722433604812966noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2558931293597368320.post-38750672633648960882010-05-02T00:49:00.001-04:002010-05-02T00:54:17.593-04:00The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society<i>“I wonder how the book got to Guernsey? Perhaps there is some sort of secret homing instinct in books that brings them to their perfect readers.” </i><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a type="amzn" search="The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" category="books" href="http://www.randomhouse.com/rhpg/guernsey//wp-content/themes/guernsey_1.1/images/Guernsey-cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.randomhouse.com/rhpg/guernsey//wp-content/themes/guernsey_1.1/images/Guernsey-cover.jpg" /></a></div><br />
This book blog has been sorely neglected! I have actually been reading quite a bit, but just haven't taken the time to post anything. I was at Barnes & Noble last month and they had the table set up with the "Buy 2 get 1 Free" promo, so I bought three books on a whim. <a type="amzn" search="The Friday Night Knitting Club" category="books">The Friday Night Knitting Club</a>, <a type="amzn" search="The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" category="books">The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo</a>, and the book I just read <a type="amzn" search="The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" category="books">The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society</a> by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. I picked it up because of the funny name. I then went to the Relief Society Book Club meeting, and discovered that it was the book for the next meeting. Lastly, I checked out <a href="http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/index.html" target="_blank">Stephenie Meyer's</a> website to see if she was writing anything new and she had a post recommending this book. So I guess the universe was telling me I should read this book and I'm glad I did!<br />
<br />
I loved this book!! It is written as a collection of letters (oh why oh why don't we write letters anymore?? does anyone want to be pen pals?) between the main character Juliet Ashton and the members of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Guernsey is one of the Channel Islands and the book is set right after World War II. The characters and their stories about founding the literary society and surviving the occupation of the Channel Islands are humorous and heart breaking. The letter format was good, but it did leave me wanting more. Oh Juliet, Kit, Dawsey, Isola, how did your lives turn out . . . Juliet was right the story doesn't end when the hero and heroine are safely engaged! I don't want to give away too much, so if you want a more in depth description or info on the author's you can go to the <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/u/The-Guernsey-Literary-and-Potato-Peel-Pie-Society-Readers-Guide/379001235/" target="_blank">B&N</a> website.<br />
<br />
John has been hoping that his work will open up the opportunity to work in the UK again, and after reading this book I have the same hope! Then I might be able to visit Guernsey!!<br />
<br />
<img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0; width:100px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3121/2827009852_13eab7b26a_o.jpg" border="0" alt="" />Angiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11455722433604812966noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2558931293597368320.post-56472447981815806862009-10-14T23:40:00.007-04:002009-10-15T00:51:32.315-04:00Giveaway<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4h_LXYnzniDszNaD32cpTMbd1pIxxq9HYQ_n3IRUw8mGgfI10muUb_jNfySrjkAq_Yttr2cJmmqBbKYgxFLhB1J9VNnATrMMrrPphemlILN_ZCT2GzpaRb28_LiRdqFoVdignYb3V7xrs/s1600-h/the-golden-compass.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 302px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4h_LXYnzniDszNaD32cpTMbd1pIxxq9HYQ_n3IRUw8mGgfI10muUb_jNfySrjkAq_Yttr2cJmmqBbKYgxFLhB1J9VNnATrMMrrPphemlILN_ZCT2GzpaRb28_LiRdqFoVdignYb3V7xrs/s320/the-golden-compass.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392682739219195090" /></a><br />Ok, I don't know if that many people actually read this blog, or would be interested in this book for that matter (it's slightly controversial), but I thought it would be fun to do a giveaway!<br /><br />I bought a digital copy of the audiobook "The Golden Compass" by Philip Pullman and I burned a copy to CD for my brother. He was taking a long road trip and I thought it might entertain him. I don't think he ever listened to it and he gave it back to me the other day. I already have it on my iPod, so I have this extra copy on CD to give away.<br /><br />I loved the "His Dark Materials" Trilogy (<a type="amzn" search="The Golden Compass" category="books">The Golden Compass</a>; <a type="amzn" search="The Subtle Knife" category="books">The Subtle Knife</a>; <a type="amzn" search="The Amber Spyglass" category="books">The Amber Spyglass</a>). I love a good story and this is a fantastic story with awesome characters! My favorite of the series is "The Subtle Knife". The audiobook is also amazing! One of the best that I've listened to in fact. It actually has a cast of characters reading and not just one person, which helps distinguish the characters and makes the crazy worlds in the story come alive.<br /><br />Here is the amazon description of the trilogy:<br /><em>In the epic trilogy His Dark Materials, Philip Pullman unlocks the door to worlds parallel to our own. Dæmons and winged creatures live side by side with humans, and a mysterious entity called Dust just might have the power to unite the universes--if it isn't destroyed first. Join Lyra, Pantalaimon, Will, and the rest as they embark on the most breathtaking, heartbreaking adventure of their lives. The fate of the universe is in their hands.</em><br /><br />I read this blog entry by Sheri Lynch a long time ago and she describes so perfectly in a way that I could never articulate how I feel about reading (hence this crazy long run-on sentence) and she also talks about "His Dark Materials" - <a href="http://linkradio.typepad.com/sheri/2007/07/i-love-books-an.html" target="_blank">post link</a><br /><br />Ok, ok, enough rambling, back to the giveaway! Here are some quotes from a few books I have read in recent months. The first person to correctly identify the title, author, and character the quotes are from wins! You will really impress me if you can do it without Google!!<br /><br />Oh, someone please participate, so I don't feel lame! :)<br /><br /><b>Quotes</b><ol><br /><li>"The boy never cried again, and he never forgot what he'd learned: that to love is to destroy, and that to be loved is to be the one destroyed."</li><br /><li>"I am going to love this boy more than the girl but I mustn't ever let her know. It is wrong to love one child more than the other but this is something that I cannot help."</li><br /><br /><li>"If you have a sister and she dies, do you stop saying you have one? Or are you always a sister, even when the other half of the equation is gone?"</li><br /><br /><li>"I bit a pillow. Or two."</li></ol>Angiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11455722433604812966noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2558931293597368320.post-70326128260132255542009-10-13T16:27:00.005-04:002009-10-13T16:39:02.367-04:00The Host is headed for the Big ScreenThey are going to make Stephenie Meyer's <a type="amzn" search="The Host" category="books">The Host</a> into a movie, yay!! I'm excited to see who will be cast and I wonder how long it will take them to make it. It's being directed by the director of <a type="amzn" search="Gattaca" category="movies">Gattaca</a> and I really liked that movie, so it should be good!<br /><br /><a href="http://weblogs.variety.com/bfdealmemo/2009/09/twilights-meyer-tackles-adult-pic-fare-with-niccol.html?ref=ssp" target="_blank">Article about the movie</a>Angiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11455722433604812966noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2558931293597368320.post-67213442790762521052009-05-21T23:41:00.003-04:002009-05-21T23:49:01.394-04:00What's everyone reading??Good job Nick for posting the last book review, you've probably read the most books this year out of all of us. We've really neglected this blog, so I wanted to find out what people are reading. <br /><br />John is <b>still</b> reading "Angels and Demons." He has about 80 pages left, but we went and saw the movie anyway. Pretty good! I have picked up "Breaking Dawn" again, remember I never finished it. I am going to read "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" next for the RS book club. "My Sister's Keeper" is next and then I was thinking about trying one of the historical fiction books that Nick likes so much. I was also thinking about reading the "Kite Runner". We were supposed to read it for book club last month, but I never did.<br /><br />So, whatcha reading, or planning on reading??Angiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11455722433604812966noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2558931293597368320.post-37883161022666401372009-04-29T10:17:00.003-04:002009-04-29T10:43:53.683-04:00The Rising Tide - I gained a new fascination...<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330123446944041650" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 210px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoibZ7lClKfJkgwjQtjd7oJyz-G_81UnSCiq4AJGLGSmUzFK-qgMcW78m1wb5bPfzD3HS6MiKwSozlQzguSiUtY9CrP5Qa-RZrAmR986T8x7C258kKCTrLOatEDAsdtQKq-OZypdxohMs/s320/rising+tide.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br />My last fasination that I have developed was from reading the historical fication books about Caeasar and Brutus (Julius and Marcus). I was amazed at the the ambition that Caesar had in these books and how far he made it in such a short time. I compared what I read about to the actual facts and I felt satisfied that the books were close to enough to give respect to someone who deserved it. This book, the Rising Tide has done the same thing. The book is about WWII and the prominent characters are Ike Eisenhower, George Patton, Montgomery, Rommel, FDR, and Winston Churchill. And then you have your other characters who could either be made up or lower rank soldiers who fought and sometimes died in WWII. The focus of the book was always on the leadership of these main characters/heros/enemy/etc. The fascination that I now have is on Erwin Rommel. Before this book I have never heard of him although I have come to find out that he is quite famous for his leadership ability and tactical brilliance, much like Caesar. The only problem he had was that he was not Hitler. Hitler had the final say so in what happened on the battlefield. Sometimes Hitler listened to the demands Rommel said were necessary to be met if they were to win certain battles. The fight starts of in the desert of North Africa. Rommel is kicking everyones butts and could've continued if not for the fact that people simply didn't like his arrogance and toughness. He always seemed to know the exact thing that needed to be done. Thankfully he was not listened to. He kept off the allied forces with beat down tank battalions, barely enough food, water and fuel, and quite a bit less troops. Now the book portrayed him as someone who could not stand those in Berlin, including Hitler. So it helps you continue to have respect for him. He simply was a genius. A tough, arrogant, genius.<br /><br /><div></div><div>Now onto the Allied Forces. Certain chapters were dedicated to described the experiences Eisenhower had leading Great Britain and the US as they fought together. His weaknesses and his strengths were shown through certain chapters. Then you had Patton who was as people continue to describe him. Someone who did not respect authority but demanded respect himself. He may not be a genius but he was tough enough to get done anything that was asked of him. He just did it, no questions asked by himself or anyone he commanded. His rival was Montgomery. They had many similarities other than the fact Patton just went in to fight and Montgomery took his time, planned everything out many different times, then would fight, pull back, reasses, and then make some more plans, and then fight again. In the end they still would win. Just different ways to get there. Some of the cooler characters were the privates and majors and lieutenants included in some of the battles. The paratroopers being dropped in on Siciliy and the fight they had and the tanks rolling in on Italy, Siciliy and North Africa. The guys in this book, if describing real people, were heros. However, I know real guys are out there that did similar things that these guys did. Young leaders, 20, 24, 27, etc. that led men into battles and made decisions with mortars, bombs, bullets, tanks, etc. surrounding them. It was all amazing. </div><br /><div></div><div>The thing that impressed me the most is that when the US entered the war, we were the least experienced in battle. Germany was rolling over everyone. They had experience, they had the machines, they had the weapons. Great Britain had more experience than us and they were responsible for quite a bit of the allies pulling out the victory in this war. But the US caught up quick. The guys gained their experience, they proved themselves, and they were the reason Hitler and his army lost. </div><br /><div></div><div>A side note, only references were made towards what was going on out in the Pacific and with Japan. North Africa, Sicily, and then into Italy was all that was talked about. I need to find out if there's a volume II. I don't think there is but there should be.</div><div></div><br /><div>My next book I'm going to read when it's released as a soft copy next month is Killing Rommel. I refuse to look up how he dies b/c I want to find out as I read "Killing Rommel". Like I said, the guy is amazing!</div><br /><div></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi9KzQYh7Y-fGXV9hWX1X8vs_3a-EenOxxPhnqtEmTjRlhUl-fNPvUncQfS98o2JCC9AAbLbeZtT2oSobI0sQs_MoiJCedwN7iTAsnpp3cYnUXTSI4BU3oIoAyUf0EE7bSrp0jxiORDa4/s1600-h/five.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330123829523979890" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 118px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 35px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi9KzQYh7Y-fGXV9hWX1X8vs_3a-EenOxxPhnqtEmTjRlhUl-fNPvUncQfS98o2JCC9AAbLbeZtT2oSobI0sQs_MoiJCedwN7iTAsnpp3cYnUXTSI4BU3oIoAyUf0EE7bSrp0jxiORDa4/s320/five.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div>Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00961343388383915696noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2558931293597368320.post-44516667644407084312009-03-04T11:26:00.004-05:002009-03-04T11:52:21.934-05:00These is My Words by Nancy Turner<a type="amzn" search="These is My Words" category="books" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMsq-EjhU2Lg0qar50LosUOq7TIb8j-wmK-v_0oSvDdh-rDrXQi0rWF_PqqjPRULYszKIqp4Ku675wNIBQRDe0XBypANH3AGEOCALrETT5JZjxXwm83Tu8VksJ5c6KoJlQwjUfiN-AWOXQ/s1600-h/mywords.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 128px; height: 199px; border:none;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMsq-EjhU2Lg0qar50LosUOq7TIb8j-wmK-v_0oSvDdh-rDrXQi0rWF_PqqjPRULYszKIqp4Ku675wNIBQRDe0XBypANH3AGEOCALrETT5JZjxXwm83Tu8VksJ5c6KoJlQwjUfiN-AWOXQ/s320/mywords.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309174821613528050" /></a>I read this book for my church book club. Never mind that I was the only one, other than the host, to read the book! When I first started the book, I wasn't sure if I was going to like it because of the diary format and the grammar is pretty bad at the beginning, but it got better and the story was so interesting!<br /><br />The book is a fictional diary of Sarah Agnes Prines, but it is based on the life of the author's great grandmother. It begins in 1881 when Sarah is 18 years old and her family is traveling in the Arizona Territories. There is plenty of action and drama throughout. It was amazing to read about how hard life was for those people establishing new territories. I loved Sarah and how strong she was and her desire to learn and educate herself. Along with all the action is a great love story between Sarah and an army captain named Jack Elliot that she meets. I loved Jack's character too and I loved reading all their adventures.<br /><br />I'm really happy that this book was picked for the church book club, because I may have never read it otherwise. It was a great love story with plenty of adventure. I am only giving it a 4 out of 5 though because not everything was tied up with a pretty bow at the end. I gotta have my blissfully happy endings!<br /><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0; width:100px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2093/2826172099_753a43fb90_o.jpg" border="0" alt="" />Angiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11455722433604812966noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2558931293597368320.post-51579498349878832922008-09-22T10:49:00.008-04:002008-09-24T09:23:35.978-04:00Rebecca<a type="amzn" search="Rebecca" category="books" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5vEBIlil97bE0J1tGy_ltNjjqWyD8AZ62qvzth-Acx6YPFWlh4rBzIPdZCn5SWwZtpYaHBfON-srt8l9Nesm8egJiuOMIEIZ28qrCoEob8yWkeK1YXiInbLUsZgk-0Tt8D1kbj3Wa7Z4/s1600-h/d4_7%5B1%5D.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248873259712563602" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5vEBIlil97bE0J1tGy_ltNjjqWyD8AZ62qvzth-Acx6YPFWlh4rBzIPdZCn5SWwZtpYaHBfON-srt8l9Nesm8egJiuOMIEIZ28qrCoEob8yWkeK1YXiInbLUsZgk-0Tt8D1kbj3Wa7Z4/s400/d4_7%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" /></a>This book really is a murder and romantic mystery rolled into one novel. I did enjoy the story however I can not say that it is a masterpiece, like I heard this book being described. To me the plot moved slow and the pages were described with vivid descriptions that left confusing sentences. But the author is very effective in creating a plot of a classical murder/romantic tale. The characters to me are very complex which keeps a dark psychological twist causing tension throughout the story.<br /><br /><div><p>The plot starts with the young girl who is the narrator of the novel, which her name remains unknown throughout the entirety of the book. She is a companion to a wealthy lady where she meets in the dining room of a hotel, the rich widower Maxim de Winter a man who is twice her age. He is taking some time off after the apparent suicide of his wife. They fall in love and after a whirlwind romance, they get married. </p><p>After their honeymoon they return to Maxim's family estate, Manderley. She is all to soon faced with the burden of living there, the mansion that is haunted by the powerful presence of his first wife, Rebecca. This is where she finds it incapable of understanding her husband's past, especially as she gets no direct answers from him. She finds herself living in Rebecca's shadow and haunted by the mystery of the woman's death. She is and always will be the SECOND Mrs. DeWinter, something the sinister housekeeper, Ms. Danvers, will not let her forget. Through a series of disastrous events, the second Mrs. de Winters learns the truth about Rebecca's death.</p><p><div width="300px;">Great! 4 out of 5<img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; WIDTH: 100px" alt="" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2093/2826172099_753a43fb90_o.jpg" border="0" /></div><div width="200px;"></div><br /><p></p><p></p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2558931293597368320.post-54871883000607798842008-09-09T09:50:00.005-04:002008-09-09T10:09:54.574-04:00Body of Lies..<a type="amzn" search="Body of Lies" category="books" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqqNudwkBC40rJN6YuxCdFReSK2OgQewX5G53VURB9R93iSviR_DMIB5ZF577OrdumUdRQZ9JWLA__ZVs74u2LCgB23W699fc8li0AAJioEv0cPg_SNueRyjx0frBXlGOpt2qhof-ujXA/s1600-h/lies.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244020672845238226" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqqNudwkBC40rJN6YuxCdFReSK2OgQewX5G53VURB9R93iSviR_DMIB5ZF577OrdumUdRQZ9JWLA__ZVs74u2LCgB23W699fc8li0AAJioEv0cPg_SNueRyjx0frBXlGOpt2qhof-ujXA/s320/lies.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />I think Jess gets a bit of credit for picking this book out for me. I love reading about terrorism and the military and things of this nature. This book, which by the way is about to come to the theater starring Russell Crow and Leonardi DiCaprio, was an excellent story. The main plot of the story details an elaborite plan that I feel I could've thought of I were in the CIA!! I like to think of things I would do to find the "bad guys" if I were in the CIA or in some sort of intelligence field. But to be honest, I've never even come close to thinking of some of these ideas that the group in this book came up with. It opens your eyes to a whole new way of thinking and collecting intelligence and flushing out the enemies from hiding. I think this guy, the one who Leonardo will be playing has the perfect job if you weren't married. You have the chance to protect your country, find and kill the bad guys, and have access to all sorts of crazy information. And you get to actually come up with some of the plans that will bring about a much safer country. Maybe one day I'll work for the CIA. Anyway, back to the book.....I was drawn in from the beginning and was still left wanting the story to continue once the book was over, even though the book came to a great ending. I liked it. Interesting characters who some you respect and others you don't. It makes me wonder if a liberal wrote this book b/c I ended up respecting the people you would think I wouldn't.<br /><br />I'll give it 4 out of 5 again. Most likely I'll never give anything less than that b/c if it's worse than that, I'll just put the book down.<br /><br /><div width="300px;">Great! 4 out of 5<br /><img border="0" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; width: 100px;" alt="" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2093/2826172099_753a43fb90_o.jpg"/><br /></div><div width="200px;"></div>Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00961343388383915696noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2558931293597368320.post-86351391639825291342008-09-03T23:36:00.007-04:002008-09-04T00:02:56.623-04:00The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield<a type="amzn" search="Thirteenth Tale" category="books" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM-WHamOziZW3cSsYoHmVB2mRuPD4MTrsebb8IzI-4qt7SLBKE2VowAZDYjVaQI1tqx18RJ5Qe3PvUTO1hGHk_ig80-bklR03NRGgwKz6k4BrKF1mh8WCRh2bpUr71p99X5hWwwchwekNp/s1600-h/thirteenthTale.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM-WHamOziZW3cSsYoHmVB2mRuPD4MTrsebb8IzI-4qt7SLBKE2VowAZDYjVaQI1tqx18RJ5Qe3PvUTO1hGHk_ig80-bklR03NRGgwKz6k4BrKF1mh8WCRh2bpUr71p99X5hWwwchwekNp/s400/thirteenthTale.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5242006798715503298" /></a>Ok, I stole this review from my own blog, it's from a couple of months ago:<br /><br />This was such a good book! I was on my way to Maryland for a week of training for work and I had actually just started reading Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (which I still haven't finished!), but the hard back version is so big that I didn't want to lug it around with me. So, I stopped by a bookstore in the Atlanta airport to find something to read on my trip. (Paid way too much for it since I bought it in an airport, buy from Amazon or Half.com!!!) I was first attracted by the cover and once I read the summary, I was sold. I mean ghosts, mysteries, gothic suspense, come on!<br /><br />I thought the book was so well written and I really loved the main character Margaret. The main characters are such lovers of books that you really feel like kindred spirits. I guess that is also why I love the Twilight Series so much. <br /><br />The story is about Margaret who is asked to write the life story of a famous author, Vida Winter. This is an especially exciting task because Vida has made up numerous stories about her life and no one knows the real version or who she really is. Her story is filled with mystery and Margaret has her own secret that draws her even more into Vida's world!<br /><br />Here is an excerpt from Barnes and Noble that I really love:<br />"The Thirteenth Tale is a love letter to reading, a book for the feral reader in all of us, a return to that rich vein of storytelling that our parents loved and that we loved as children. Diane Setterfield will keep you guessing, make you wonder, move you to tears and laughter and, in the end, deposit you breathless yet satisfied back upon the shore of your everyday life."<br /><br />The language in the book is good and there isn't much sexual content, a few hintings here and there, but pretty clean overall. 4 out of 5 from me!<br /><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0; width:100px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2093/2826172099_753a43fb90_o.jpg" border="0" alt="" />Angiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11455722433604812966noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2558931293597368320.post-37711253971440295372008-08-28T22:31:00.007-04:002008-09-03T23:05:02.354-04:00Conn Iggulden: Emperor Series (4 books)<p align="center"><a type="amzn" search="Conn Iggulden Emperor" category="books"href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxPmltu8Jh5nO-xFl2dvd1kBVnsmrExxQaHNvGbWOTx3aByAepbY6cKrGXaxjpeDfPobBdWSWCoYTwkyiqOrsa_qANuP98BHdQ2-bKCJ3ANToFDvz58vP6GXfN2GyhFEzMxj68_vLSVG0/s1600-h/515rYabQRJL._SS500_%5B1%5D.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239762374389630082" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxPmltu8Jh5nO-xFl2dvd1kBVnsmrExxQaHNvGbWOTx3aByAepbY6cKrGXaxjpeDfPobBdWSWCoYTwkyiqOrsa_qANuP98BHdQ2-bKCJ3ANToFDvz58vP6GXfN2GyhFEzMxj68_vLSVG0/s400/515rYabQRJL._SS500_%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><p align="center">'</p>I would have to say this has been one of the best reads ever!! Back when I was a kid I would read like crazy. It seemed that stopped around the time I got to high school. But I always had a book near my bed or I would carry it to school with me and read when I had the chance. It seems I have not lost that desire to read, I just had to find a good book. Honestly, it was hard to select the first book(s) to do a review on b/c I've read about 4 or 5 good ones in the past few months. I decided to select "The Emperor" series due to how infatuated I've become with Caesar and the Roman empire. It's historical fiction which can get a bit frustrating b/c you think you're learning something but end up finding out that history has been twisted a bit to make it a better story. For example, Caesar was apart of the battle that crushed the slave rebelion led by Spartacus. I've since learned that this could be true b/c Caesar was a genius when it came to war and you think they would've wanted him there but there is no proof that he actually took part in it. I won't give away any more examples b/c it will give parts of the books away. All the main characters in history are in this book, Pompey, Antony, Servilia, Cato, Sustenious, Crassus, Cleopatra, etc. The book starts as Julius (Gaia) is being trained as a young boy along with Brutus (Marcus). His dad spared no expense to get him to be both educated in the art of war and to become quite the fighter. Marcus was by far the superior fighter but people just wanted to follow Caesar. People believed in him despite the fact that he was obviously egocentric. He was good at hiding that and making it seem like he was concerned by Rome and the Republic. Perhaps at times he was but he forgot about it too often. Still, these books cause you to grow quite fond of both Brutus and Caesar and in the end, you don't know who you liked more, at least I don't. Through out the story, a few amazing characters were created, the gladiators that were now free men who trained Julius and Brutus were briliant fighters. One who seemed more like a father figure while the other was just a bully who respected strength and toughness and nothing else. I liked them both. The third guy that followed these two around for most of these books was a strange healer from some far off country. He must have possessed some sort of magical ability b/c he could heal people by simply putting his hands on them. He was old yet was quite the fighter. He reminded me a bit of a humble Gandolf from Lord of the Rings. He chose to stay with them only b/c he knew he would see interesting things. Despite all the war and killing he would see. I could go on and on about these books. They are the kind of books you don't want to put down. I would have to say they are probably a bit better than The Gates of Fire. And that was a great book!! Books included in the series: The Gates of Rome: Emperor The Death of Kings Emperor: The Field of Swords Emperor: The Gods of War<br /><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0; width:100px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2093/2826172099_753a43fb90_o.jpg" border="0" alt="" />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2558931293597368320.post-74594745963393981702008-08-27T12:50:00.021-04:002008-09-03T23:06:26.941-04:00Kite Runner/ Thousand Splendid Suns<p align="left">Okay...well, I guess that it is my turn to do a book review. I am going to do one on two different books, Thousand Splendid Suns and Kite Runner, just because they are by the same author Khaled Hosseini and I also read them one right after the other. I read these books a couple of months ago and I really liked them. Both books are heart breaking and had my crying at several different parts of the story so if you are in the mood for a tear jerker these are your books. But I must give warning that if you are a gentle reader then these books are probably not for the faint hearted. </p><p align="left"><a type="amzn" search="Kite Runner" category="books"href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWnDtq66UJWJhB9Lua8gx8BNrjg4Hxl6nom-RmEGq5ddMs8wyY_5I6ElmAQa-8x-dKzBY3mSbcM4qCAiaI9ePOZye2ehGnGHNKajErrmuJLhD_qEH7LY_kEjDItRmHal92Lmug44EFIsw/s1600-h/cover-kiterunner%5B1%5D.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239288614599472322" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWnDtq66UJWJhB9Lua8gx8BNrjg4Hxl6nom-RmEGq5ddMs8wyY_5I6ElmAQa-8x-dKzBY3mSbcM4qCAiaI9ePOZye2ehGnGHNKajErrmuJLhD_qEH7LY_kEjDItRmHal92Lmug44EFIsw/s400/cover-kiterunner%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" /></a> I am going to start with the Kite Runner just because that is the one that I read first. This book is about a story of 2 boys, Amir a wealthy son of a businessman in Kabul and Hassan, the son of Amir's father's servant. The boys are inseparable they live and grow up together. They spend most of their days running kites and telling stories until a tragic childhood event takes place changing their relationship forever. Even after Amir and his father flee to America, this childhood incident stays with Amir and haunts him still as a grown man, even when he is married and has established himself a life in America as a successful novelist. Because of these demons that haunt Amir you find the twist and turns in the story to be so real that you forget that you are reading a novel. You are on this quest of forgiveness with Amir as he finds himself back to his war-torn native town trying to find closure to his childhood choices that have greatly affected his adult life.</p><div align="left"><a type="amzn" search="Thousand Splendid Suns" category="books"href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtpaRCRQCe4FNEirgXPVf_xtS0iZGJGDyG5KGpTVcQtE9hHcLIzFOhf2oUCskFu3NrfQ3HYfYf5JM1fZR1fIrvUmDe1OuOidxiDopgk5lOPtWNpD85aj2apmnTwe_G2njwni5lxXwk_KQ/s1600-h/cover-splendidsuns%5B1%5D.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239288616538306578" style="CURSOR: hand" height="235" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtpaRCRQCe4FNEirgXPVf_xtS0iZGJGDyG5KGpTVcQtE9hHcLIzFOhf2oUCskFu3NrfQ3HYfYf5JM1fZR1fIrvUmDe1OuOidxiDopgk5lOPtWNpD85aj2apmnTwe_G2njwni5lxXwk_KQ/s400/cover-splendidsuns%5B1%5D.jpg" width="149" border="0" /></a> Now for Thousand Splendid Suns if I had to read one over again it would be this one. It is a story of two generations of characters, Miram and Lialia , the book spans from 30 years beginning with the Soviet invasion and ending with the overthrow of the Taliban. As they move from childhood to adults they are brought together by the tragic sweep of war, the struggle to survive, raise a family, find happiness, share and try to love the same husband who in return beats them both. It is very hard to not say much other than that or else I will end up spoiling the plot. My favorite books to read are books that teach you something along with a great story. This story is not just a great, although overwhelmingly sad, story, it is history lesson of Afghanistan's last thirty years -- as mentioned above from the Soviet invasion to the reign of the Taliban. You also learn how women had an appalling time living under the Taliban regime, which I sort of knew already but you have no idea how horrible the conditions really were. The childbirth section will fill you with horror!! The author really does such a great job with his stories and making them seem so real that after I was done reading it I was a little disturbed what I just read was fiction!! </div><div align="left"><blockquote></blockquote></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="left">I am going to stay away from the whole political discussion of these stories because you could easily get yourself in one. I just want to say that for me, these books help put it in perspective of why we are helping these people and the country of Afghanistan. Not only was there two great stories to go along with the books but I learned so much about the country and some of the history of Afghanistan itself. The beauty and violence of this country, the food and customs and smells of the city. The desolation of life and the loss of the country to madmen who are running it with only wealth in their mind and will go to the extreme of destroying a country and their own people to get it!! </div><div align="left"><blockquote></blockquote></div><div align="left"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="left">If I had to give these books a rating I would give them both 4 high fives. I really and truly loved the stories and the history behind the stories at the end of the books you are so engrossed in them that you feel like hugging the books..... well....at least I did!!</div><br /><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0; width:100px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2093/2826172099_753a43fb90_o.jpg" border="0" alt="" />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2558931293597368320.post-55056240214964984462008-08-25T23:39:00.009-04:002008-09-04T00:09:47.115-04:00Sundays at Tiffany's by James Patterson<a type="amzn" search="Sundays at Tiffany's" category="books" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcK4yrcA-QI5uF7hNP0D9fS3crUtUjS3ETJiNT_acNFep82IcBQYtauFtIvRRCitMk_OkZbL_gw6DF-nH8CTntZzXkBb0t0xNmoukSFdPNrYPECAmW8RcODGPn3u6FdYXjDHGJIYW5ty51/s1600-h/sundaysAtTiffanys.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcK4yrcA-QI5uF7hNP0D9fS3crUtUjS3ETJiNT_acNFep82IcBQYtauFtIvRRCitMk_OkZbL_gw6DF-nH8CTntZzXkBb0t0xNmoukSFdPNrYPECAmW8RcODGPn3u6FdYXjDHGJIYW5ty51/s400/sundaysAtTiffanys.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238666073143988370" /></a><br /><br />I read Sundays at Tiffany's by James Patterson about a month ago. I enjoyed it very much. It was a very easy read, just 300 pages, so I was able to finish it in one day. It took me a couple of chapters to get into it, about halfway through it started getting really good and I couldn't put it down! <br /><br />The book at the beginning is about a little girl, Jane, who has a mother who is beautiful and rich, but is very cold to her. She has an imaginary friend, Michael, who is her best friend and the only one who loves her. He leaves her when she is eight and the rest of the book is about the grown up Jane and how her life turned out. Michael somehow pops up in her life again and it is interesting to see her reunited with him when she is adult. <br /><br />There was just a little bit of bad language and a little sexuality, maybe PG-13 worth. The story was an interesting and different spin on a love story that I think women will enjoy! We really haven't come up with a rating system yet, so until then I'll just say I would rate it 3 high fives.<br /><br />Oh, the only think I didn't get was the cover, the girl on the cover has dark hair and the main character, Jane is blond, that was strange!<br /><br /><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0; width:100px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3276/2827026412_3b2b57b467_o.jpg" border="0" alt="" />Angiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11455722433604812966noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2558931293597368320.post-32828334457121295542008-08-05T00:06:00.001-04:002008-08-25T23:53:58.588-04:00Let the reading commence . . .I'm so excited about our new "exclusive" book blog! LOL! This is a place where we can share what we are reading whether we love it or hate it. We can maybe rate the content of the books we read. I'm sick of picking out books that have too much profanity or other bad things without any indication or warning. I guess if we do that we'll have to come up with a rating system. We could also do ending spoilers like Jessie suggested. Since that time she was trying to find out the ending of "The Thirteenth Tale", but couldn't find any spoiler sites!<br /><br />Jessie, you should write about "Breaking Dawn" since you were probably the first person in the world to get a copy and you finished it first! :) Please wait till I'm finished reading it, though. It shouldn't be too long!<br /><br />So, I'm putting the following out there for labels/categories:<br />reviews<br />spoilers<br />random<br /><br />That's all I can think of for now. You can change or add labels as you think of them. I just wanted to get the ball rolling!Angiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11455722433604812966noreply@blogger.com3