August's Pick-- for real this time

Thanks, ladies, for bearing with me. :) I originally chose "Left To Tell" by Immaculee Ilibagiza, which came highly recommended by a good friend. But as I read it (in two days), I realized it was too similar to what I'd chosen last time. Last time I picked a book about faith, love, courage and forgiveness during the Jewish Holocaust. "Left To Tell" is a book about faith, love, courage and forgiveness during the Rawandan Holocaust of 1994. I swear my literary interests do extend beyond holocausts. :) It was a great book, don't get me wrong; I give it 4 of 5 stars and highly recommend it. Although I will warn you that it is gruesome in parts. How could a first-hand account of the Rawandan Holocaust in which the author lost 2/3 of her family not be gruesome? But it's gruesome in an "innocent people were cruelly murdered" kind of way, not a "the author is delighting in crude, gory details to get a rise out of the desensitized audience" kind of way. Anyway, because I do have other interests, I decided to pick a new book and encourage you to read "Left To Tell" on your own. It truly is a remarkable story and you may want a tissue or two. :)

On to my real pick for the month----- "A Room With A View".

This Edwardian social comedy explores love and prim propriety among an eccentric cast of characters assembled in an Italian pensione and in a corner o...more

"This Edwardian social comedy explores love and prim propriety among an eccentric cast of characters assembled in an Italian pensione and in a corner of Surrey, England. A charming young English woman, Lucy Honeychurch, faints into the arms of a fellow Britisher when she witnesses a murder in a Florentine piazza. Attracted to this man, George Emerson—who is entirely unsuitable and whose father just may be a Socialist—Lucy is soon at war with the snobbery of her class and her own conflicting desires. Back in England she is courted by a more acceptable, if stifling, suitor, and soon realizes she must make a startling decision that will decide the course of her future: she is forced to choose between convention and passion." (Goodreads.com)

I've never read it before but I keep hearing lots of great things about it. I hope you all enjoy!

Confession:

I was like 90 billionth on the waiting list at the library for this book, so I "borrowed" it from Barnes and Noble. Is that kind of, criminal? I really want you to tell me what you think. I returned it in pristine condition ... but my mom thinks I'm going to you know where for it. Yikes! I told her, "But people buy sweaters and things all the time, go home, put them on, and decide they don't like them, so they return them. What's the difference? I decided I don't want to own the book after all." Justification glorification. I'd be interested to know what you think about this.

Moving on to my thoughts for the book I went to such lengths to read. :) I don't know what the fuss about the book was all about. Yes it was a cute little story, but there are lots of cute stories out there. It wasn't particularly well-written, the weird glowing people idea was a little out there in crazy field - next to the people who can see sparkling cake particles in the air - and it was too short to give me any kind of satisfaction. I didn't hate it or anything, other than the fact that my husband looked at my book right when I was ambushed by that yucky part in the middle somewhere and I blushed for shame as I turned the page as fast as I could. :) But it kept me entertained for a few hours of a road trip, and that's a good thing.

Although, it made me cry at one point, and do you know what part did it? Not the grief over a dead mother, not the loneliness and persecution of a new town, not the giant dryer-checking grandfather ... but the father whose daughter didn't know his love for her was quiet. My heck, I bawled over that.

And the author's jumping viewpoints from character to character actually was a fun ride. I enjoyed the overlapping stories and the simple understated style.

Okay, I guess I liked it more than I'd thought. Three stars from me

And don't forget to tell me if you think I'm a criminal. :)

August's Pick-- Revised

I've changed my mind. Still on the hunt for August's book... I'll post it when I find it..... :)