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..... :)

July Book-The Girl Who Chased The Moon

The book I chose for July is The girl who chased the moon by Sarah Addison Allen. It is about "a girl named Emily Benedict who hopes to solve some riddles surrounding her mother's life.

But the moment Emily enters the house where her mother grew up and meets the grandfather she never knew, she realizes that mysteries aren't solved in Mullaby, North Carolina, they're a way of life: Here are rooms where the wallpaper changes to suit the mood. Unexplained lights skip across the yard at midnight. And a neighbor, Julia Winterson, bakes hope in the form of cakes, offering them to satisfy the town's sweet tooth-but also in the hope of rekindling a love she fears might be lost forever. Can a hummingbird cake really bring back a lost love? Is there really a ghost dancing in Emily's backyard? The answers are never what you expect. But in this town of lovable misfits, the unexpected fits right in."

I really enjoyed this book and I hope you all do as well.

LOVED it!

Wow, I loved the Maze Runner. It was admittedly a little on the violent side for me - but Hunger Games I loved too, so whatever - but I thought the premise was really original and thought provoking. What would I be willing to pay to recreate peace in a world torn apart by disease and strife? I don't know. I'm not sure which side I'm on right now, which is great because it makes me make my decision based on my own principles before the author "reveals" which side is which in the next book. I like that.

I'm excited for October (right?) when we read the sequel. :)

2010 Reading List

Here is the 2010 Reading List. Mandy, if you could give me administrative access to this blog, then I'll post the list on the left hand side. Thanks!

June-The Maze Runner/James Dashner-Shelli
July-The Girl who chased the moon/Sarah Addison Allen-Emilee
August-Joclyn
September-Shelli
October-The Scorch Trials/James Dashner-Emilee
November-Joclyn
December-Shelli

I think it would be awesome if we could each post something about our recommended book by the 1st of the month. If you have any suggestions, please give your input. Also, if you are still in the book club and would like to participate, let us know as well. Thanks!

2010 Reading list

I think we should make a reading list for the rest of 2010 and post it on the left hand side. What do you think? For example:

June-The Maze Runner
July-The Five Love Languages

If we each take a month or make a suggestion, I'm sure we will have one awesome book list. I think we should read The Scorch Trials in October since that is the second book of the Maze Runner.

Let me know your wonderful thoughts.

Thanks.

Emilee