Category Archives: politics

The Wednesday Sisters by Meg Waite Clayton

For almost three years an amazing thing has been happening – I’ve been blogging.

And I love my blog, I really do.

I write, you read, it’s amazing.

Amazing and but for fifty years I could have been one of the women in the book:

Struggling to find time to hand write stories to bring to their friends to read and critique while surrounded by their collective children.

Typing copies up to be mailed in to magazines and editors just to get someone other than their best friends to read what they have to say.

And here I lay in my bed, no doubt killing my neck with my horrible posture, clicking away at my keyboard and then with the push of a button and the magic of the internet – there it is for anyone to read.

Amazing.

The Wednesday Sisters

Would I recommend it? Yes. This book is, of course, about so much more than a group of writing women. And while there are many, books about a group of friends going through life together the voice of the main character really struck a cord with me this time.

I am curious to know if you’ve read it if you felt the same. Was it really a good read or did it just speak to me?

The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling

While I would cheerfully force Harry Potter into anyone’s hands who hasn’t read it yet, I was not as taken with this book.

Once I was hooked I couldn’t put it down and read far later into the night than I should have but it took a long time to get to that point.

Would I recommend it? Eh… Realistic people are impressive to read about, the depth of characters, their realistic quirks, it’s excellent writing. But does all that work make for likable characters? Not necessarily.

The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood

Sometimes when I read a book I wish the author wasn’t quite so good at what they do. I wish that their characters will seem less believable so that when the story is a bit gruesome I can think to myself – naah, nobody would ever do that for real… But Atwood is like Steven King, characters so well rounded and believable that it sometimes makes the books a bit too realistic – but in a good way- mostly.

This was the prequel to Oryx and Crake which, in my way, I remember about three non-relevant details from along with the sense that it was good/fascinating/icky which is just about exactly how this one was. Now I’ve got to go back and read Oryx and Crake again, quick before I forget!

Would I recommend it? She is a very good author but I’m not sure her post apocalyptic world is for everyone. I just have to much of a slimy feel to me after reading this to give it a broad recommendation – but for what it’s worth I am reserving Oryx and Crake from the library tonight to re-read.

Diana Gabaldon

Start with Outlander and then keep going.

I’ve been re-reading them in between other books since Jane has been born and I’m on my 6th book of hers in a month.

I haven’t yet had the words “dinna fash” or “you’ll ken” come out of my mouth yet but it’s a good thing I’ve only got one book left or I’d be yelling “Jesus H. Roosevelt Christ” next time I burn dinner.

Would I recommend them? Having just stared blankly at the computer screen for a many minitues I have no tidy way to sum up the books nor why exactly I’d recommend them.

I think I’m in a Jamie and Claire induced stuper… and now I have to go read what happens next – even though I’ve read this one twice before.

The Wideacre Trilogy by Phillipa Gregory

Wideacre

The most wonderfully written car crash of a book I’ve ever read. I couldn’t look away and I couldn’t stop reading even when I wanted to.

Would I recommend it? No. It’s well done, but I just can’t recommend a book full of incest, I can’t do it.

The Favored Child

One of those books where you know the end.  Right from the beginning you know the chances of a happily ever after are slim, very, very, slim. Then it gets worse, and you see the character falling into trap after trap and then end is coming and all of a sudden it’s back to the car crash that you just can’t look away from.

Would I recommend it? No.  See recommendation above and add in verbal and physical abuse and a barn owl that says “whoo, whoo”

Meridon

Wow.

Would I recommend it? Well, you can’t just go read the last book of a trilogy, it’d make no sense whatsoever.  This one almost made the rest worth it.

The end result:

While this won’t be a trio of books I’ll be highly recommending, my lack of recommendation is only due to the content. While they are clearly not for everyone I believe that they are remarkably well written, go read something else of Gregory’s I doubt you’ll be disappointed!

The Silent Sea by Clive Cussler

I listened to this on CD starting when we headed out to Kansas.

Then I discovered that it is very difficult to find time to listen to a book that involves a lot of shooting, fighting and killing when you have little girls in the house.

So I just finished this week.

Good one liners, and humor mixed in with a lot of descriptions of crazy weapons, attack strategies and a modern day treasure hunt – I’d call it a boy book fortunately I enjoy a good boy book every now and then!

Would I recommend it? Not good enough writing that I’d straight up recommend it. Good enough plot that I do recommend it if you are looking for a good dry humor blow stuff up book.

Obama Zombies by Jason Mattera

Well, it’s not much of a secret what my political views are if I read a book subtitled “How the Liberal Machine Brainwashed My Generation.”

So, if you are already offended by the title no pressure to read the rest.

Of course it may make you feel slightly better to know I don’t recommend it.

On second thought I agreed with all the content, just not the delivery, so perhaps that’s not a positive for you after all.

Oh well, strike me from the Christmas card list if you must but here goes my little review…

This was book full of interesting comments and facts delivered in a completely obnoxious way.  It had  information on how the Obama campaign was run and the excellent job they did at attracting the youth vote, stuff that I was only vaguely aware of from this rock I live under. Unfortunately the author presents it in a yelly (yes I know this isn’t a word but I like it anyway), sarcastic, rude sort of way.  It’s one thing to read a quote or a comment and hear Mattera’s rebuttal of it, in fact much of that was well done and even amusing. Unfortunately then he would start “yelling” in the book as if he were talking to that person. I’m not a big fan of being yelled at as if I agree with the “Obama Zombies,” it was a complete turn off. For instance a section titled  “Piss Off a Liberal: Get a Job, Make Money, and Be Happy” had me laughing out loud until I read: “We need rick folks, idiots! Who the hell do you think cuts your paycheck?”  That pretty much sealed the deal for me,  thanks Jason, have a nice day, and next time you write a book try not to yell at the people reading it who agree with you!

Would I recommend it? No, there’s got to be better sources for the same information.

The Geography of Bliss by Eric Weiner

The cover of the book says “One Grump’s Search for the Happiest Places in the World.”

Good thing too, it was the grumpiness that made the book.  This grumpy author travels to ten countries and shares what he learns  in chapters with titles like:

“Switzerland – Happiness Is Boredom”

“Iceland – Happiness Is Failure”

and

“Moldova – Happiness Is Somewhere Else”

Had this book been written by some positive thinking, sickly sweet personality, the world is a wonderful place and I’m a wonderful person,  ( yes Eat, Pray Love, I’m thinking of you) it would have been a total failure. Fortunately Eric Weiner is an unhappy grump, (his words not mine) and so what could have been a nauseating topic turns out to be amusing and informative.

Would I recommend it? Yes. It’s also full of interesting facts. Did you know the smiley face was invented in 1963 to cheer up workers at an insurance company? :)