tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11740089131376799792024-02-07T11:54:22.387-05:00The Book Babe"Books are like imprisoned souls till someone takes them down from a shelf and frees them." -Samuel ButlerAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17545783664752865643noreply@blogger.comBlogger224125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174008913137679979.post-47430620392104425132015-05-27T11:43:00.000-04:002015-05-27T11:46:43.221-04:00Tea: Toasted Rice<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello again, friends! Sadly, I have not been reading as much as I should. For some reason I can only get through a few pages a day. I am making a summer reading goal of at least 10 books though, So I do hope to at least be able to do that, that way I can get much more book reviews posted! I'd eventually like to start up reviewing books for NetGalley again. We'll see how it goes. I just don't like getting inundated with books to review that I don't feel like reading at the time. Sooooo, I'll probably only request to review like 5 books at a time (knowing I likely won't be approved for all those) and only ones I really really want to read. That way I don't get overwhelmed.</div>
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So, in another news... tea!!! Who doesn't love tea, right? This tea that I'm reviewing today is one sent to me from my penpal in California, Amanda (yes, we share a name and will be the same age until her birthday on June 2nd). I don't play favorites, but... lol. So this tea is by the brand Numi, which I know I've seen before, but can't quite place where. I know some local grocery stores sell it, since I wouldn't have shopped anywhere else.<br />
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So, this flavor is Toasted Rice... and let me tell you, it's toasty alright! This is a green tea and it's flavor is definitely unique, I've never had green tea that tasted burnt before. I don't mean that in a bad way, it just tastes like it was cooked over a campfire. Very, very toasty... which is a flavor I happen to actually like. I really don't have a lot to say about the flavor because all I tasted was toastiness. I think this would be good especially when it's cold outside. I will look for this brand and flavor when I do my grocery shopping next week.<br />
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Thanks to my dear penpal, Amanda, for sending this one to me!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17545783664752865643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174008913137679979.post-46610188499286415352015-05-19T22:01:00.000-04:002015-05-19T22:01:24.574-04:00Tea: Australian Afternoon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I've been a big tea lover for as long as I can remember. My mom used to make amazing Southern Sweet Tea and I'd always ask for her hot tea which she made always with the perfect amount of milk and sugar just using simple and plain Lipton's Tea Bags. As an adult, I've carried the love for tea with me, especially black teas. I'm not much one for herbal teas, but I have been dabbling lately. I'm still not a super big fan, but I do find that I enjoy herbal tea more so in the morning as my stomach can't yet handle the heaviness and richness black tea brings. Black tea is always my afternoon and evening drink. I especially love a nice cup while I'm writing my penpal letters. </div>
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In the penpal community, it's common to send small gifts with your letters. Teas are one of the most common treats you'll receive inside a letter. Tea is popular in snailmail for many reasons. One, most everyone likes it. It's cozy! Two, it's flat and lightweight, super easy to ship and doesn't add much extra weight to your letter. Three, it's fun to try new things from other countries and there's so many teas from all over the world! I always like to share with my penpals a tea bag from the tea that I'm drinking while writing their letter.</div>
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Above is a letter and small gifts recently received in a letter from my penpal, Rita, in Glebe, Australia. Postcards and tea are always a lovely surprise to find inside a letter. I was so happy to receive these two Twinings teas from Australia. Twinings is my absolute favorite brand of tea and I haven't seen these flavors in America (but if anyone knows where I can find them, do enlighten me!). I especially love that the tea is themed to herself, she's Russian, but lives in Australia and the two teas she sent have flavors based on those two cultures: Australian Afternoon and Russian Caravan. </div>
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Today, I thought I'd share my thoughts on Australian Afternoon. This is something I plan on doing more as I receive more unique teas from around the world from my dear penpals. </div>
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Australian Afternoon is black tea made by Twinings and is described on the packaging as being "Brisk & Full-Bodied" at "Full Strength" (this measures how strong the tea will be). As I sipped on this wonderful tea, I made some notes. My first impressions were that the tea actually had a similar flavor to Lipton tea bags. I noticed the tea became very dark, very fast. After adding my cream and sugar, the tea then took on a rich golden brown color. Almost a dark amber which the packaging suits perfectly. </div>
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Australian Afternoon had an interesting aroma, one that I cannot describe. I must preface this by saying that today in particular, I am having some sinus-related stuffiness, so my sense of smell is slightly skewed, however I absolutely cannot pinpoint this aroma. As I drew the mug closer to my face to take a sip, there was a peculiar scent that was almost a bit sweet and syrupy... almost a tad medicinal. I really don't know how else to describe it. </div>
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This is quite a robust tea, which is perfect if you like your tea with a strong flavor. The tea remained flavorful even after adding cream and sugar. The undertones of this tea are unique and interesting. Thank you, Rita!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17545783664752865643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174008913137679979.post-3453864522393744262015-05-13T23:27:00.000-04:002015-05-13T23:27:36.445-04:00A Note on my Spiritual StatusI don't really know how to say this, but I don't know how much I feel like being Mormon (LDS) anymore. There's no event or interaction that causes me to not feel such a spiritual pull towards LDS. There's nothing I don't like about the church. I don't necessarily want to leave and not be a member, but for whatever reason the teachings just aren't taking me to the higher vibration that I like to function on spiritually. When I was at my spiritual peak, I was New Age. I read a lot of books by people like Sylvia Browne and Brian Weiss, I was really into The Law of Attraction. My life was so good and even when it wasn't good I could see how everything was connected and everything has a reason.<br />
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I began going back to a traditional church for my children and because I wanted to be involved in a spiritual community. I'm the kind of person who believes all Gods are one. I believe whether I went to a Christian church or converted to Islam I'd be worshiping the same God, just taking a different path to find Him. At first, I went to a Baptist church and then I tried Mormon. Mormon is my absolute favorite Christian church that I've been too and I've attended many different churches. That definitely hasn't changed. If I want to go to traditional church no matter what I will always choose Mormon as I do love the very beautiful concepts they have. Church history is also incredibly interesting to me and you can't beat the people. At Baptist church (the other denomination I've attended most) everyone was very clique-y. I attended the same congregation for a year and only came out knowing a few people by the time I left and the congregation wasn't even large. Just no one talked to anyone else. Many families had been attended that church for years and I suppose they just weren't looking to meet new people, which I don't mind, because I'm antisocial myself and hate talking to people. However, walking into a LDS church is the absolute opposite, I've never walked into a ward without practically leaving with 5 new friends, a playdate arranged, and a dinner invitation on my first day.<br />
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I really don't want to list things that I dislike about church as I don't want to hinder someone from possibly joining such an amazing church. So, what I'm saying is don't let my preferences stop you from becoming Mormon. Like I said, I'm at my highest spiritual point being more New Age, but LDS may (and I'm positive does) do that for other people.<br />
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I just really feel like people need explanations, because I know Mormons are very passionate about their religion.<br />
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Let's see.<br />
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-Sex. I like that. See, I'm almost 30 and I've been married, divorced, and have two children. I'm not a teenager, I was good when I was a teenager, but I'm a grown up now and I treat my pussy right, she don't go without m'kay? I don't like marriage and Mormons are very heavy on marriage. I'm not saying I wouldn't consider being married one day, but that's not an aspiration I've ever had. I feel like the church is still at a very archaic point with sex. I think maybe I'm not prude enough. Maybe I caught on to late to Christianity and my mind is already tainted beyond repair. I hate to say this and maybe my God Gene (there is such a thing, I read the book) is malfunctioning, but even Jesus doesn't make me not want to not do things I like to. That's why, like, when alcoholics go to church and give up alcohol because I guess Jesus gives them the strength or whatever, I'm just like speechless. I can't get to that point, like there's no number of Mormon Channel videos that I can watch that can make me care enough. I don't mean that in a mean way. I actually love the Mormon Channel because it is uplifting, it's just I've never heard, seen, read a spiritual message from any church where I'm like, "damn, that moved me. I gotta change." I thought I could when I first joined the church, like I really intended to not have sex, but then again I was single and I didn't see that changing. However, then I met my boyfriend at church... we started dating like a month after we both joined and what a blessing he was mmm mmm.<br />
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-Tea. I love it. I don't care about the herbal vs. black tea Mormon debate. I drink it all. If it's wrong I don't want to be right. I just don't see God being that petty to really care.<br />
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-Jesus. I know this sounds bad (also), but I've never felt a connection with Jesus. The church is very heavy on Jesus nowadays, I think I'd been better off Mormon when they were bigger on Joseph Smith back in the day. Joseph Smith is a bigger drawl for me to the church because he's such an interesting character and I just love hearing about him. Praise To The Man is my favorite hymn, I have several versions of it and listen to it all the time. Anyways, I certainly believe in Jesus. I believe he existed, yeah. I just don't know how I feel he fits into the big spiritual scheme of things. I know, no one cares how I <i>feel</i> about his place in religion because people are really gung-ho for Jesus, but I feel like he really overshadows actual God. I never believed they were one in the same, Mormons don't either so that's a big plus for Mormons. Ever since I was a little girl, going to Baptist school, I'd bypass worrying about Jesus and go straight for God. God is everything. He's the main man, the creator of everything. Jesus was here like 30-something years doing miracles and Gods been around for all time doing them. I just don't see the big deal, I understand the "died for our sins" thing, but I'm more of the Templar persuasion and when I was going to Baptist church I was big on trying to become more knowledgeable about the Bible and maybe something got lost in translation, but Jesus was pretty rude. Some of the stuff he says to people, and I wish I would have like highlighted the verses or something, was just a big turn off to me. I feel like Jesus is really more of a pop culture phenomenon rather than a religious figure. Like I said, God, I love God. If Jesus does for you, what God does for me, that's cool too, I'm not trying to pursued you differently, this is just my spiritual preference.<br />
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To sum it up, this is just three things that just don't make me connect as much I'd like with the church, however, there's so many more really good things! I just don't like going to church and pretending that I'm on the same page as everyone else. I feel like an imposter in a lot of ways. I also sometimes don't like people knowing I'm Mormon since I don't want them to get a bad impression since I'm not the best ambassador for the religion to non-members. I'm not terribly good person, I do all the things LDS says I shouldn't, I'm pretty much everything most Mormon women aren't. And that's saying a bad thing about me, not about them. I don't like feeling like a hypocrite and LDS has really helped my family and lifted me up emotionally when I was down. The church is very generous and loving and I've not met someone at church whom I didn't like. It's taken me a long time to really know how to share exactly why I'm a bit disconnected from the church because I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings or offend people. These are just my little feelings and opinions on religions and they shouldn't really matter to anyone else or change anyone else's mind. I just have a more fluid approach to spirituality. I like to flow wherever my spirit is calling me to go. When I was no religion and thought God hated me my spirit led me into the New Age movement which made me believe in God, then I was led to the Baptist church, then my spirit was drawn to LDS. Maybe, it will go back again to being more drawn to it, but for right now, I feel like to be closer to God I need to go somewhere else for awhile. I don't know where yet, but I definitely feeling more New Age. I want to find God more through nature, rather than in a cold building. I would also like something not so political. Christianity has too many opinions for me. I think everyone should mind their own business, as long as no one is hurting anyone it shouldn't matter what people do.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17545783664752865643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174008913137679979.post-89262737995957563472015-05-12T22:07:00.001-04:002015-05-12T22:12:12.749-04:00Book Review: Travels in a Thin Country: A Journey Through Chile<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I've been reading this book for a REALLY long time. I do love travel memoirs, however I haven't read many and if I recall correctly I've only read ones by Bill Bryson, who is quite hilarious and entertaining. It took me a while to get acquainted with Sara Wheeler's writing style. I really don't know if I ever got used to it. </div>
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I think what took me so long to get through is that I found the first quarter of this book where she is traveling through the Atacama Desert in Northern Chile painfully boring. I love deserts, so I suppose it wasn't the desert itself, but not much actually happened. I mean, yeah, she did travel through it, but all she wrote about was in this style, "I saw this, I talked to this person, we got back on the road." </div>
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I left this book alone for months, I put it down somewhere in the desert. I decided to give it a go again and as Sara moved further South the book became considerably more interesting. I loved the parts where she traveled to remote islands off the coast and down through Patagonia and into the Archipelagic Chile. Those areas just seemed absolutely breathtaking and interesting. </div>
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One thing that got me though, was that every time something interesting was about to happen to the author, she would immediately change the subject. She would state that this interesting thing was about to happen, and then... on to the next thing. It never made any sense. Maybe she didn't quite know how to record those memories or maybe she was simply saving them for herself. </div>
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Anyhow, my interest in Chile has certainly increased. Right before I picked this up again, I actually acquired a pen pal from Chile and I'm looking forward to both practicing my Spanish and learning more about modern Chilean culture through her. This book was published in the very early 90s after the country had gone much political and economic upheaval. I'm interested to see how things are nowadays. I admit that Chile is a country I know very little about. The country does seem incredibly dynamic. </div>
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I do think that I might one day read other books by this author, as she has another in which she travels through The Arctic in some countries of particular interest to me such as Canada, Greenland, and Norway. She has another written about Antarctica. She did travel to Chilean Antarctica in this book and it was quite interesting so I think I'd like to read one where she has a more long-term stay there.</div>
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All in all, I give this book 3 out of 5 stars. </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17545783664752865643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174008913137679979.post-51585081503729953442015-05-09T16:14:00.002-04:002015-05-09T16:14:15.981-04:00SnailmailingHello friends,<br />
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Well, I know it's been quiet a while since I've made a blog post. Lately, my creative juices have been flowing though and I look forward to picking blogging back up again. I come to you with this blog post to share another hobby that I love, snailmailing. I love writing letters to pen pals and Postcrossing. <a href="http://postcrossing.com/">Postcrossing</a> is a website where you send and receive postcards all over the world from random people. I started Postcrossing about 5 years ago, but dropped off from it. I started it up again about 3 months ago and the addiction is back!<br />
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I'm a person who loves to learn about different cultures, religions, and languages. Postcrossing and meeting pen pals all over the globe definitely feeds into that. As an introvert, I also enjoy quiet, reflective activities. Sending postcards and letters really allows one to be creative as you can get quite fancy with how you decorate your snailmail. I love to add some flair to mine such as stickers, colored envelopes, washi tape, and fun colors to write in. Some people who are more artistic even add doodles and intricate paper folds. Other ways to express yourself are through stamps and stationary.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Recent incoming mail from Texas, Canada, and China</td></tr>
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Penpalling is an especially therapeutic activity, similar to journaling. It's great to have quiet time to reflect on your life or day and share that with someone else. Writing a letter allows one to turn inward for some self-reflection. With Postcrossing the whole family can get involved. This is a great way to teach children about geography and other cultures. We look forward to checking the mail and see if we have any surprises from another state or country. When we receive a postcard we mark it on a large atlas in our living room and my son has fun trying to locate the country. We hang our postcards around our map. We are quickly running out of space though so I've bought some twine to hang postcards from on another way. You can get really creative with how you store or display your postcards! They're also a great conversational piece.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnTmlJJ77BTihDvZJWFqFFdmdk6ZNmcZ-yLfNFhSUimroZ_8RPm2Z3bNQZHoLesG6YSF5zFdP0ypfM2KQR52_0i8XfmPe5xW9V_Yfkh2InlPibvqCxyWrtobWj4ZJUzto-XqEI7EjvcRV5/s1600/IMG_20150423_181736.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnTmlJJ77BTihDvZJWFqFFdmdk6ZNmcZ-yLfNFhSUimroZ_8RPm2Z3bNQZHoLesG6YSF5zFdP0ypfM2KQR52_0i8XfmPe5xW9V_Yfkh2InlPibvqCxyWrtobWj4ZJUzto-XqEI7EjvcRV5/s320/IMG_20150423_181736.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My son helping to hang up a postcard from France.</td></tr>
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For my letters from my pen pals. I've bought a binder, sheet protectors, and dividers. I divide the sections by continent. Then I store my letters inside the sheet protectors- including the often elaborately decorated envelopes which are too pretty to throw away! A lot of heart often goes in to writing a letter, even if it's just on a basic college-ruled sheet of paper and in a plain envelope. Your letters will quickly become very valuable and sentimental to you. </div>
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Do you wonder how you and/or your family can get involved in snailmailing?<br />
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A great place to start is <a href="http://postcrossing.com/">Postcrossing</a>. You have to send 5 postcards first and as those are received your name will go back into the system and someone else (not the person you mailed your postcard to) will then send you a postcard. It's always a surprise because you never know where your next postcard will come from.<br />
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For pen pals, you can use the Postcrossing forum or, I prefer, Instagram. Just search a hashtag like #penpalswanted or #penpals. There's also several accounts that will allow you to post your own ad for a pen pal!<br />
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There's really a great snailmailing community out there! Facebook also has groups dedicated to postcard swaps and pen pals.<br />
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You may wonder where you may find time for penpalling especially if you're a parent like me. Doing my snailmail is my "me time". I like to do it after the kids go to sleep and the house is quiet so I can focus, relax, enjoy, and reflect. I love to put on my headphones and listen to my music and really get into "flow". <i>Flow</i> is what psychologists call those times when you're so involved in an activity that time passes quickly and you have something like tunnel vision on that activity and all your focus is there. During "flow" your at your most focused. I read about this in a book about how having children changes people. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The table while I'm working on letters.</td></tr>
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Other places and times you can work on your snailmail:</div>
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-Eating out at a fast food restaurant where your children are playing on a playground such as Chick-Fil-A or McDonald's. The former is my preferred fast food destination as it's cleaner and a more positive environment. There's something sad about McDonald's.<br />
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-The park, again while children are playing. I'm obviously not the interactive type on playgrounds. You're not going to see me helping my child down the slide. I'm the mom on the bench reading a book.<br />
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-At a coffee shop or small cafe. This is my favorite while my children are away during summer. I love small hole-in-the-wall places. Coffee and reading or writing letters just seem to go hand-in-hand. Plus, I feel like these places have the right ambiance to for those activities.<br />
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-While tanning at the beach or pool.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A postcard I received from Ukraine</td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17545783664752865643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174008913137679979.post-87544184935322735052014-08-29T11:27:00.001-04:002014-08-29T11:27:31.540-04:00Book Review: Bird Sense<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm not entirely sure why I decided to read this book, or more accurately listen to the audiobook. I've never been terribly fond of birds, but I think it was on sale on <a href="http://audible.com/">Audible</a> so I thought, "what the heck, sure". I really have no idea, though. I think I may have enjoyed this book more if I read it instead of listened to it. It was hard to really grasp all the facts in passing, by just hearing them. </div>
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The narrator was horribly bland. He was very monotone and I felt like I was listening to a lecture at a British university rather than reading a book. I wish he would have taken on a more conversational tone. I also expected the book to be a bit funner than what it was and have a more conversational tone. It just came off as a bit dry and stuffy to me. </div>
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I'm giving <i>Bird Sense</i> <b>2 out of 4 stars</b>.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17545783664752865643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174008913137679979.post-67126720930638882762014-08-18T09:02:00.001-04:002014-08-18T09:02:28.522-04:00Book Review: Love Finds You in Miracle, Kentucky<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Love Finds You in Miracle, Kentucky is one of the many books (50+) in the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/57850-love-finds-you"><i>Love Finds You</i></a> series. <i>Love Finds You</i> is a Christian Romance series where each book features a different character, in a different time, and place. Mostly they are women moving to a small town with a quirky name, the women are almost always starting over in a small town where they know nobody and then they end up falling in love. That was the case with LFY in Miracle, Kentucky. Actually, that's the case with most Christian Romances...</div>
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In this book, the main character is Meg Jorgensson. Meg just broke up with her poet boyfriend who she was living in Chicago with, where she was a teacher at an inner-city school. She decides to move in with her grandma (who she doesn't know very well) to start a new life away from her toxic boyfriend. She gets a position teaching at a small charter school in Miracle where she meets Vance and Cammy Bayer. Vance is a single dad and Cammy is his disabled, wheelchair-bound daughter. </div>
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Cammy really wants Meg and her dad to date and she would love to have her favorite teacher as as a new mom (hers died in the car accident that paralyzed her). Cammy is really pushy and sneaky when it comes to setting up her dad and teacher, which most people might find cute. It was a bit to Hallmark Channel for me. Way too sappy. Disabled child plays matchmaker for her dad and teacher? <i>Blah</i>. </div>
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I don't really know the though process behind me choosing this LFY book to read. I mean, I know what it was, I thought, "I own a lot of these that I still haven't read, I know! I'll read them in chronological order from the time they were published!". I probably should have just read whichever I really felt like reading, probably one of the historical ones which are usually my favorite (I'm not a big contemporary romance person). This one was just too cheesy with the whole disabled daughter, it was too Southern too. Kentucky is just not really a state that I have ever had interest in reading about. I'm have pretty much no interest in the life of a person who listens to country music, that whole "redneck" lifestyle. Even though, the main character wasn't a country girl and country life sounds a bit pleasant, they're just not really at the top of the list for subcultures I'm intrigued by (<b>typically I find the whole "redneck" attitude obnoxious</b>).</div>
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But, once I really started reading the book it went by pretty fast. It was a cute story and I actually liked the main character, Meg, a lot. She was smart and had a good moral compass (despite the fact she actually didn't start going to church until after she moved to Kentucky- gasp! Scandalous!). She also was realistic enough for a woman her age. I'm going to give Love Finds You in Miracle, Kentucky <b>3 out of 5 stars</b>.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17545783664752865643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174008913137679979.post-22627999230629465122014-08-16T18:55:00.000-04:002014-08-16T18:55:33.573-04:00Book Review: Landline<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgxUDby_djbjcv2eLi0_QJMiC5yKZZFmpod0Lk_lNAPVqBxjdMsl4ZTj2RG2dD0y6dFhXC2g_KBMKQdSvTfPpaq7Zp2UVLSZYQ_6gBnWh5vISSzHk-3RyvpKy_ZvyzftHqwqZPPaaWdgXP/s1600/18081809.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgxUDby_djbjcv2eLi0_QJMiC5yKZZFmpod0Lk_lNAPVqBxjdMsl4ZTj2RG2dD0y6dFhXC2g_KBMKQdSvTfPpaq7Zp2UVLSZYQ_6gBnWh5vISSzHk-3RyvpKy_ZvyzftHqwqZPPaaWdgXP/s1600/18081809.jpg" height="320" width="217" /></a></div>
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I know this is a bookworm <i>faux pas</i>, but I've never read a book by Rainbow Rowell before. I actually wanted to read her others more than this one, but when I was on <a href="http://audible.com/">Audible</a> trying to determine how to spend my credits, I was tempted by how much I love the cover of her newest novel, Landline. </div>
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From what I understand, Rowell's previous novels were in the Young Adult genre. This one definitely felt adult to me. I wouldn't call it Adult Fiction/Literary Fiction, but maybe Chick-Lit? Probably most definitely Chick-Lit. The main character, I already forgot her name, is a writer for a popular sitcom. However, her dream has always been to be a writer for her own sitcom, which is a dream that she and her best friend Phil share. They finally have the opportunity during the Christmas season to have their show picked up, but they'll need to submit the scripts for four episodes over the course of, like, a week or so. This is great!! Butttt, she's supposed to be leaving for Omaha with her husband and two young daughters to spend Christmas with his mother. </div>
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For some reason, the MC is shocked when her husband doesn't want to cancel the family's Christmas plans and stay in LA so she can write for her show. Instead, like a sane person who has probably just spent tons of money on plane tickets and is excited to see his mother, he takes the daughters and they proceed with the travel plans, leaving her behind to work. However, he's kinda a jerk and for some reason once he's in Omaha (actually once he's at the airport in LA) he never texts or calls her, like over the span of 10 days never once contacts his wife.</div>
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Meanwhile in LA, the MC can't even get her iPhone to work and she's in a horrible depression thinking she's made the wrong decision by following her dreams and not going to Christmas in Omaha with her family. So, she ends up living at her mom's house (which is closer to her job anyways) during the time her family is away. Lucky thing is, her mom has an old landline phone that she can use to call her husband. Odd thing is, whenever she calls her husband's mom's landline phone (remember he's not actually answering his cell phone for her) the Neal that picks up isn't the same Neal that left LA, it's college-aged Neal. The Neal she first met in the 90s.</div>
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So, this is a weird sort of time travel / Magical Realism type book. But, no one really time travels, she just calls the past somehow (which is never explained) with her magic landline phone. I liked the book, but I think if it wasn't an audiobook I probably would have been pretty bored by the story. It wasn't really exciting and I wasn't a big fan of any of the characters except her best friend and sister. I really couldn't bring myself to care about the MC's relationship. She and her husband (Neal) just didn't really seem right for each other or like they even liked each other that much. I really didn't understand why the MC was pining over this guy the whole time, he was a jerk, he had no personality, and other than when they were in college when he drove 27 hours to surprise her with an engagement, I don't recall anything romantic ever happening. </div>
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All in all, I give Landline 3 out of 5 stars. I do plan to read Rainbow Rowell's previous novels, which will hopefully have more likable characters and better storylines.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17545783664752865643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174008913137679979.post-14913568583467564392014-07-30T00:03:00.001-04:002014-07-30T00:03:55.409-04:00Book Review: Columbine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When I saw that there was a book written about the Columbine High School shooting of 1999, I just had to read it. The horrific school shooting happened when I was in middle school and definitely changed the way my peers and I felt about our safety in school and "outsiders" on the fringes of our school's social structure. I feel like I certainly learned a lot about the shootings. Actually, pretty much everything I thought I knew was pretty much <b>false </b>(thanks to the media).</div>
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This book was super educational and it took a totally unbiased approach. Eric and Dylan, the two boys responsible for the school massacre, were brilliant to be honest. They were true masterminds and masters of deception. They weren't goths or fans of Marilyn Manson. They weren't even necessarily unpopular. They were just two regular guys, maybe a little on the shy side, but still totally normal. The book really does a great job at portraying this.</div>
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The author also has a unique writing style, especially in the sections dedicated to Eric and Dylan. He takes on the tone of an angsty teenage boy, it's almost like he's one of <i>them</i>. In the book you see the shooting, both the planning leading up to it and the aftermath, from the perspectives of the shooters, the victims, the survivors, the school system, law enforcement, and the media. It paints a very intricate and intriguing picture. </div>
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I highly recommend this book if you're a fan of true crime novels or have a fascination with what drives seemingly normal people to kill. I give Columbine <b>4 out of 5 stars</b>. It was VERY interesting.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17545783664752865643noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174008913137679979.post-58150433561866485752014-06-19T16:08:00.000-04:002014-06-19T16:08:41.282-04:00Book Review: The Lonely Polygamist<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYahK2xlqebeTX27A0GjpxoJDOz_kGBURd4H1KBg41SXLiwUEsLmzWpNi3b6Ab_nwexe8slqO_d_O_T-UkF5YfGqt5cavtxqBF5bMVjCPUqX-eQAAiZJ5Fok7c-LR2aGPbYhO74WtKvPMa/s1600/9498875.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYahK2xlqebeTX27A0GjpxoJDOz_kGBURd4H1KBg41SXLiwUEsLmzWpNi3b6Ab_nwexe8slqO_d_O_T-UkF5YfGqt5cavtxqBF5bMVjCPUqX-eQAAiZJ5Fok7c-LR2aGPbYhO74WtKvPMa/s1600/9498875.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></div>
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I've been reading The Lonely Polygamist for what seems like forever and I have finally finished. I guess the problem is that I put it down for several months and kept meaning to get back to it. I think the biggest problem is that its sheer amount of characters and side stories is so overwhelming and the book itself is about 600 pages. </div>
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The Lonely Polygamist is the story of Golden, or as one of his many sons calls him "Sasquatch", who is a man who joined a fundamentalist offshoot of the Mormon church. Everything about Golden is larger than life and he can't seem to control any of it. From his size (his son calls him Sasquatch for a reason) to his large family with so many kids (I want to say 24 but can't remember) that when one is in an accident he's not actually able to determine at first which one it is, but is positive it is one of his children. </div>
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This book was pretty funny, it had a dry sense of humor to it. Even when the most serious, darkest things happen to the family members the writing somehow remains light yet poignant and tinged with humor. The members of this oversized, quirky family find themselves victims to affairs, bombs, death, and one troublemaking ostrich. I enjoyed this book, despite it's volume, and am giving it 4 out of 5 stars.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17545783664752865643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174008913137679979.post-47729388553179190462014-06-15T15:52:00.000-04:002014-06-15T15:52:51.670-04:00Book Review: Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I wanted so bad to like this book. I loved Jeanette Winterson's hilarious and poignant memoir, Why Be Happy When You Can Be Normal? This is basically that memoir, put into novel form and not 100% non-fiction. </div>
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The main character, also called Jeanette, is adopted as baby into a strict Pentecostal household. Her adoptive mother believes that Jeanette will one day become a missionary and trains as a very young child for her "destiny" as a missionary. As a young adult, Jeanette begins several love affairs with women, thus causing her religious and family trouble. The book is told in a humorous, yet sincere manner.</div>
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So the problem for me, was the writing I think. It was very British. I know this sounds really ignorant, but it was hard to understand the language, just with the British English. For example, in one chapter, the word "mac" kept being used. I thought this was macaroni-and-cheese until the author speaks of putting it on. Sure, I could have Googled the British words I didn't know, but really while reading it's not really something I usually feel like doing since it disrupts the flow. There was also a lot of parables that disrupt the flow of the story. In the middle of the story at any given time she'll tell another short almost fairy-tale like story or might just insert what seem like small non-fiction essays. Just reflections on life.</div>
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Unfortunately, I'm going to give Oranges Are The Only Fruit <b>2 out of 5 stars</b>.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17545783664752865643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174008913137679979.post-2599864097103836242014-06-09T13:53:00.000-04:002014-06-09T13:53:24.023-04:00Book Review: The Book of Mormon Girl<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The Book of Mormon Girl is a memoir of growing up <a href="http://mormon.org/">Mormon</a>, but as an adult having political and cultural disagreements regarding the faith that you were raised in and love deeply. It's about juggling personal feelings about topics such as feminism and gay rights with the conservative doctrine and culture of one's own religion. Really, you don't have to be Mormon to enjoy The Book of Mormon Girl, anyone who has felt like they don't quite fit into their culture or upbringing could relate to Joanna Brook's struggle as a Mormon feminist and gay ally.</div>
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This book was of particular interest to me. I'm a Mormon convert and have only been in the church for about a year. Growing up fairly secular, I too sometimes have a hard time agreeing or understanding certain aspects of Mormon culture. I, like Joanna Brooks, am a feminist and supporter of gay rights. I'm not as vocal or entwined in those subcultures, but it is scary to me that people who don't agree wholeheartedly with the church's views of cultural and political topics can be excommunicated. This is something the author is constantly worried about as she dearly loves the Mormon church. </div>
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The book kept my interest for the most part. The writing wasn't <i>always</i> super interesting and was mostly her lamenting how hard it is to be a feminist/gay activist and be Mormon and how she doesn't fit in anymore. That's the point of the book, I guess, but at times she did come off as almost whiny and a little too poetic and sentimental. I also couldn't tell who the books intended market was. Was it Mormons or non-members? I'm thinking her target audience are fellow Mormons, as many of the things she talks about in the book in regards to the church aren't explained. Non-members would be highly-confused with so little explanation of Mormon jargon and traditions. Even I, as a member, albeit a convert, found things I had to look up.</div>
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The book is relatively short and sweet and with enough time and a good attention-span (which I lack... on both counts) could probably be read in a few hours. I'm a lover of memoirs and I especially love learning about different religions and cultures so I would recommend this book to others who enjoy the same subjects. I am giving The Book of Mormon Girl <b>3 out of 5 stars</b>.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17545783664752865643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174008913137679979.post-51973459853907694072014-03-07T00:00:00.000-05:002014-03-07T00:00:05.413-05:00Book Review: Wasted: A Memoir of Anorexia and Bulimia<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<u><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Women's History Month</b></span></u></div>
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Wasted is the memoir of Marya Hornbacher who at a very young age became bulimic. Her memoir is very gritty and raw and it doesn't seem like she sugarcoats (no pun intended) anything. No one (including the author) can really determine what caused her to start throwing up her food one day and then eventually starving herself to somewhere around 60-something pounds and the Horbacher doesn't really make excuses. </div>
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Her anorexia and bulimia seemed to be some sort of control issue, but still what was she trying to control? It seemed like her life was pretty good compared to some, but I'm not going to say one type of person is more <i>entitled</i> to eating disorders than another. I just couldn't determine what actually was "wrong" with her life. The best I could determine was she was upset about going through puberty and developing a butt, boobs, and hips. It seemed to all spiral out of control from there.</div>
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I can't say the author was very likable (though she never tried to be) and I never felt sorry for her (though once again that never seemed to be the point of her memoir). It was hard to grasp that someone as intelligent and ambitious as the author put herself through all of this. I am giving <u>Wasted: A Memoir of Anorexia and Bulimia</u> <b>3 out of 5 stars</b>.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17545783664752865643noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174008913137679979.post-36218174724647034492014-03-06T00:00:00.000-05:002014-03-06T00:00:05.401-05:00Book Review: Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal? Is the memoir of Jeanette Winterson who grew up in a strict Pentecostal household with a her super-religious adoptive mother and passive adoptive father. The memoir is about Jeanette's life growing up adopted and growing gay in such a religious household. </div>
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Jeanette is both hilarious and raw and the reader gets the feeling she is being brutally honest about her life. This memoir is the story behind Winterson's hit novel <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15055.Oranges_are_Not_the_Only_Fruit">Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit </a>which was adapted into a BBC drama in 1990. I have not read <i>Oranges</i>, but from what I understand this does follow that story pretty-closely and the author herself does say that the book is semi-autobiographical. Since finishing this book, I have ordered <i>Oranges</i> from Amazon and look forward to reading it. </div>
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I am giving this humorous and enjoyable memoir <b>4 out of 5 stars</b>. I recommend it to the feminist reader and/or fans of memoirists such as David Sedaris. </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17545783664752865643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174008913137679979.post-60006975024449192402014-03-05T00:00:00.000-05:002014-03-05T00:00:06.220-05:00Book Review: Bossypants<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<u>Bossypants</u> has been really popular since it was first released in 2011. I just now read it (via audiobook, actually) and I certainly enjoyed it. I really don't have much to say about it, just it was a light, humorous memoir. We first meet Fey as an awkward theater geek and as the book progresses she goes from improv to SNL to an Emmy award-winning sitcom. </div>
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I really enjoyed Fey's feminist perspective and I felt she had many valid insights. She also seems to have an incredible work ethic. I also appreciated her views of being a working mother. The only two things that bothered me were:</div>
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1.) she wouldn't give details about how she got her scar. Of course, it's personal. But, it feels a little cheap to write a memoir and not actually talk about the kind of stuff memoirs are made of. </div>
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2.) Her views of blondes which she refers to as "yellow hair". I guess as brunette the emphasis on blondes in the media may get annoying, but I don't feel that's really something to hold against the natural blondes of the world.</div>
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Either way, <u>Bossypants</u> was a fun and entertaining memoir and I'm giving it <b>4 out of 5 stars</b>.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17545783664752865643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174008913137679979.post-86453874407731605762014-03-04T00:00:00.000-05:002014-03-04T00:00:02.189-05:00Book Review: I Am Malala<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Ugh... why did I not like this book? I feel like a horrible person. Everyone likes this book. But, it really did nothing for me. </div>
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Don't get me wrong, Malala is an inspirational person. I just felt like the memoir was a bit superficial and lacked emotion. It basically just recounted Pakistani history and current events. I felt like I was reading newspaper articles. It was interesting reading a first-hand account of Taliban rule, but I still felt like it was lacking. It just didn't have heart or emotion. Malala rarely talked about her personal feelings or how she felt. It was just "this is what happened on this day and time". I couldn't help but wonder if this was because the co-author wrote the book based on Malala's account and therefore didn't know Malala's personal feelings and insights.</div>
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I also felt when Malala talked about herself she came off as a bit braggy. Okay, <i>a lot</i> braggy. If she said something about herself it was about how smart she is. It's great that she's intelligent, but really the few times she'd really talk about her personal life she was usually talking about exams and how well she did over her fellow classmates. </div>
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The best part of the book was probably when she got shot in the head, because then she opened up about herself and experience a bit more. Reading about her hospitlization and recovery in a foreign country was a little more interesting to me. </div>
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I am giving <u>I Am Malala</u> <b>3 out of 5 stars</b>.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17545783664752865643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174008913137679979.post-57669967803618079332014-03-03T00:00:00.000-05:002014-03-03T00:00:02.127-05:00Book Review: Hyperbole and a Half<div style="text-align: center;">
<u><span style="font-size: large;">Women's History Month</span></u></div>
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<u>Hyperbole and a Half</u> is a hilarious graphic memoir by blogger Allie Brosh. Prior to this reading book, I never visited Allie's blog. Now that I have, I will definitely keep going back for more. I'm ready for a sequel to this book, I didn't want it to end!</div>
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I loved Allie's brutal honesty about herself... and her pets. As I was reading I kept feeling happier and more proud of myself for not owning pets. I'm sure that's not what Allie wanted people to feel, since she obviously loves her pets. My favorite chapter was the goose story. My grandmother had two geese, which were vicious horrible creatures. I hated them, they were brutal and would attack me and chase cars and bite the tires. So, I could imagine the horror of actually having one in your home... <i>attacking your unsuspecting boyfriend. </i></div>
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Pretty hilarious, actually.</div>
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So yeah, I totally enjoyed this book and it was my first ever graphic memoir! Pat on the back to me. I am giving <u>Hyperbole and a Half</u> <b>5 out of 5 stars</b>. I also highly recommend checking out Allie's <a href="http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/">blog</a> in case you haven't already.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17545783664752865643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174008913137679979.post-18795415611465077772014-03-02T00:00:00.000-05:002014-03-02T00:00:04.842-05:00Book Review: My Story<div style="text-align: center;">
<u><span style="font-size: large;">Women's History Month</span></u><br />
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This is the powerful memoir of kidnapping victim Elizabeth Smart. Elizabeth was held captive by a religious zealot and his wife for nine months, mostly spent hiding in the mountains of Utah. She was only 14-years-old when she was taken from her bed in the middle of the night. </div>
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It's obvious that Elizabeth is an incredible, strong, and amazing woman. What she overcame is simply breathtaking. She says in her memoir she has not even undergone therapy after her return home, instead she has relied on the love of her family, faith, and horseback riding. I found the fact that she relies on her horses as a form of therapy very interesting. In her memoir, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11330361-a-stolen-life" target="_blank">A Stolen Life</a>, fellow kidnapping victim Jaycee Dugard said she also relied on horses as a form of therapy.</div>
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Hearing Elizabeth narrate the audiobook herself was very moving. You could hear the anger in her voice still as she tells the story of her captivity. She did a great job recounting her tale and her narrative pulled me right in. I would actually find myself a bit agitated, anxious, and stressed while listening to it. She really brings the reader/listener right into her story. I was drawn in so much that it actually affected my mood, but I look at that as a sign that the writing in a book is really good. There were also times where I was almost brought to tears and overcome with joy after she was returned to her family. </div>
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Elizabeth also makes it very, very clear several times during her memoir that she never once felt sorry for her captors or suffered from Stockholm Syndrome. This is a point she is constantly stressing.</div>
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I felt how she has moved on with her life to be very inspiring. She went on to attend school at BYU and serve her Mission in Paris, France. She later married a fellow missionary and was married at the Mormon Temple in Hawaii. </div>
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I really enjoyed this memoir and I'm giving <u>My Story</u> <b>4 out of 5 stars</b>.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17545783664752865643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174008913137679979.post-63335342527790978962014-03-01T00:00:00.000-05:002014-03-01T00:00:09.763-05:00Book Review: Coming Clean<div style="text-align: center;">
<u><span style="font-size: large;">Women's History Month</span></u></div>
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For Women's History Month The Book Babe will be focusing on memoirs written by women, biographies of women throughout history, and books that highlight women's issues or have a feminist focus.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk4uys7yH_Dljf3zSGrkRBfKmvugistBCRjQ1W5ma6kb-6ujWSAw5jr6gpPLn9WzGsNcUKdcUO-5FHMqrM3QmJV6OOgt5j6lhO-Tov_st9oujs4mjfUf_DJ1RpyEqKOK7tV0rvVAAHYq8I/s1600/16218778.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk4uys7yH_Dljf3zSGrkRBfKmvugistBCRjQ1W5ma6kb-6ujWSAw5jr6gpPLn9WzGsNcUKdcUO-5FHMqrM3QmJV6OOgt5j6lhO-Tov_st9oujs4mjfUf_DJ1RpyEqKOK7tV0rvVAAHYq8I/s320/16218778.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
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<i>"As a little girl, I used to lie in bed, thinking maybe if I endure all my pain now, I could be happy when I am older."</i></div>
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<u>Coming Clean</u> is the memoir of blogger <a href="http://thekimchallenge.com/" target="_blank">Kimberly Rae Miller</a>. Kim's parents are hoarders and she grew up in utter filth and deplorable living conditions. Imagine living in a home so messy that your family doesn't even realize there's a person living in their attic because they just blow off the sounds coming from the attic as that of rats. Imagine that you live in a home with no running water and that your home is virtually flooded due to broken pipes. Think of only being able to take a shower once a week during your families weekly visit to the gym, which they joined for the purpose of being able to shower. Imagine stacks and stacks of papers piled all around your home, so much there's only enough room on the couch for one person to sit on it at a time.</div>
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This book made me feel queasy at times. It was also inspiring. Kim lives with the shame and embarrassment of her childhood even as an adult, which is something that I can relate to. I didn't have the same childhood experience as Kim, but equally crappy in it's own way. </div>
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<u>Coming Clean</u> is not only the story of an emotionally scarring childhood, but also a story of family, love, and forgiveness. Kim pulls herself out of the ashes, sometimes almost literally. I can relate to her need to make something of myself to prove that I am more than my childhood. </div>
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This book kept me turning the pages. Not so much out of the horror of hoarding, but because it was such an intriguing memoir and I really liked Kim from the first page. She didn't come across as whiny or "woe is me". The reader can almost sense that she's trying to work out her emotions and childhood and her parent's mental illness as she is writing the book, yet the writing comes across as neat and clean much like Kim's adult life. </div>
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I am giving Coming Clean <b>4 out of 5 stars</b>.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17545783664752865643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174008913137679979.post-39305997851081953512014-02-11T00:00:00.000-05:002014-02-11T00:00:06.932-05:00Blog Tour: The Cost of Love and Sanity<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8oGLt-V7usSnjcRN8RzB0dPP04KtNv9iUZmAYregaqMkMlCgJflqfmX8n1Wq2j1Sv3bPuFV27kQ6mi4x-xthXBkZKTkVmaFWjucg6DEU6a-7bVtyqKoDHFq1CqmPvHNEBL_T0WFrT3Kjp/s1600/The_Cost_of_Love_and_Sanity.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8oGLt-V7usSnjcRN8RzB0dPP04KtNv9iUZmAYregaqMkMlCgJflqfmX8n1Wq2j1Sv3bPuFV27kQ6mi4x-xthXBkZKTkVmaFWjucg6DEU6a-7bVtyqKoDHFq1CqmPvHNEBL_T0WFrT3Kjp/s1600/The_Cost_of_Love_and_Sanity.jpg" height="320" width="200" /></a></div>
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The Cost of Love and Sanity is the story of a professional career woman who succeeds in every part of her life and has everything she wants... except for one thing <i>a family</i>. Alex has just never met the right man, not that she's really devoted much time to looking. At 37, Alex is a bit of homebody and prefers to focus on her career as a Recruitment Manager. She drives a Lexus and has a large house all to herself. One day she bumps into a guy she dated a decade ago, but broke up with over trust issues. In a way, she'd really like to rekindle a relationship with him and it seems like he's really changed, but has he?</div>
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I enjoyed this book and I liked the character of Alex. I felt like I had a lot in common with her, personality-wise. I found the story enjoyable. It wasn't a terribly exciting story line, but it moved along at a nice pace. The only thing that bothered me was there was no mention of a setting. I assumed the book was set in Florida, because the author is from Jacksonville. Yet, she never mentions what city or state the book is set in. I kept looking for complex and I did find some and I am not sure the book is set in Florida, but again it's never actually mentioned. Alex does mention that if she'd have a baby shower she'd like to hold it in Amelia Island or Sawgrass, both which are towns near Jacksonville. Later, Nathan tells Alex he'd like to take her to a club outside of Orlando. Even if the author made up a fictional Florida town, I just feel like a book isn't complete without mention of a setting. For people who don't live in Florida, they probably aren't familiar enough to figure out what state Alex lives in.<br />
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I also felt the character's reactions to almost any dialogue was redundant. No matter what was said someone, without fail, would "suck their teeth." I think the author should have maybe explored different reactions for her characters. I'm not being hyperbolic, the phrase "sucked his/her teeth" came up several times in each chapter!<br />
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Outside of that, the book was a nice romance about a smart, educated career woman. I appreciated that Alex wasn't a damsel-in-distress like many romance book heroines. I'm giving <u>The Cost of Love and Sanity</u> <b>4 out of 5 stars</b>.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX_GW-X4avdSjrh6I_uEM6OgwPLXl1kuCwtuiSgha3ampkXUYFaPzUAOlVHtYoFZ39qWj5oXj91_e9lErYqyjE0c1DxJQwSUMpMqUWs5YJWRqi_WPAQy82e8_1aBx-8QsIFrmMTioZ_Zar/s1600/get-attachment.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX_GW-X4avdSjrh6I_uEM6OgwPLXl1kuCwtuiSgha3ampkXUYFaPzUAOlVHtYoFZ39qWj5oXj91_e9lErYqyjE0c1DxJQwSUMpMqUWs5YJWRqi_WPAQy82e8_1aBx-8QsIFrmMTioZ_Zar/s1600/get-attachment.png" /></a></div>
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<i>I received a free copy of this book from Tlc Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.</i></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17545783664752865643noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174008913137679979.post-25876987295703678292014-02-09T00:00:00.000-05:002014-02-09T00:00:04.780-05:00Book Review: Love is a Battlefield<div style="text-align: center;">
<u><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>7 Days of Romance</b></span></u></div>
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Kristy is a park ranger at Shiloh Monument National Park in Tennessee and was just left at the altar in front of all her friends and family. To make it worse, she already put in her notice to leave her beloved position at the park after the wedding. Her boss has already filled her position with a new ranger from out-of-state and Kristy is forced to accept a seasonal position. The new guy even gets her yellow office. Kristy tries hard not to like him, but it's hard to resist his charm...</div>
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<u>Love is a Battlefield</u> was a cute novel that had a bit of mystery thrown in. I do wish the mystery was better developed and maybe lasted throughout the whole book, rather than being solved in the middle. The mystery was really kind of what kept me turning the pages. So once it was solved I didn't really have much reason to keep reading. </div>
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The book was still decent and the romance was cute. There was some drama as well and I liked how the main characters of books two and three were introduced in this book. I look forward to reading their stories as well. I am giving<u> Love is a Battlefield</u> <b>3 out of 5 stars</b>.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17545783664752865643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174008913137679979.post-83347265310272356362014-02-08T00:00:00.000-05:002014-02-08T00:00:07.097-05:00Book Review: Naughty Neighbor<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdX0EncdGwuU_LhY9mQbEck54K3ZIPok52GwkKQu7Bro8EOU9zNpQvXIYBYBHRWWILCmKIoUvNE0Bc1Z_YbYv6C5sMxdQa47S_fszO2ggvNBTWvJooEAsy1uinnMSt3NDoBTlQLXGt-f5W/s1600/1577167.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdX0EncdGwuU_LhY9mQbEck54K3ZIPok52GwkKQu7Bro8EOU9zNpQvXIYBYBHRWWILCmKIoUvNE0Bc1Z_YbYv6C5sMxdQa47S_fszO2ggvNBTWvJooEAsy1uinnMSt3NDoBTlQLXGt-f5W/s320/1577167.jpg" width="198" /></a></div>
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<u>Naughty Neighbor</u> is one of Janet Evanovich's early romance novels, which she originally wrote under a different name. Just like her famous <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/43040-stephanie-plum"><i>Stephanie Plum</i></a> series, this book offers a humorous mystery and features a spunky and likable female protagonist. </div>
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Louisa Brannigan is a smart and independent woman working on Capitol Hill. She has everything together and her life may be somewhat dull, but it's mostly pleasant. Except... there's her neighbor, Pete. The smells from his kitchen seep down to her apartment, he parks in her spot, and steals her newspaper. When her car is mistaken for Pete's and vandalized, she's drawn into a mystery Pete has been attempting to solve. A mystery involving a missing pig whose disappearance may be linked to a sketchy politician. </div>
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This romance was cute and fun. The book itself is short and I wish it were a bit longer and maybe the mystery was built-up a bit more. However, it was still a light, easy read with a touch of romance, mystery, and humor. It seemed almost like the characters and story from the Plum novels sort of got their start here. Louisa was a bit more successful and less clumsy than Stephanie, but seemed like she could definitely be related to the Plums. There was even a crazy grandma, though she was definitely a bit more crotchety than Grandma Mazur, though every bit as out spoken. </div>
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<u>Naughty Neighbor</u> was a fun read and I'm giving it <b>3 out of 5 stars</b> and I have now passed it on to my mom who I am sure will enjoy it.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17545783664752865643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174008913137679979.post-83378176065991823542014-02-07T00:00:00.000-05:002014-02-07T00:00:02.144-05:00Book Review: Persuasion<div style="text-align: center;">
<u><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>7 Days of Romance</b></span></u></div>
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<i>"You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope... I have loved none but you."</i></div>
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I hate to admit this is my first Jane Austen novel! As an avid bookworm all my life, I have yet to pick up a Jane Austen book until now. Sad, I know. I actually listened to the audiobook version of this book, I picked it up on the cheap when it was <a href="http://audible.com/">Audible</a>'s Deal of The Day. </div>
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I can't say that I really enjoyed it <i>too much</i> or see what all the Jane Austen fuss is about. The book was <b>good</b>, but I don't think it quite lived up to all the <i>hype</i> that surrounds Austen. I guess I just expected something mind-blowing. However, I might have started with the wrong Austen novel, since it seems <u>Pride and Prejudice</u> is the most popular. I have that one too and look forward to reading it. </div>
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I also didn't find this book to be all that romantic. Nothing really made me swoon. The story was good and it was often funny which I didn't expect, but it was hardly romantic. The quote above is probably the most romantic line from the entire book. However, like I said I did enjoy the story and I found the characters to be especially colorful and fun.</div>
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I am giving <u>Persuasion</u> <b>3 out of 5 stars</b>.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17545783664752865643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174008913137679979.post-64184544436529877292014-02-04T00:41:00.000-05:002014-02-04T00:41:00.795-05:00Book Review: A Tale For The Time Being<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>"It made me feel sad when I caught myself pretending that everybody out there in cyberspace cared about what I thought, when really nobody gives a shit. And when I multiplied that sad feeling by all the millions of people in their little rooms, furiously writing and posting to their lonely little pages that nobody has time to read because they're all so busy writing and posting, it kind of broke my heart."</i></div>
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Wow, this book was deep. It took me to deep places. From attempted suicides, tsunamis, earthquakes, ghosts, kamikaze pilots, and great-grandmother Zen Buddhist nuns. From a small, lonely island off the western coast of Canada to the bustling metropolis of Tokyo. <u>A Tale For The Time Being</u> follows the lives of two separate women, who are strangers to each other. Naoki or "Nao" as she's called is a poor Japanese teenager who is relentlessly bullied. Nao decides to write the life story of her 104-year-old great-grandmother who lives in a Zen Buddhist temple. Somehow the notebook ends up washing up on the shore of the Canadian island where Ruth calls home. Ruth is half-Japanese and an author and is immediately drawn in to the lives of Nao and her family.The notebook becomes a total enigma.</div>
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I loved this book. I wanted to savor every moment of it and yet devour it at the same time. It's really hard to describe the book or the way it made me think and feel. It had an esoteric feeling to it and I couldn't help feel that I was reading something profound. Like secrets of the universe were hidden inside its pages. Yet, the book had humor. It also had incredible sadness and depth. Sometimes, the story even got a bit spooky. How can a book have so much to offer and really be so complex, yet be written in such a neat and clean manner? ...and yet also have a quirkiness to it?</div>
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The author, <a href="http://www.ruthozeki.com/">Ruth Ozeki</a>, did an amazing job. Half way through I went on <a href="http://abebooks.com/">AbeBooks</a> and bought her other two novels, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12349.My_Year_of_Meats">My Year of Meats</a> and <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/917346.All_Over_Creation">All Over Creation</a>. Does anyone else ever feel like sometimes you buy a book, but then lose the yearning to read it right away? Then it sits on your shelf for maybe weeks, months, or years and you almost forget it's there. Then one day, that book just pops in your head and you are all the sudden out-of-the-blue compelled to read it right away. You <i>must</i> read it <i>now</i> and you don't know why. That's what this book did to me. It's like once you finish reading one of those books, you think "this was the right time to read, if I would have read it when I first acquired it, it wouldn't have been the same." It's like books come into your life for a reason and if you follow those sudden yearnings, it's almost always the right time.</div>
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I am giving <u>A Tale For The Time Being</u> <b>5 out of 5 stars</b>.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17545783664752865643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1174008913137679979.post-10635614895508256312014-02-01T07:00:00.000-05:002014-02-01T07:00:01.506-05:00Book Review: The Color Purple<div style="text-align: center;">
<u><span style="font-size: large;">African-American History Month</span></u></div>
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February 1st marks the start of African-American history month. In honor of this month I've been reading books by African-American authors (or about African-Americans throughout history) over the course of the last several months. Prior to reading these books, I had very little experience with African-American literature though I've had several on my to-read list for years. There are so many on my list that it was tough to determine where to begin. To kick off my reading, I decided to start with one of the most regonizable titles, a book which also sits on the <a href="http://www.listology.com/ukaunz/list/1001-books-you-must-read-you-die" target="_blank">1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die</a> list, and also famously made into a movie starring Oprah Winfrey. So, here's my review of The Color Purple.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcyQAWA-eZeC6idL9wEAJfiYDgBLj5KMXIe4wmQ-VfxQn-xJIsNWxiSB0muaj9IvxhFDPgOLxvTWnzsnmniFfSyTZnrdhbgjjOpseXXOCHU-18yJUzo3gHHpNqp0PrLya-wo1RDYk9ZRgV/s1600/827792.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcyQAWA-eZeC6idL9wEAJfiYDgBLj5KMXIe4wmQ-VfxQn-xJIsNWxiSB0muaj9IvxhFDPgOLxvTWnzsnmniFfSyTZnrdhbgjjOpseXXOCHU-18yJUzo3gHHpNqp0PrLya-wo1RDYk9ZRgV/s320/827792.jpg" width="194" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">By Alice Walker</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">“...have you ever found God in church? I never did. I just found a bunch of folks hoping for him to show. Any God I ever felt in church I brought in with me. And I think all the other folks did too. They come to church to share God, not find God.” </span></i></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><u>The Color Purple</u> is probably a book that needs no introduction. Maybe you haven't read it, but more than likely you've heard of it. <u>The Color Purple</u> is a classic in American literature, a modern classic. I decided this would be a good starting point for an introduction into African-American literature. There's many books about African-American history, such as <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4667024-the-help?from_search=true" target="_blank">The Help</a> or <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37435.The_Secret_Life_of_Bees?from_search=true" target="_blank">The Secret Life of Bees</a>, but I wanted to make sure that for African-American History Month I was actually reading <i>books by African-American authors</i>. Reading a book by a white person about black people just seemed backwards.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">I absolutely loved <u>The Color People</u>. The book explored all the topics I enjoy: race, religion, gender, and class. I also loved that part of the book was based in Africa and African history was woven throughout Nettie's letters to Celie. Africa is a country whose history I've always had a heavy interest in so I was pleasantly surprised to find that Africa plays a role in the book. I expected it to just be based in the American South and just be comprised of it's issues.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">As a feminist the topics of gender and being a woman were another subject that grabbed my attention in the book. Sexual abuse and domestic violence play a large role in the book. However, I liked how men weren't portrayed as all bad. For example, Nettie's husband was a very loving and supportive man. Also, we saw how Mister had reformed himself and actually began enjoying feminine hobbies. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">The Color Purple tells a beautiful story. I am giving it <b>4 out of 5 stars</b> and I hope to eventually have the time to pick up more books by Alice Walker.</span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17545783664752865643noreply@blogger.com0