Why I have this book: I bought the print edition years ago (but hadn't read it yet), then the Kindle edition was on sale for a couple of dollars, so I bought it since I love reading on my Kindle. :)
I gave this a 3 on Goodreads. I liked it well enough, but it was confusing to read since it was written in the 2nd person, like "You see your brother. You wonder why he is here." (Those aren't exact quotes... haha!) Anyway, just when I thought I figured out the writing style, it switched to the mother's point of view, and the writing changed and I had to figure it out again.
It was translated from Korean, but I can't say that's why it was so confusing. In any case, it was somewhat moving as far as the humanity of it, but the writing and the ending didn't do it for me.
Clean. There may have been a swear word or two?
Sunday, April 28, 2019
Friday, April 26, 2019
Farewell, My Denmark (Tina Peterson Scott)
Why I have this book: I bought it years ago for cheap on Kindle.
It was okay. Not entirely believable as far as the "love" interests go. Ditto for the drama. All in all, it was just okay, which explains the 2 star rating I gave it on Goodreads.
Clean. There were a couple of "attacks" against the protagonist, but maybe I just wasn't invested enough to feel too deeply about them. Again, the whole thing just seemed a bit unrealistic, especially how she was made a target.
It was okay. Not entirely believable as far as the "love" interests go. Ditto for the drama. All in all, it was just okay, which explains the 2 star rating I gave it on Goodreads.
Clean. There were a couple of "attacks" against the protagonist, but maybe I just wasn't invested enough to feel too deeply about them. Again, the whole thing just seemed a bit unrealistic, especially how she was made a target.
Sunday, April 21, 2019
The Blue Tattoo: The Life of Olive Oatman (Margot Mifflin)
Why I have this book: I borrowed it from the ebook library after I saw it recommended somewhere. (Maybe it was on an old email I read while I was cleaning out our old computer.)
Well, honestly, while the story itself (of Olive Oatman) is fascinating, I didn't love this non-fiction book. I feel like it didn't really clarify anything, since Olive's own version of her experiences changed over time. This book seemed to be discounting some of the first published accounts (and it seems as though they should be discounted), but there are still a lot of unanswered questions about what happened. I have to think this author also filled in the blanks with what seemed "likely."
In any case, there were some parts in the book that I could have done without (the meaning of her Mojave nickname, the sexual exploits of the Mojave people, what other nicknames meant, etc.) Since it was again speculation on how these things fit in with Olive's experience, I'm not sure it needed to really be mentioned in that much detail.
I only gave this book two stars on Goodreads because I did skim quite a bit just to get through it. There were parts that were pretty interesting, but other parts just didn't keep my attention. Also, because so much is speculation, it kind of lost it's significance for me.
Mostly clean, although the reader will get a picture in his/her mind of the massacre that killed Olive's family by the description given. There is also detail (in one section) about the sexual habits of the Mojave people, including what certain "nicknames" meant that had sexual connotation. The author used profanity and vulgarity to describe what those nicknames meant. She could have explained without being so crass, in my opinion, although I'm not sure all that detail was necessary, anyway.
Well, honestly, while the story itself (of Olive Oatman) is fascinating, I didn't love this non-fiction book. I feel like it didn't really clarify anything, since Olive's own version of her experiences changed over time. This book seemed to be discounting some of the first published accounts (and it seems as though they should be discounted), but there are still a lot of unanswered questions about what happened. I have to think this author also filled in the blanks with what seemed "likely."
In any case, there were some parts in the book that I could have done without (the meaning of her Mojave nickname, the sexual exploits of the Mojave people, what other nicknames meant, etc.) Since it was again speculation on how these things fit in with Olive's experience, I'm not sure it needed to really be mentioned in that much detail.
I only gave this book two stars on Goodreads because I did skim quite a bit just to get through it. There were parts that were pretty interesting, but other parts just didn't keep my attention. Also, because so much is speculation, it kind of lost it's significance for me.
Mostly clean, although the reader will get a picture in his/her mind of the massacre that killed Olive's family by the description given. There is also detail (in one section) about the sexual habits of the Mojave people, including what certain "nicknames" meant that had sexual connotation. The author used profanity and vulgarity to describe what those nicknames meant. She could have explained without being so crass, in my opinion, although I'm not sure all that detail was necessary, anyway.
Wednesday, April 17, 2019
A Company of Swans (Eva Ibbotson)
Why I have this book: A friend recommended it quite some time ago. I bought it then, but just barely read it.
Okay, so I thought this was a book for kids. I was thinking it was for girls about my daughter's age (10-years-old). I thought that because the illustration on the front of the edition I bought looked like it was so.
Um... nope. Definitely not for kids! It took me a little time to get into the story because I was thinking it was for kids, and my brain was fixed on that idea.
It was published in 1985 but was set in the early 1900's. The author was sixty when it was published. I was little surprised by the sensuality of the story for those reasons, but also because the writing sounded as if it had been published in the 1940's or something.
In any case, I did enjoy the book for the writing and basic storyline. However, if you dissect the book, you'll find that it's full of immoral activity that doesn't fit with the time frame nor the characters. It's really quite a contradiction in that regard.
The more I think about it, the more bothered I am by the moral issues in the story. The way it's written, it's easy to just accept their choices. Somehow the author made it seem innocent and pure, even though it was anything but.
I gave it three stars on Goodreads. The writing was four stars, but I had to take it down a notch because the sexuality just didn't fit the era or characters.
There was little to no swearing (maybe a mild word or two?) There was a lot of sensuality and unmarried sexual activity that is not graphically described.
Okay, so I thought this was a book for kids. I was thinking it was for girls about my daughter's age (10-years-old). I thought that because the illustration on the front of the edition I bought looked like it was so.
Um... nope. Definitely not for kids! It took me a little time to get into the story because I was thinking it was for kids, and my brain was fixed on that idea.
It was published in 1985 but was set in the early 1900's. The author was sixty when it was published. I was little surprised by the sensuality of the story for those reasons, but also because the writing sounded as if it had been published in the 1940's or something.
In any case, I did enjoy the book for the writing and basic storyline. However, if you dissect the book, you'll find that it's full of immoral activity that doesn't fit with the time frame nor the characters. It's really quite a contradiction in that regard.
The more I think about it, the more bothered I am by the moral issues in the story. The way it's written, it's easy to just accept their choices. Somehow the author made it seem innocent and pure, even though it was anything but.
I gave it three stars on Goodreads. The writing was four stars, but I had to take it down a notch because the sexuality just didn't fit the era or characters.
There was little to no swearing (maybe a mild word or two?) There was a lot of sensuality and unmarried sexual activity that is not graphically described.
Tuesday, April 16, 2019
The Music of Dolphins (Karen Hesse)
Why I have this book: My 10-year-old daughter wanted it because they were reading it at school, and she wanted to read it at home, too. It wasn't a bad price on Kindle, so I bought it for her.
Okay... I read it, too. To be honest, I thought it was really dumb. I tried to find value in it, but I didn't find any. Maybe I'm just unenlightened. Maybe I'm not smart enough to figure out all the vague hints at what everyone else in the story is feeling and why. Maybe I just can't read between the lines well enough. Maybe the problem was that I was reading it while also trying to figure out if my daughter would understand what was going on.
I asked my daughter what she thought of it. I mean, she had expressed how much she liked it, but I wanted to know what she thought about the story itself. She admitted that she didn't really get it, but she enjoyed the book.
So there you go. She didn't get it and neither did I. (But at least she enjoyed it. I mostly waited for it to have a point, but I never figured out what I was supposed to learn from it.)
I gave it one star on Goodreads.
Clean.
Okay... I read it, too. To be honest, I thought it was really dumb. I tried to find value in it, but I didn't find any. Maybe I'm just unenlightened. Maybe I'm not smart enough to figure out all the vague hints at what everyone else in the story is feeling and why. Maybe I just can't read between the lines well enough. Maybe the problem was that I was reading it while also trying to figure out if my daughter would understand what was going on.
I asked my daughter what she thought of it. I mean, she had expressed how much she liked it, but I wanted to know what she thought about the story itself. She admitted that she didn't really get it, but she enjoyed the book.
So there you go. She didn't get it and neither did I. (But at least she enjoyed it. I mostly waited for it to have a point, but I never figured out what I was supposed to learn from it.)
I gave it one star on Goodreads.
Clean.
Thursday, April 11, 2019
Courting Mr. Emerson (Meloday Carlson)
Why I have this book: I borrowed it from the ebook library because I have enjoyed other books by this author.
This was a really cute book! I enjoyed it a great deal for the most part. I don't remember Melody's books being that religious in tone before, but this one did have a fairly substantial Christian slant which was somewhat contained at the same time. I'm not really sure how to describe it. It almost seemed a little out of place, although it wasn't personally bothersome to me.
It was a nice, light, and uplifting read. I do recommend it, but I wish I could give it like a 3.75 instead of the 4 I gave it on Goodreads.
Clean.
This was a really cute book! I enjoyed it a great deal for the most part. I don't remember Melody's books being that religious in tone before, but this one did have a fairly substantial Christian slant which was somewhat contained at the same time. I'm not really sure how to describe it. It almost seemed a little out of place, although it wasn't personally bothersome to me.
It was a nice, light, and uplifting read. I do recommend it, but I wish I could give it like a 3.75 instead of the 4 I gave it on Goodreads.
Clean.
Tuesday, April 9, 2019
The Last Year of the War (Susan Meissner)
Why I have this book: I borrowed it from the ebook library.
I enjoyed this book quite a bit. I also learned more about internment camps. I've read books before that focus on that part of US History, but I'm pretty sure I've only read about the Japanese who have been confined there. This book was about a German family (along with her Japanese friend), and that was something new for me. I also didn't know that Germany "exchanged" German families in internment camps for US POW's and citizens.
I gave it a 4 on Goodreads.
Clean, with one or two mild swear words. There is an attempted rape, but it's not described in a graphic way.
I enjoyed this book quite a bit. I also learned more about internment camps. I've read books before that focus on that part of US History, but I'm pretty sure I've only read about the Japanese who have been confined there. This book was about a German family (along with her Japanese friend), and that was something new for me. I also didn't know that Germany "exchanged" German families in internment camps for US POW's and citizens.
I gave it a 4 on Goodreads.
Clean, with one or two mild swear words. There is an attempted rape, but it's not described in a graphic way.
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