Why I have this book: I borrowed it from my library for my Kindle.
I thought this memoir would be mostly about Ashley's dysfunctional childhood... and there was that. Most of the book, however, was about her work with humanitarian causes, specifically with women and children who are victims of forced prostitution, rape, poverty, AIDS/HIV, and other horrible life conditions in all parts of the world.
It's a hard book to read... really, so many of us live in a bubble and don't realize (or internalize) the reality of life for so many people in this world. It's unfathomable, but it's... real.
The book itself is well-written. I don't agree with many of Ashley's life philosophies, but I certainly admire her for the way she has fought to open her heart in order to love and serve and heal. She does what relatively few people would be willing to do. At the same time, she lets us know that there are many unsung heroes in the fight for humanity.
It wasn't what I expected, but I'm glad I read it. It opened my eyes.
This book contains a handful of swear words. Obviously, the subject matter is sensitive: Rape, prostitution, violence. The author doesn't mince words or descriptions of what she saw and what these women experience. But... what would be the point of sugar coating it? The world does need to know exactly what is happening, and I believe she shared the details to be a voice for those who can't speak up for themselves.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Thursday, November 17, 2011
While We're Far Apart (Lynn Austin)
I think my bookshelf challenge has totally and completely evolved, because I'm really not reading any of my old books. Maybe at some point... but there are too many books that I haven't read yet!
Why I have this book: I'm pretty sure I got it for free on my Kindle. If it wasn't free, it was pretty close to free. In any case, I do like Lynn Austin, so I was happy to get to read one of her books at a good deal.
Let's just get the annoyance at the adoption theme out of the way first. Yes, there is an adoption theme, and there were several cringe-worthy moments involved. Why, oh why do people not "get" that your adoptive parents ARE your "real" parents??? I understand that in this case, the child didn't have a great relationship with her parents, but they still were her parents and that makes them "real". I just wish that people who write about adoption would research it a bit and understand those trigger words.
Next, let's talk about how things did tie up pretty neatly at the end. Which is good... happy endings are always good, and there was a lot of drama and loss already in the story, so I can accept how nicely everything turned out. It probably would have been too heavy without it... but it did seem somewhat "convenient" in some ways. Still, I was happy that there were so many good things that happened.
So, with those two issues out of the way... I really liked this book. I liked how the author covered the topic of whether or not God is involved in our lives, even when we can't see Him or even if we're not sure He is listening to our prayers. I liked how faith was represented by characters of both Jewish and Christian belief. I liked how they could lean on each other and learn from each other.
At first, the writing seems simplistic, but it gets better as the book goes on. And as for the characters, I loved Mr. Mendel. I related to his feelings and efforts the most.
Definite keeper... even if it wasn't on my Kindle.
This book is clean, other than a few times when a kid uses a derogatory term for "Jew".
Why I have this book: I'm pretty sure I got it for free on my Kindle. If it wasn't free, it was pretty close to free. In any case, I do like Lynn Austin, so I was happy to get to read one of her books at a good deal.
Let's just get the annoyance at the adoption theme out of the way first. Yes, there is an adoption theme, and there were several cringe-worthy moments involved. Why, oh why do people not "get" that your adoptive parents ARE your "real" parents??? I understand that in this case, the child didn't have a great relationship with her parents, but they still were her parents and that makes them "real". I just wish that people who write about adoption would research it a bit and understand those trigger words.
Next, let's talk about how things did tie up pretty neatly at the end. Which is good... happy endings are always good, and there was a lot of drama and loss already in the story, so I can accept how nicely everything turned out. It probably would have been too heavy without it... but it did seem somewhat "convenient" in some ways. Still, I was happy that there were so many good things that happened.
So, with those two issues out of the way... I really liked this book. I liked how the author covered the topic of whether or not God is involved in our lives, even when we can't see Him or even if we're not sure He is listening to our prayers. I liked how faith was represented by characters of both Jewish and Christian belief. I liked how they could lean on each other and learn from each other.
At first, the writing seems simplistic, but it gets better as the book goes on. And as for the characters, I loved Mr. Mendel. I related to his feelings and efforts the most.
Definite keeper... even if it wasn't on my Kindle.
This book is clean, other than a few times when a kid uses a derogatory term for "Jew".
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet (Jamie Ford)
Why I have this book: It was our book club book this month. I put it on my Kindle, so it's taking up no space on my shelves. :)
The book was slow going at first... I kept thinking I must be at least 1/3 of the way through, but then I'd look down and see that I was only 10% done. It was kind of like that for nearly the first half... not that it wasn't good, but it wasn't a quick read. I'm not sure why. Maybe I was just too distracted by other things... but once I got hooked into it, I really enjoyed it. In the second half, I kept wanting to get back to it if I had to put it down and do something else. And I couldn't stand it when the book was 96% completed and I still didn't know how it was going to end.
I love historical fiction, especially about the WWII era. I love the way the author told this story... it's so smooth and almost dream-like in it's flow. I was able to feel the emotions of so many of the characters, even though there wasn't a lot of information given about each one individually. Somehow, there was a depth without a lot of words. I like that.
I highly recommend this book.
Several times while reading this book, I stopped and thought, "I have not seen one swear word. Not one." The book was perfectly clean. Other authors should take note that a really great book doesn't need sex or swearing to make it authentic and successful.
P.S. I am not the only one in my group of friends who wondered how the internet and CD's came into his story in the 80's. I was there in the 80's... and internet and CD's were not common at all. I'm not even sure they were even heard of at that time! I know the author has also been asked about this, and he did have a response. You could probably google it, if you want. :)
The book was slow going at first... I kept thinking I must be at least 1/3 of the way through, but then I'd look down and see that I was only 10% done. It was kind of like that for nearly the first half... not that it wasn't good, but it wasn't a quick read. I'm not sure why. Maybe I was just too distracted by other things... but once I got hooked into it, I really enjoyed it. In the second half, I kept wanting to get back to it if I had to put it down and do something else. And I couldn't stand it when the book was 96% completed and I still didn't know how it was going to end.
I love historical fiction, especially about the WWII era. I love the way the author told this story... it's so smooth and almost dream-like in it's flow. I was able to feel the emotions of so many of the characters, even though there wasn't a lot of information given about each one individually. Somehow, there was a depth without a lot of words. I like that.
I highly recommend this book.
Several times while reading this book, I stopped and thought, "I have not seen one swear word. Not one." The book was perfectly clean. Other authors should take note that a really great book doesn't need sex or swearing to make it authentic and successful.
P.S. I am not the only one in my group of friends who wondered how the internet and CD's came into his story in the 80's. I was there in the 80's... and internet and CD's were not common at all. I'm not even sure they were even heard of at that time! I know the author has also been asked about this, and he did have a response. You could probably google it, if you want. :)
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Another book bites the dust...
Confessions of an Organized Homemaker (Deniece Schofield)
Why I have this book: I think my mother-in-law had a copy in her house, and after looking through it, I ended up buying myself a copy. Then I loaned my copy to someone else and never got it back or something... because I bought another copy.
Incidently, it used to be called Confessions of an Organized Housewife. But I guess "homemaker" is more politically or socially correct these days.
Anyway, it was a great book to help me get started on being organized back in the day, but Flylady's book Sink Reflections is a better fit for me. I'll pass this one on so someone else can get organized the Deniece Schofield way.
Another clean cleaning book. :)
Why I have this book: I think my mother-in-law had a copy in her house, and after looking through it, I ended up buying myself a copy. Then I loaned my copy to someone else and never got it back or something... because I bought another copy.
Incidently, it used to be called Confessions of an Organized Housewife. But I guess "homemaker" is more politically or socially correct these days.
Anyway, it was a great book to help me get started on being organized back in the day, but Flylady's book Sink Reflections is a better fit for me. I'll pass this one on so someone else can get organized the Deniece Schofield way.
Another clean cleaning book. :)
Friday, October 7, 2011
Rebecca (Daphne du Maurier)
Why I have this book: It was the first book in our newly resurrected book club.
Oh... how wonderful to read something that required some brain power!!!
Okay, this book had the feel of Jane Eyre, with a touch of Wuthering Heights. (Not a fan of Wuthering Heights... but loved Jane Eyre!) I really liked it a lot. The first few chapters require a bit of "stick-to-it-ness", but once you're hooked, you're hooked.
The end just... ends. I thought at first maybe I was missing the last chapter. (It was a "bargain book", so it was possible.) But, nope... that really was the ending. It left a few too many questions for me, but I still loved it.
I will be finding the movie version(s) and watching them.
Keeper.
This book had some swear words.
Oh... and the author also wrote The Birds, which Alfred Hitchcock made into that creepy movie.
Oh... how wonderful to read something that required some brain power!!!
Okay, this book had the feel of Jane Eyre, with a touch of Wuthering Heights. (Not a fan of Wuthering Heights... but loved Jane Eyre!) I really liked it a lot. The first few chapters require a bit of "stick-to-it-ness", but once you're hooked, you're hooked.
The end just... ends. I thought at first maybe I was missing the last chapter. (It was a "bargain book", so it was possible.) But, nope... that really was the ending. It left a few too many questions for me, but I still loved it.
I will be finding the movie version(s) and watching them.
Keeper.
This book had some swear words.
Oh... and the author also wrote The Birds, which Alfred Hitchcock made into that creepy movie.
Fools Rush In (Janice Thompson)
Why I have this book: It was on the account Kindle account I share with my mom. I'm guessing it was a free download.
So this is the first book in a series called Weddings by Bella. The genre would be "Christian Romance".
Um... okay. It was fine. Very light read... almost too light. It was sometimes painful to read, because things that were meant to be humorous or... whatever... just weren't so much. It was like the author was trying to hard. I don't know. I can't even write a review on it, because it just defies description.
Anyway... it was okay. Totally brainless, no emotional connection whatsoever to the storyline or any of the characters.
I would have no problem passing this book along to the library or someone else. I wouldn't keep it and I have no desire to read the rest of the series. If they were free and I was really desperate, I might. I mean, it didn't offend me in any way... it just didn't mean anything to me, either.
Clean.
Wow... this sounds so harsh! It wasn't THAT horrible... just not wonderful.
So this is the first book in a series called Weddings by Bella. The genre would be "Christian Romance".
Um... okay. It was fine. Very light read... almost too light. It was sometimes painful to read, because things that were meant to be humorous or... whatever... just weren't so much. It was like the author was trying to hard. I don't know. I can't even write a review on it, because it just defies description.
Anyway... it was okay. Totally brainless, no emotional connection whatsoever to the storyline or any of the characters.
I would have no problem passing this book along to the library or someone else. I wouldn't keep it and I have no desire to read the rest of the series. If they were free and I was really desperate, I might. I mean, it didn't offend me in any way... it just didn't mean anything to me, either.
Clean.
Wow... this sounds so harsh! It wasn't THAT horrible... just not wonderful.
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Four books that are going bye-bye
I was straightening my bookshelves downstairs, and found four books that are headed out the door...
2x4 Furniture; Simple, Inexpensive and Great-Looking Projects You Can Make
Reader's Digest Home Improvements Manual
Time Life Books - The BIG Book of Flower Gardening
Time Life Books - Pick the Right Plant
In this day of internet information, none of these books is crucial to our family. I'll donate them to the library... and free up a little space for some of those piles of books that haven't quite found room on the bookshelf yet.
2x4 Furniture; Simple, Inexpensive and Great-Looking Projects You Can Make
Reader's Digest Home Improvements Manual
Time Life Books - The BIG Book of Flower Gardening
Time Life Books - Pick the Right Plant
In this day of internet information, none of these books is crucial to our family. I'll donate them to the library... and free up a little space for some of those piles of books that haven't quite found room on the bookshelf yet.
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