Leanne’s Comments (group member since Jan 03, 2014)

Leanne’s comments from the Region of Waterloo Library group.

I just returned this to the library. Couldn't get past the first chapter. I read too many reviews beforehand, wanting to know what I was getting myself into, and even though a lot of them were full of praise for the book, I just can't read this right now. Isabel's miscarriages dredge up too many sad memories for me. I think it likely fits very well with April's theme of people making foolish choices though.
I find it unbelievable that anyone who had felt the pain of losing a baby would inflict that suffering on another woman. I don't buy Isabel's line of reasoning for why she kept the baby in the boat (the mother must be lost at sea). How could anyone be that selfish? And why couldn't her husband man up and talk some sense into her? Then again, maybe living on a remote island truly made them lose their marbles. That's just my initial reaction. I don't plan to finish it any time soon. With an opening like that I suspect it would just lead to a lot of misery for everyone involved, including me the reader.
I hope I haven't offended anyone who really enjoyed the book. I think it's just my own past experience darkening my perception of it.

Good variety of genres here. In particular I'm looking forward to rereading To Kill a Mockingbird! Last time I read it was as a teenager. I liked it so much I wanted to add Harper and Jean Louise to our list of possible baby names if we have a girl, but sadly my husband won't go for either of them. lol

We gave my father-in-law Unbroken for Christmas a couple years ago and he said he enjoyed it. Should be interesting to compare to the movie now.

I like history, so the time period for one thing appealed to me. I enjoyed the way the characters spoke - all the men addressing each other as "sir" for example, even the shady characters. I just found that kind of charming. I was also fascinated by the "history" behind the Maltese falcon itself (which I think the author just made up, right? or was it a real artifact?)

Detective novels aren't really my thing, but I have to admit I couldn't put this one down! That smooth Sam Spade... Until the very end, I couldn't figure out for the life of me whose side he was on. Frankly I didn't even like him very much, with all his womanizing. At the end though, I had to give him credit. He's brilliant! I don't want to give it away in case some people are still reading the book, but I was most impressed with the way the author wraps everything up so neatly in the end. The plot was paced very well, driving me to keep reading despite the fact that none of the characters really earned my sympathies enough to make me root for them. I just wanted to see how it would turn out. The dialogue was pretty clever too, especially some of Spade's lines. (e.g. "It's been a long time since I burst into tears because a policeman didn't like me.") All in all I'm glad I gave this book a chance.

For Deborah and her brothers at least, perhaps a slightly happier childhood would have increased their chances of getting a better education, staying out of jail (in Joe's case) and ending up with higher paying jobs. But then again, perhaps not, because of the way society was at the time. You know, the book has such a strong narrative that I think I got caught up in the story and started looking at everyone in it as book characters, kind of forgetting they are/were all real people. In my mind I made Day and Ethel and Galen out to be villains because of the way they treated the children, and although some of their behaviour was certainly inexcusable, we don't really know their side of the story, do we?

I think if I were Deborah I would have some serious father issues! It didn't seem like she was overly resentful of her father, but not especially close to him either. But if it were me, I'd be asking why he abandoned my sister like that, never bothering to visit after Henrietta's death, not to mention why he let a cruel woman like Ethel care for the rest of his children and did nothing about Galen's inappropriate behavior towards Deborah.

I don't want to sound too harsh here. I mean, much as I appreciate my husband for being such a good father to our two-year-old son, I'm not sure how well he would fare as a single dad if I were to die right now at much the same age as Henrietta was when she died. I can't even imagine how overwhelming that would be for any parent to cope with. He would definitely need some help with the childcare, but fortunately for our family there are lots of good, affordable options. This sadly wasn't true for Deborah's father.

Still, when I put myself in her shoes, I can't help but feel that all five of the Lacks children deserved better from their father, and that their lives as well as the lives of their own children might have turned out differently had they received more loving, non-abusive care growing up.

RWL wrote: "Do you think this book would be a good audiobook for a road trip?"

Sure, why not! I think The Hobbit would be great listening for a road trip. It might actually help put the stress of holiday travel in perspective; whatever difficulties you may face in your travels they are nothing compared to what Bilbo goes through on his journey! (Goblins, wolf attacks, starvation, giant spiders, etc.) haha

I'm currently reading an old favourite, The Hobbit, and yes, I think it would make an excellent audiobook! Lots of adventure, peril, magic, and narrow escapes. I'm sure at least one audio version has been made, with a British narrator I would expect and hope. ;)

I don't know if there is such a list anywhere, but here is one thing you could try. Go to NoveList and enter your library card number if it asks you. You can search for a book that you enjoyed in the past, and you'll see both Read-alikes (under the Books tab) and Audiobook Listen-alikes (if you click on the Audiobooks tab). You can also search for narrator names, so if there is someone's voice that you really liked listening to, that's another way to find new audiobooks. Hope this helps!

I suppose I do... unless it's within the context of an imaginary world like Narnia, Middle Earth or Hogwarts! ;)

Becca wrote: "The Divergent books are amazing - I think I liked them better than The Hunger Games, which is saying a lot, because I l..."

Oh good! I'm looking forward to reading the rest of them. Still working my way through the first one. Like I said before, I loved the movie, but I appreciate how the book gives some richer detail (as only a book can do).

A dark story often gives you more food for thought than a happy, fluffy one. I'm thinking now of the popularity of dystopian fiction like the Divergent series, the Hunger Games, and The Giver. Just watched the movie Divergent last night, by the way. Loved it. Has anyone read the books? I guess for me, it was another example of how I like to see courageous heroes and heroines fight against evil and win---or at least live to keep on fighting. In a way, I think it helps me face the (much smaller) struggles in my own life with greater courage, because I think to myself, if they can face THAT, then surely I can face THIS!

The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell. I found it hard to put down, although it certainly had its horrifying moments. I read it for a course, otherwise I probably never would have picked it up. It really made me think about how culture is such a big part of who we are. Some things that we take for granted as a "normal" part of life may seem unfathomable, even cruel or wrong, to people in a different part of the world (or in this story's case, people from a different planet). This book showed the dangers of trying to impose one's cultural ideals on others.

Stuart McLean! Has anyone ever been to one of his Vinyl Cafe shows? Definitely on my bucket list. I love listening to him read his funny stories on his podcast.

I'm adding it to my future reading list too. I like what Laurie said about mothers in other cultures having to make such difficult decisions. So true. I can't even imagine...

The Poisonwood Bible definitely wouldn't have been the same in any other setting. My whole fascination with the story was that it's about these white American missionaries who are totally out of their element in the Congo. Had they stayed in the USA the story would have turned out quite differently, that's for sure.

For me, it was interesting to read about how the Congolese lived - what they ate, the homes they lived in, how they cared for their children, their traditions and language. A much safer way of learning about that place in the world than actually going there!!

I haven't visited many exotic locales in real life... unless you count Orlando, FL. Haha. I believe I brought a book to read on the airplane when we went there on holidays. I think it was The Flight of Gemma Hardy by Margot Livesey. Captivating twist on the story of Jane Eyre. Takes place in Scotland and Iceland, I believe.

I remember when we read The Poisonwood Bible in grade 13 (studying character and voice - Kingsolver writes them vividly in this one) and I couldn't put it down! It takes place somewhere in Africa.

Which reminds me of another book I couldn't put down: The Book of Negroes (Hill).

One example comes to mind... Come Thou Tortoise by Jessica Grant was a good read, and I think it was an Evergreen winner a few years ago. You know how I picked it though? "Oh look! A turtle on the front!" lol. What kept me reading it was the quirky, lovable narrator. I didn't find out it won the award until long after I read it.

To me, it doesn't really matter whether or not a book has won an award. The best reads I've found have usually come by way of a friend's recommendation or browsing the library stacks for a cover that catches my eye. I really love this site for how it lets me read other people's reviews, both good and bad, of practically any title I'm curious about. Awards are kind of impersonal, but hearing someone else rave about their reading experience goes a long way.