75 Books...More or Less! discussion
Archive (2012 Completed)
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Jan's 2012 Books
Jan, I've just added this to my to-read list.
Kay wrote: "Jan, I've just added this to my to-read list."Kay, I hope you like it! There's also been several movies made about the expedition as well as a Nova special.
2. Alternative Treatments for Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndromeby Mari Skelly, Helen Walker
4 stars
Some alternative treatments were rather "out there" but if sufferers find relief who am I to judge? The book also speaks to more traditional treatments as well as current research. I found the book very helpful and a worthwhile read.
3. June Bug by Chris Fabry
This was a freebie on the Kindle and a member of one of my book clubs chose it as this month's selection. It's classified as "Christian Fiction". In general, I don't like to mix my fiction reading with religious beliefs. June Bug herself is adorable and precocious but I found the plot rather unbelievable.
Ohhh, I love survival/adventure stuff and Endurance is one of my favorites. Such an incredible story. What a great way to start your reading this year!
Suzanne wrote: "Ohhh, I love survival/adventure stuff and Endurance is one of my favorites. Such an incredible story. What a great way to start your reading this year!"Our book club met last night for the discussion....fabulous read!! We're reading Steve Jobs next...Shackleton vs Steve Jobs, what a difference in leadership styles! :-)
4. 6 Rainier Drive by Debbie Macomber3 stars
This isn't my usual genre but visiting with the residents of Cedar Cove is an easy comfort read and very enjoyable. I plan on finishing the series
5. 74 Seaside Avenue by Debbie Macomber3 stars
It's been nice visiting with the residents of Cedar Cove (although one of the story lines was silly IMO!). It's time to move on but I'll be back.
6 Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson (audio)5+ stars!!!
Excellent, bound to be a favorite of 2012! At first I thought the 25 hours of listening time would be difficult but I very quickly discovered found myself looking for excuses to stick the earbuds in my ears. When forced to stop, I couldn't wait to get back to it.
It's riveting listening, often making me chuckle or bringing a tear to my eye. Even during some of the drier business aspects of the book (very, very little actually), his colorful personality made it interesting. He was pure genius and I grew to admire him a lot. He's truly changed our world, an Edison of our time. I love Apple products and it was fun listening to the history and behind-the-scenes juicy info behind it all. Apple was Steve Jobs and Steve Jobs was Apple. The 2 are inseparable. His motive was not money or sales but a great product and a great company. That philosophy, along with his leadership style and vision, was behind every decision made. But truthfully what made this a great read was he's just a fun, colorful, complicated person to read about :-) His death was a loss to us all.
7. What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty4 stars
The 4 star review is with a caveat. The first third of the book is awful. For some reason, after Alice has her fall her IQ drops about 75 points. I suppose this was supposed to be cute but I found it annoying. I can't stand "child-like" adults. But then the story takes off and Alice stops with the child-like behavior and thoughts. The story has a good message and I particularly appreciated the realistic portrayals of bumps in the road of marriage and parenting. The epilogue is wonderful!
8. Oxygen by Carol Cassella4 stars
A young girl dies on the table during surgery and the anesthesiologist is implicated in the death. It was refreshing to read a medical mystery that gets the medical facts correct (which it should since the author is a physician)! I had my suspicions about how the death happened but the ending and twist still surprised me. I really enjoyed this read.
9. The Commoner by John Burnham Schwartz
3 stars.
Fiction based on the true story of the commoner, Michiko, who married the Crown Prince of Japan in 1959. The story revolves around her struggles and the enormous pressure she faces as she adjusts to the very private and highly structured life as an Empress. There's an evil mother-in-law, emotional problems and eventually we see history repeat itself with her daughter-in-law. It's always fun to read about royalty but what kept me from giving the book a higher rating was the flowery overwrought prose and the flat characters. I never felt invested in them or cared all that much what happened. They didn't come alive on the page. Oh, and the ending was completely unrealistic!
However, it did lead me to look up and read about the true story, which I found much more fascinating than this work of fiction.
10. Death of a Cad by M.C. Beaton
4 stars
The 2nd in the fun mystery series that features Hamish MacBeth, the constable in a small village in Scotland. It's written in the tradition of Agatha Christie.
11. Audiobook by Stephen King: 11/22/632 stars
Interesting premise and a strong start but overly long, and quite frankly, boring. I put my iPod on faster speed but it didn't help, it was still mind-numbingly tiresome. IMHO King needs a brutal editor.
12. Twelve Drummer Drumming by C.C. Benison3 stars
The first in a new series starring Tom Christmas, (Fr Christmas), the vicar of a small English village. It sounds cute and charming but I wouldn't put this in the cozy category, although it shares many characteristics of a cozy. The mysteries are slightly more complicated and involved. Which, in this case, ends up being one of the novel's downfalls. There are too many characters to keep straight, even with the cheat sheet at the beginning of the book, and too many side stories and mental ramblings. On the plus side it is well-written and an intelligent mystery but I'm not sure I was enamored enough to continue with the series.
Oh, and despite the title it has nothing to do with Christmas :-)
13. Tolstoy and The Purple Chair: My Year Of Magical Reading by Nina Sankovitch4 stars
This is a memoir of a lady who read a book a day (!!!) for one year as a means of healing from the grief of losing her beloved sister to cancer a few years earlier. She has a blog/website www.readallday.org. The author is obviously a speed reader, averaging 70 pgs/hr and did it with a husband and 4 active busy boys. It boggles my mind.
I did enjoy reading about her year of reading even though i had a few niggling doubts that her project was a"Julia and Julie" project with a book in mind before she even started, and the title was a Joan Dideon rip-off. I never did quite grasp the concept of reading a book a day as a means of grieving but it's not my place to judge. Her tastes are eclectic but in general they tend to be be very high-brow (for me!). However, for the most part I very much enjoyed her musings about grief and life in general, always relating them to lessons and insights she gleaned from the books she was reading. There were passages i wanted to write down and savor.
It also helped that her very first book to start off her reading year was The Elegance of the Hedgehog, a book I loved :) In the end how can you not like a book that celebrates books and a love of reading??
I actually envied her very close relationship with her sister. It was very special and that comes through her writing.
Recommended!
14. The Night Strangers by Chris Bohjalian1 star (and I'm being kind)
What a mess of a novel. I don't even want to get into it and waste any more time on this book. Avoid at all costs.
15. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
4 stars
I can't believe I had never read this book. It was a book club choice, a quick, though sad read. Recommended!
16. The Condition by Jennifer Haigh4 stars
Although there is a girl in the novel diagnosed with Turner Syndrome, and according to those with the condition, it's a very accurate portrayal, I think the book title has a double meaning in that it deals with the human condition, families, secrets, dysfunction...
Haigh writes beautiful complex stories with well-drawn characters, and a story that makes you think.
oops, forgot one I listened to a couple weeks ago...17. The Curse of the Pharaohs by Elizabeth Peters.
3 stars
This one didn't capture me as much as I thought it would. It was Ok, but I likely won't continue with the series.
18. The Rose Garden by Susanna Kearsley, (audio)4 stars
I loved this time travel romance tale and the narrator was wonderful.
19. The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh
4 stars
I really enjoyed this read. It's a book club choice and we'll have plenty of discussion topics about the foster care system and what drives the motives of someone who is scarred by life. I'm no gardener, loathe it actually, but I still found it fascinating how the protagonist had difficulty communicating with words and did so with flowers. Interesting fresh concept.
20. The Sociopath Next Door by Martha Stout (audio)3 stars
This was actually a mistake. I thought a friend had read it and liked it but later found out she had actually listened to The Sociopath Test! Oh well, it was interesting and I found myself thinking about who I may know that fit the profile, lol. Many of us have a misconception that all sociopaths start out killing small animals and graduate to be serial murderers and while some do fit that criteria, most don't kill but are simply manipulative, cruel people who have no conscience. Interesting.
21. Defending Jacob: A Novel by William Landay5 stars
It's been a long, long time since I've read such a riveting page-turner.
Highly recommended!
22. Aunt Dimity Beats the Devil by Nancy Atherton4 stars
A charming cozy series.
23. Bossypants by Tina Fey (audio)4 stars
I'm a Tina Fey fan as well as a 30 Rock fan. I enjoyed this audiobook a lot and LOL more than once. Recommended
24. The Scent of Water by Elizabeth GoudgeThe writing was very flowery and descriptive and the pace was extremely slow. Just not my cup of tea. I would have abandoned it early on if it hadn't been a book club choice.
25. The End of Normal by Stephanie Madoff Mack4 stars
A fascinating account of the Madoff scandal written by the widow of Mark Madoff, Bernie's son who committed suicide several years after Bernie's arrest.
It's a quick read, I finished it in less than a day. Unfortunately, and I'm sure unintentionally, Stephanie portrays herself in less than a flattering light. She comes off as a spoiled self-centered brat and wrote very unflattering portrayals of the rest of the family, ending any chance of her kids having a relationship with their extended family. Mark's kids are the ones I feel truly sorry for.
26. The Hunchback of Neiman Marcus by Sonya Sones4 stars
The title makes one think it's a chick lit book but it's not. The book is entirely written in prose but don't let that stop you from reading. It's a "coming-of-middle-age" story that will tug at your heartstrings, make you laugh and nod in recognition.
Recommended for women of a certain age dealing with hormones, children leaving for college, and aging parents.
27. Back Spin by Myron Bolitar (audio) 3 stars
28. The Shoemaker’s Wife by Adriana Trigiani
5 stars
29. Minding Frankie by Maeve Binchy
4 stars
30. The Eighty-Dollar Champion: Snowman, The Horse That Inspired A Nation by Elizabeth Letts
4stars
31. A Year on Ladybug Farm by Donna Ball4.5 stars
I loved this story. It was refreshing to read about women in their 50s, although after the descriptions in the beginning, age wasn't even mentioned. 3 friends joined together to buy and renovate an old farm house in Virginia. The author does a great job describing the setting and sense of place. It made me yearn to escape to LadyBug Farm with my best buds - after renovations are complete of course :) Best of all there were no men, no love interests and no complications involving dating. It's a light fun read, perfect for a lazy summer day. There are 2 sequels that I plan on reading soon.
32. Summer Blowout
3.5
A fun beach read type book. The witty repartee was clever and had me chuckling. There's some zaniness, more than I recall in other Claire Cook books, and it made for a fun afternoon at the beach.
33. A re-read of To Kill A Mockingbird by Lee Harper (audio)What can I say? It's a 5 star classic that stands the test of time. The audiobook was narrated by Sissy Spacek and she was the perfect choice.
34. Fifty Shades of Grey
Not a book I can give a star reading. My book club chose this (along with TKAM so our brains wouldn't turn to mush). It's not what I expected at all. The compelling part of the story isn't the sex (which gets boring), it's the relationship between Christian and Ana and the psychological aspects of Christian. Without giving anything away, one of our members is a psychologist and she found it fascinating that the author nailed it perfectly. At it's heart this is a love story that just happens to have graphic somewhat kinky consensual sex. We were all glad we read it as part of our "cultural literacy". Now we know what people are talking about. Most of the negativity I have heard is from people who haven't read it and are making assumptions. Interesting.
35. Emily, Alone by Stewart O'Nan4.5 stars - excellent!
This is a slow, insightful, beautifully written novel. There’s no action-packed plot but we are given a glimpse into the interior iife of Emily, a lady in her 80s who is widowed and has children and grandchildren living across the country. Emily is an ordinary old woman, living quite ordinary days with her old dog Rufus, and her sister-in-law as her one friend. I found it absorbing to read about her interior life, her thoughts, wishes, regrets, and hopes. Emily is far from perfect but she is realistic.
Although it's a "slow" read, the skill of O'Nan keeps it from being plodding or boring.
For the most part I don't think a younger person would enjoy this book but for those of us of a certain age it’s a poignant read.
oops..for got a couple...36. The Wildwater Walking Club by Claire Cook
4 stars for a fun beach read. Nothing heavy here but entertaining.
37. A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty by Joshilyn Jackson
4.5 stars
Great read, highly recommended! It’s well-written with plenty of humor, mystery, and unforgettable characters.
I loved this story of 3 strong southern women told in alternating voices: Ginny, nicknamed “Big”, is the matriarch although she’s only 45. Liza, Big’s 30 year old daughter is recovering from a devastating stroke, and Mosey is Liza’s 15 year old daughter. Big is convinced that God sends a trial of epic proportions every 15 years and right on schedule a tiny grave containing a baby’s remains is uncovered while putting in a backyard pool for Liza's therapy. As the mystery unfolds, more mysteries and secrets are revealed.
I loved these characters. Ginny is a strong, fierce “steel magnolia”. Mosey was delightful, as was her quirky, nerdy best friend, Roger and her new friend Patti, from an even worse part of the wrong side of the tracks. Liza holds the key to the mystery but her story is told in the third person since she was unable to communicate due to the stroke. I cheered her steps toward recovery and was frustrated that she wasn't receiving the proper therapy.
The story pulled me in and had me guessing the mystery (I was wrong) and rooting for these 3 women.
JanB wrote: "33. A re-read of To Kill A Mockingbird by Lee Harper (audio)What can I say? It's a 5 star classic that stands the test of time. The audiobook was narrated by Sissy Spacek and she was the perfect c..."
This one is on my TBR shelf for this year!! Can't wait to get to it! Can you believe I am 34 years old and have never read it?!...don't answer that! LOL
Joy wrote: "JanB wrote: "33. A re-read of To Kill A Mockingbird by Lee Harper (audio)"Can you believe I am 34 years old and have never read it?!...don't answer that!
If it makes you feel any better, I'm 28 and just read it this year. Not too far behind. I do think it's weird I never had to read it for school.
Charleen wrote: "Joy wrote: "JanB wrote: "33. A re-read of To Kill A Mockingbird by Lee Harper (audio)"Can you believe I am 34 years old and have never read it?!...don't answer that!
If it makes you feel any bet..."
I wonder if it's because some schools banned it due to the frequent use of the "n" word. What a tragedy because the book advocates people to take an unpopular stand and not tolerate injustice.
But do read it - or I recommend listening if you like audio books. It's a wonderful read.
JanB wrote: "35. Emily, Alone by Stewart O'Nan4.5 stars - excellent!
This is a slow, insightful, beautifully written novel. There’s no action-packed plot but we are given a glimpse into the interior iife of E..."
JanB wrote: "35. Emily, Alone by Stewart O'Nan
4.5 stars - excellent!
This is a slow, insightful, beautifully written novel. There’s no action-packed plot but we are given a glimpse into the interior iife of E..."
Jan, I, too, really liked Emily, Alone and gave it four stars. I like almost anything Stewart O'Nan writes, and I totally agree with your review. Did you read Last Night at the Lobster? Very good, and still stays with me.
Alecia wrote: "JanB wrote: "35. Emily, Alone by Stewart O'Nan4.5 stars - excellent!
This is a slow, insightful, beautifully written novel. There’s no action-packed plot but we are given a glimpse into the inter..."
Alecia, this was my first O'Nan book but it won't be my last. I'm reading The Odds by him now and should finish it tonight. I have Last Night at the Lobster on my tbr list (sooner, rather than later!). I can't believe he is a new to me author, but I'm glad I found him :)
Mod
Andrea wrote: "Jan, I'm reading The Shoemaker’s Wife by Adriana Trigiani right now and so far I am thinking it is going to be a great story!"My other favorites of hers were Big Stone Gap and Lucia, Lucia. This one is very different from what she's done before, and IMO really shows the scope of her skill as an author. I loved it and look forward to your thoughts!
38. The Odds: A Love Story by Stewart O'Nan3.5
I wish I hadn't read this so close on the heels of Emily, Alone. I couldn't help compare the two and this one came up a little short for me because I loved Emily, Alone so much.
I'm thinking an O'Nan book needs to marinate for a while before reading another by him. I love his writing style and how he writes about ordinary people living ordinary lives but he gets beneath the surface and reveals the hidden interior life of his characters. It's not all pretty but it is authentic.
JanB wrote: "38. The Odds: A Love Story by Stewart O'Nan3.5
I wish I hadn't read this so close on the heels of Emily, Alone. I couldn't help compare the two and this one came up a little short for me because ..."
I checked my book list, and I did read The Odds a few months ago. I liked it very much( 4 stars), but I take your point about letting O'Nan books "marinate" between readings. I was also very glad when I discovered him just a few years ago.
39. The Lost Recipe for Happiness by Barbara O'Neal3 stars
I like the way Ms O'Neal writes and this book had 2 of my favorite things: fabulous food (with recipes) and a dog :-) However, it would have been 4 stars if not for the over-use of the f-bomb and the very graphic sex scenes. I'm no prude but this was sleazy IMO. She's a good enough author that she shouldn't have to descend so low.
40. The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection by Alexander McCall Smith (audio)4 stars
Visiting with Precious Ramtswe and the other characters in the Ladies Detective Agency series is like visiting with old friends. These are comfort reads for me. I prefer listening on audio because of the excellent narrator, Lisette Lecat.
41. The second book in the Shades trilogy, I'm not even sure what the title isMy take? Poorly written, the sex was very boring and tiresome, so much so that I skimmed. However, there is some mystery and enough of a back story that is somewhat intriguing so I'm assuming that is why the books are so popular.
42. 8 Sandpiper Way by Debbie Macomber3 stars
# 8 in the Cedar Cove series. An easy pleasant read, always fun to catch up with the characters.
43. The Homecoming of Samuel Lake by Jenny Wingfield (audio)5 stars
Excellent book, highly recommended! (Be forewarned there is some violence towards children and animals but we were spared graphic detail.)
Wingfield created compelling and endearing characters, especially 11 yr old Swan. It's a riveting story, set in the 1950s south, that explores the themes of good vs evil, family, and faith, all done with a touch of humor.
44. Little Princes: One Man's Promise to Bring Home the Lost Children of Nepal by Conor Grennan (audio)5 stars
This was a wonderful listen, narrated by the author. It was touching, inspirational, emotional and surprisingly funny. And I fell in love with the kids. I highly recommend listening to this one vs reading it. The author's self-deprecating style, his delivery, and his voices for the children simply are not to be missed. Highly recommended!
45. The Land of Decoration by Grace McCleen
5 stars
I finished this book a couple days ago and can't stop thinking about it. It begs to be discussed. It's a multi-faceted story that people much more eloquent than I have described both here and on amazon.
From the publisher: "“In the beginning there was an empty room, a little bit of space, a little bit of light, a little bit of time.” Extraordinarily bright for her 10 years but isolated by her strange faith, Judith McPherson has always known she’s living in the End Times, anticipating a new life in “a land flowing with milk and honey.... the decoration of all lands.” Life with her widowed Father feels oppressively quiet, so out of candy wrappers and shoe laces and other cast-off stuff, she creates an intricate replica of her town in her room--one that lives by the rules of her internal logic--and makes the astonishing discovery that what she does in her bedroom’s Land of Decoration gives her miraculous abilities in this one. Egged on by the voice of God (or one more sinister), she expands her powers until real life teeters on a tenuous edge. A visceral and memorable depiction of an imaginative child trying to reconcile her idyllic interior life with a harsher world, Grace McCleen’s visionary debut grapples with essential questions: how to feel your way forward when faith blurs with madness, or grief cleaves a parent from their child, or our imagined sense of control cedes to life’s wondrous chaos."
I will add though that one of the criticisms by several readers is they disagreed with the author's depiction of God. As well they should and IMO that is the point! Judith's "God" is either the product of a little girl's warped view or one borne of mental illness. The answer isn't so clear-cut and the reader is left to decide. Either way I fell in love with Judith, a precious, precocious, confused little girl.
I was on vacation this past week, sitting under an umbrella at the beach and reading the day away so I have a few to add:46. A Good American by Alex George
3 stars, maybe 3.5
I wasn't quite as enthralled as most people who have reviewed the book. I hate to be a dissenter for a much-loved novel but I would have liked more depth to the main characters and a few less silly ones in the last 1/3 of the book. A suicidal dwarf, a nymphomaniac teacher, a giant (Marfan's syndrome maybe?), a pastor who thinks he saw a kid walk on water and thought it was the second coming of Christ, an unusual accidental drowning while a kid was engaging in, well, what many teenage boys engage in :-) The majority in my book club thought it read as if a different author wrote the last part of the book. Two members loved the book, 3 thought it was just Ok, and 4 disliked it. We did have a lively discussion, as is usually the case when opinions differ.
47. The Beginner’s Goodbye by Anne Tyler
4 stars
If you are an Anne Tyler fan then you'll enjoy this short quiet little novel of a man dealing with the accidental death of his wife. It sounds dark and depressing but it was not. There were parts that were funny and her characters are always eccentric and quirky. Aaron and his delightful sister are owners of a publishing firm whose claim to fame are sets of "Beginner's Guide To..." books, similar to the Dummies books. Thus, the title. I think what I like most about Anne Tyler's books are her characters are flawed and human and she reveals their character in a slow quiet, often humorous way.
48. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
4 stars
I wasn't a fan of the first book in the trilogy. Maybe it was my mood at the time or the premise of the plot. I'm not really sure. In any case I recently saw the movie when a couple we went out with wanted to see it. Surprisingly, I liked it and at my daughter's urging I read the second book and found it a page-turner. I liked the idea of an uprising more than I did the focus on the Games in the first book. I'll definitely read the last book in the series soon.
49. The Tiger’s Wife by Tea O’Breht
BLECH!! I have NO idea how this book came to be much lauded in literary circles. The author can string a sentence together and writes very well. I was caught up in the beginning chapters, where a doctor in an unnamed war-torn country is taking medicine to an orphanage and learns that her grandfather has died. From there, the story revolves around the folklore and superstitious stories her grandfather told her as a child. Some of them started out intriguing and even humorous but unfortunately she goes on and on and on until it's confusing and dare I say boring. Too bad none of it makes sense or ever ties the story together. Writing well technically is one thing but your reader shouldn't be left confused. I'm sorry I wasted my time reading it.
50. Clean: The Revolutionary Program to Restore the Body’s Natural Ability to Heal Itself by Alejandro Junger, M.D.
3 stars
I'm an RN and enjoy reading about nutrition and health and I also have health issues that could possibly benefit from a cleanse. I've read many books on the subject of nutritional healing. Unfortunately, not all agree. While some of the info in Dr Junger's book is familiar and well-known, especially the chapters on inflammation, some aspects of his plan is questionable. But who knows? Maybe I'll give it a try and come back to increase my rating if I benefit from his 21 day cleanse.
JanB wrote: "I was on vacation this past week, sitting under an umbrella at the beach and reading the day away so I have a few to add:46. A Good American by Alex George
3 stars, maybe 3.5
I wasn't quite as en..."
I also liked Catching Fire more than The Hunger Games. I felt it was the strongest book of the trilogy.
Charleen wrote: "JanB wrote: "I was on vacation this past week, sitting under an umbrella at the beach and reading the day away so I have a few to add:46. A Good American by Alex George
3 stars, maybe 3.5
I wasn'..."
I'm glad to hear you say you liked Catching Fire better too. So many liked the first book best so I thought it was just me.
51. Fifty Shades Freed by E.L. JamesYes, I've now read all 3. IMO the 3 books have to be taken as a whole. Book 3 is a far cry from book one. Great literature? No. But after reading all three I can say with certainty it's not pornographic BDSM either. There are some intriguing story lines and backstory. Now that they are the #1 bestseller of all time in paperback sales at least I know what all the buzz is about. Maybe I'm just old (lol) but I think the appeal for most women is the love story. But ultimately I think the popularity is due to the media-driven "mommy porn" ad campaign, which was way overblown. I rather enjoyed the story but the sex scenes became boring and tedious :-)
52. I Never Promised You a Goodie Bag by Jennifer Gilbert1 star
I bought this book because I enjoy stories of people who have survived and thrived despite a horrific event in their life. However, I forced myself to finish this one. I don't intend my low rating to take anything away from the fact that Ms Gilbert survived a devastating attack and eventually went on to start a successful event planning business in NYC. I'm sorry it happened to her and I admire her tenacity and hard work. And she is a hard worker.
The book started out good with the story of how she survived a devastating attack by a man wielding a screwdriver. From there I was expecting an inspirational book on how she survived both mentally and physically. Unfortunately, the rest of the story was a litany of how rich and fabulous and thin she is, how much men LOVE her, and a blow-by-blow account of every over-the-top fabulous event she’s master-minded and saved from disaster for the super-rich. It was tiresome and she came off as very self-involved and arrogant. It's not so much what she did as how she presents it in this book.
This is a woman who has a party for her 3 year old and invites 75 children and 100 adults while she’s breast-feeding twins and her response to the “stress” she’s under is to express shock that it hadn't occurred to her to just stop breast-feeding her twins. She compared breast-feeding to feeling like a cow and moaned about how busy she was despite having a baby nurse. There was no insight that perhaps a 3 year old (or any age) doesn’t need a party that is larger and more lavish than many people’s weddings. Early in the book I thought perhaps there was hope for her when she realized how many flowers were thrown in the trash after events she's planned so she gathers them up – and here I thought oh, how nice, she’s going to take them to a woman's shelter or a hospital or hospice center – but no. She takes them for herself and fills her apt with them and celebrates that she can “smell the flowers” once again.
Her response to 9/11? After closing some offices, she goes to bed and cries for 2 days because "every time life is going well SHE suffers a loss".
Her idea of moving to the hinterlands? But surviving the adversity of it all? Buying a fabulous apartment in Tribeca.
In googling the book after I read it I discovered she was on The Housewives of NYC for part of a season. That would have told me a LOT if I’d known it before I read it. Blech.
I'm hoping that in person she really is a lovely person but this book portrays quite the opposite.
4.5 stars
Fabulous 'survival against all odds' book about Shackleton's ill-fated Antarctic expedition. It was inspiring and truly incredible what the men endured in order to survive. It's also a great story about leadership.The writing style may be a little dry but the last half of the book was heart-pounding suspense that read like a thriller. My one complaint is I wish there had been an afterward with a short bio of what happened to the men after their rescue. I felt like I knew them all by the end and was curious what their future held.
One other thing...I will NEVER complain about being cold again!