In the past week, I’ve struggled to finish a book, any book. I have half-read books all over the place, but they have too much plot or not enough, or I need more attention to learn from them, or I just can’t bring myself to care about the people or characters in the book. This … Continue reading Review: I’m Judging You
Tag: Pub2016
Bullet Review: The Sound of Gravel
Enjoyed: Well-paced, easy entry into the story Author acknowledges her feelings at the time, but doesn't dwell on them Characters do not disappear from the narrative without the reader being informed Location becomes an additional character in the book through excellent description Little to no attempt to explain or justify difficult or unusual religious beliefs … Continue reading Bullet Review: The Sound of Gravel
Review: CEB Women’s Bible
A couple weeks ago, I was asking a group of [church-going] children what they knew about the Bible. Among other shared information, we tried to name some Bible characters. They quickly shouted out, "Jesus!... Moses!... Abraham!..." The oldest kid in the group is probably 8, so that was okay. I asked for the names of … Continue reading Review: CEB Women’s Bible
Review: Hold Me
This review contains information that may be considered spoilers. This includes character descriptions and the reality of Happily For Now (HFN) in this book, but not necessarily plot elements (except where character realities are part of the plot). I have almost 500 books on my To-Be-Read pile, including a variety of books that I have … Continue reading Review: Hold Me
Review: Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman
I listened to the audiobook version of Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman, which is read by Lindy West, the author, herself. I highly recommend this way of consuming this particular book. Of course, when she said: "But, I was slowly learning, you can’t advocate for yourself if you won’t admit what you are." I did have … Continue reading Review: Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman
Commentary: Normalizing
I recently read three books that are entirely unrelated in subject and yet I find myself thinking of them all together. In writing, as with other art forms, authors have the opportunity to normalize behaviors that are rare, unusual, or underground. While we often think of this in a negative way, normalizing certain topics in … Continue reading Commentary: Normalizing
Review: The Siren’s Dream
This is the third book in the series and it is my favorite. The Siren's Dream casts the hero of The Siren's Touch, Dmitri Lisko, as the villain. This book's ghost, a mara named Katya, is determined to kill Lisko to avenge her dead lover and to gain enough fulfillment to pass to whatever is next. While … Continue reading Review: The Siren’s Dream
Squirrels and Otters
My children (ages 3 and 7) have fallen in love with two new picture book series. These books are actually fun to read (as an adult), easy enough for the second grader to "help with", and have engaging illustrations. The first book was our introduction to Scaredy Squirrel. We read Scaredy Squirrel Goes to the Beach. The plot … Continue reading Squirrels and Otters
Review: Underground Airlines
This book has stayed with me for over a month now. I checked out from the library and then I kept it, long after I had finished reading, because I just wasn't done with it. Or more, it wasn't done with me.
