Book Review ~ A Stolen Life

A Stolen Life by Jaycee Dugard

Can't really rate it, it's her story and I can't rate some one's life. It 's a fast read, it's a graphic read (for the first couple of chapters), it's a sad read (I didn't cry though), it's a amazing read (Jaycee is an amazing person), it's worth the time.

I'm amazed that Jaycee was able to keep a level head, or a rational mind while surrounded by two crazy people. Yes, I believe she was in a survival mode, even after 18 years but still able to have a clear mind. She played their game but was able to separate herself from their deranged thoughts and survive.

I'm not gonna lie ... I love that boy!

This summer G and I are having a 75 days to read the Book of Mormon. That is a push, we have to read 7.1 pages every day for 75 days (there are 82 days of summer break this year).

I love that just when I think he's not really paying attention when I'm reading he'll ask some great question!

I love to hear him read the scriptures!

I love that he reminds me it needs to be done!

I love that he doesn't fuss when I remind him!

I love that he's thinking about things!

I just love that boy!

Mr Popper's Penguins

We have the rule that if a movie comes out based on a book then you have to read the book first! It saves alot of

"but I don't need to read the book, I've already seen the movie".

When we saw the previews for Mr Popper's Penguins G got all excited and said how much he'd already loved the book and couldn't wait to see the movie! It left me out of the excitement so on our trip to the library I got the book and read it! Thus proving to G that the rule goes for Mom too!

It's a fun book.

I would give it a 5 out of 5 for a rating.

It was the prefect start of summer read!

short sweet and simple!

Now we're both ready for Jim Carey as Mr Popper!

"Something Borrowed" by Emily Giffen

I would give this book a 4 out of 5.

I really liked it. I really really like it! It's not heavy, it's a light fun read.

I thought the characters were engaging, the plot is grabbing, just when I thought I knew what I wanted to happen, my opinion would change AND just when I thought I knew what was about to happen there would be a twist.

I have not seen the movie but I've read enough about the movie to know that it's not the book.

I like this so much that I went to the used bookstore (that was having a great sale) to find more by Emily Giffen! Now I have a small pile of books by her! Summer reading here I come!

2010 Book Review #13 ~ "Out of the Dust"

"Out of the Dust" by Karen Hesse 4.5 stars (out of 5)

It's always around this age when my boys come to me with a book they just know I'll love. This one was recommended by G, he really loved it and asked me to read it too!

The story is of a 14 year old girl, living in Oklahoma, during the dust bowl and the great depression. About her struggles, her family, her adventures and her life in the dust.

My boys have never led me wrong.

2010 Book Review #12 "Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet"

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
4 out of 5

First of all my life has been super busy, and hectic so it took much longer for me to read it than it really should have!
I loved this book.


I loved all the relationships.

The love relationships

The loyal Relationships

The family relationships

The protection relationships

The bully relationships

The love of a mother relationship

The acceptance relationships

and yes even the nonacceptance relationship.

This book takes place in Seattle starting right after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The main character, Henry is Chinese and his relationship with everyone around him, especially a Japanese girl, Keiko.
The book is written in a way that you're reading about the events in 1986 and 1942.

2010 Book Review #11 "Dream when you're Feeling Blue"

#11 "Dream When You're Feeling Blue" by Elizabeth Berg
2 out of 5 stars

I felt like this book never really took off. I had to make myself sit down to read it, thinking that this time there will be something that draws me in....nope, nothing ever did.

I suppose it's a snapshot of the times, Chicago during WWII, and about Kitty's (the teller of the story) slow evolution, but there isn't a hook that kept me in wanting to learn more.

AND let's not even get me talking about the ending, it was just loose, odd and confusing. It was if the author got bored too and skip us forward to current time.

IF you have NOTHING else to read.... read this but if you have another option, go with that!

2010 Book Review #10 "Saving CeeCee Honeycutt"

"Saving Cee Cee Honeycutt" by Beth Hoffman
5 out of 5


Cecelia Rose Honeycutt is 12 years old and taking care of her psychotic mom. Her mother is trapped in her past as the 1951 Vidalia Onion Queen. CeeCee's mother is tragically killed. Cee Cee's great aunt, Tootie (which she's never met) scoops her and takes her to Savannah.This is where CeeCee's healing begins.

Loved this book!
Loved the women that come together to form CeeCee's family.
Loved the southern gentility.
Loved the personalities.
Loved the healing.
Loved the common sense.
Loved the Love.

2010 Book Review #9

#9 "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate"
by Jacqueline Kelly
4.5 out of 5


First of all, isn't this the sweetest book cover ever?!?

I really really liked this book. It reflects about a 6 month time of Calpurnia Tate's life (or Callie Vee as she's called) when she's 12 turning 13. Callie Vee is the only daughter in a house of 6 boys (3 older 3 younger). It's at this time when she develops a relationship with her grandfather and a love for all things in nature, but it's also a time when her mother decides that it's time for Calpurnia to start learning things of the household.

This is a simply sweet book of Calpurnia's adventures.

2010 Book Review # 6,#7,#8

#6 Glass Castles by Jeannette Walls

5 out of 5

Hated this book for the first few pages, thought my aunt was crazy for ever loving it and then suggesting it to me!?! BUT then once I let go of the actions of the characters I fell in love with them and was captivated by their lives . The lesson I got out of this is just that ...Once I let them be them I fell in love with them.

#7 Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls

5 out of 5

This book was written after Glass Castles, but occurs before it. Make sense, I don't know if it really mattered which way you read them but maybe it'd make alittle more sense to read this book first (of which I didn't). Glass Castles is a true story (from the authors memories) where as this book is a "true life novel". The author takes the stories she'd heard as a child and filled them out. I think I could say I like the writing style of Ms Walls, it's captivating and enjoyable.

#8 Bleachers by John Grisham

4 out of 5

This a really really quick read, and as I started it I just kept thinking it was a 'man's story', but by the time I got involved in it, it was a man's story with a coming into reality moment. I think any of us can relate to this book. Living in the glory days of High School, then the let down of real life. Just that some of us have more glory than others and some of us have more let down than others.

2010 Book Review #5 ~ the Help a novel

Goodness I just know where to start with this book!

love, loVE, LOVE this book!

I was initially intimidated by the size (400 pages), but now I could kick myself for not reading in weeks before! By the time I got the end, I was wishing for more pages. These ladies were done with me but I wasn't done with them! I wanted to go on.

It's clean, it's honest, it's real,

I laughed with these ladies, I worried about these ladies, I cheered for these ladies,

I thought of these ladies for days after I'd finished the book

LOVE THIS BOOK!

You can read more about the book here AND did you see when you went there that it's soon to be a Movie ~ I'll see it the first day!

2010 Book in Review #4 "A Soft Place to Land"

hmmm, I can't say I liked this book a great deal.

It's a quick read, not deep (at all), very predictable.

It's about 2 half sisters that are separated when their parents are killed. They are already quite different personalities when their parents are killed, and this is basically where the stories begins. The book really follows the younger sister lives, but the older more rebellious sister's live weaves in and out.

It has some language from the rebellious sister and some unnecessary discriptions of breast (just didn't think it needed to be in there). It has a some book club questions at the end, but they weren't really good discussion questions ~ I suppose I think everyone would think like me!

In my opinion, not worth the money, but if you're bored and have nothing else to read (or stuck on a deserted island) ~ try it.

Love that Boy!

2010 Book Review #3 "The Art of Racing in the Rain"

What a unique little book.

This book is written from Enzo's point of view.

Enzo is a dog, a dog that belongs to Denny.

I liked this book.

It won't be in my all time favorites just simply because I found the book too predictable.

It was a quick enjoyable weekend read.

it gets a 3.75 out of 5

2010 Book Review #2 "In His Holy Name"

Hmmmm, I don't know what to think about this book.

I really looked forward to getting it, reading it and enjoying it.

I love to hear this author speak, he is truly one of my favorites.

BUT this book, well I'll be honest

is over my head, at least that time being!

I don't know if over my head is the right term, it addresses questions that I simply don't have.

I thought it was going to be more of a self help book whereas it was a teaching manual.

It discusses the uses, meaning and concepts of the name of the Savior. How we use the name of the Savior through the scriptures, prayers and in our church meetings.

Interesting in the latter chapters of the book, but too technical for me in the beginning.

If you in the right place in your life (and have questions of why we use the name of the Savior in the ways that we do) then by all means read it (you can borrow mine), but if you're looking for entertainment this isn't your book.

2010 Book Review #1 "Same Kind of Different as Me"

When I started reading Same Kind of Different as Me I thought it was a totally different book as when I finished it. Somewhere in the middle it took a turn for even better.

The combination of Ron Hall and Denver Moore is wonderful. One I found myself in and the other I found myself wanting to be.

This book certainly gets a 5 out of 5 stars from me.

quotes from the book .....

"I'll have to think about that"

this quote made me realize that somethings

(most things) should given more time to be thought about

"Catch and Release"

What kind of person am I?

"It is good"

I need to remember this one

"Just get out of the way and let God do His thing"

Stop worrying over things

"I worried that I was so different from them that we wadn't ever gon' have no kind a' future. But I found out everybody's different - same kind of different as me."

this one says it all

I recently read the notes of someone that had heard

Mr Moore and Mr Hall speak a stand out quote from her notes .

"Some people are Bible readers

and some people are Bible Doers"

wow if that doesn't give you something to think about!?

Olive Kitteridge

I finally finished Olive Kitteridge

written by Elizabeth Strout

winner of a Pulitzer Prize.

What a book, what a woman!

I would high recommend this book.

It's written like no other book I've read AND Olive is like ....

well, I'm sure we all know someone like Olive.

wonderful little book.......

The Guernsey Literary and

Potato Peel Pie Society.

Highly recommended

I'll be honest I think it's hard to get into but well worth sticking it out

I want to move to Guernsey and live with these people!

Click here to learn more

The Reader

Heavy Sigh!

I thought this book was OK. I really, really wanted to like this book but I don't think I ever really ever got connected to these characters. I think that was the purpose of Hanna to remain unconnected. I don't think I was suppose to get connected to her, she was there in a major way, she was illusive and she seemed distant to me.

Only in the very end (and I don't want to ruin by giving the end away) did I feel a connection and understanding of her. Once again, I wonder if that's what the author wanted.

I'm a very visual person and a book has to draw a picture for me and this book just didn't do that for me. It's short; 218 pages, so that didn't give it much time to pull me in and help me see them.

Let me know ~ who wants to read it next?

Never have those minutes back.....

I've spent the last two days reading a terribly boring and predictable book. I kept thinking all day yesterday "I could put this book down and never think about it again!" but did I, NO! I just kept going thinking that it would either get better OR I'd finish it. Well, I finished it.

Oh, how I wished that I'd read the next book in the Sarah Prine series or "The Reader"

By the way it was Danielle Steele's "ImPossible" don't bother.

Tomorrow is a new day and a new book!