Aspergers, patient mother, and murder. Dun dun dunnn

The title: 

House Rules

Who penned this work?:

Jodi Picoult

How did this piece find it's way to your nightstand?:

I'd heard she was a good author.  That's all there is to it.

Number of pages:

532

Time passed from start to finish?:

Two weeks, maybe?

Describe the cover:

A boy crouching near a lake, writing in the sand.

In what section of the bookstore would a reader find this?:

Fiction  

Summary of the basic plot:

Jacob is an 18 year old with Aspergers, he has a 15 year old brother, and his mother who works from home.  He's obsessed with forensic criminology, and likes to crash crime scenes to tell the police what happened to the victim.  It's all harmless until a victim is someone he's close to, and the crime scene makes every clue turn into making him into a suspect.  So most of the book is finding out what really happened to the victim.  Each chapter is from the perspective of a different character, which I thought was neat.

Background information on the story/author:

She is also a #1 bestselling author, who lives in New Hampshire with her husband and three kids.  Is that good enough?  

What did you think of it? (your general response, what you liked or didn't like, what you learned, anything else you want to share about it):

I actually liked it.  I wanted to turn the pages to find out what happens next! I didn't know much about aspergers, so it was neat to learn about something. 

Which page was your favorite? Share why:

I need to remember to keep track of that kind of stuff when i'm reading. because i couldn't tell ya. 532 pages is a lot to go back and find out which was my favorite.

If the story was made into a movie, who would you cast as the main characters?

i bet leonardo dicaprio, back in the day when he was in gilbert grape, would have been good as jacob.  I don't know many 18 year old actors that could pull off that right now.  

Share a quote that was worth reading twice. Explain why:

Again, i forgot to take notes, but looking one up online, here's a good one:

"I don't know what he means by that, but I nod and smile at him. You'd be surprised at how far that response can get you in a conversation where you are completely confused."   It shows how Aspergers works in his mind.  The line before that was most likely a metaphor, and Aspie's take everything 100% literally.  

           Choose your rating:

          - Changed. My. Life.
          - I laughed, I cried, I want you to read it
          - A definite page-turner
          - Good to check out but don't spend the cash.
          - Why did I waste my weekend on this?
          - A disgrace to paper everywhere

Flip to page 2, 22, or 202. Share the 7th sentence on the page. 

It's the child who's supposed to cry, and the mom who makes it all better, not the other way around, which is why mothers will move heaven and earth to hold it together in front of their own kids.

I can't come up with a creative title for this waste of time book

The title: 

Fearless Fourteen

Who penned this work?:

Janet Evanovich

How did this piece find it's way to your nightstand?:

At Target every Tuesday we all head to electronics to see what the new releases are.  This author had a new book come out and my manager said she had read a different book by her and said it was "hilarious." So I head to the library, which is the smallest library in the world, and find a book by her.

Number of pages:

310

Time passed from start to finish?:

Three weeks or so, only reading it at work on my breaks. 

Describe the cover:

It's hot pink.  With the author and the title on it. Boring.

In what section of the bookstore would a reader find this?:

Fiction  

Summary of the basic plot:

(I had to steal this from a website because I couldn't come up with anything good to say)

bounty hunter Plum finds herself caring for a gaming-obsessed teenage boy, and embroiled in the middle of a bungled bank robbery.

Background information on the story/author:

She is somehow a #1 best selling author based on the books that are about this bounty hunter.  I'm pretty sure I won't read any more of these so called #1 books. 

What did you think of it? (your general response, what you liked or didn't like, what you learned, anything else you want to share about it):

obviously I've stated my dislike for this book enough.  It felt like i was listening to a boring acquaintance tell me a story, that really doesn't have a point, and even if it does have a point, it's a very very boring story that I try and find a way to get out of listening.  But since I can't do it, I listen to the very terrible end. 

Which page was your favorite? Share why:

Umm the last page. Because it meant I was done. 

If the story was made into a movie, who would you cast as the main characters?

Hmm who is an actress I don't really like?  Probably the mom from Weeds because I've watched 9 episodes of the show and still don't like her.  She could do this stupid role. 

Share a quote that was worth reading twice. Explain why:

Sorry, I can't do that to anyone.  Especially myself, opening that book again.

           Choose your rating:

          - Changed. My. Life.
          - I laughed, I cried, I want you to read it
          - A definite page-turner
          - Good to check out but don't spend the cash.
          - Why did I waste my weekend on this?
          - A disgrace to paper everywhere

Flip to page 2, 22, or 202. Share the 7th sentence on the page. 

They are all stupid sentences.  I won't do it.

One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia.

The title: 

Eat Pray Love

Who penned this work?:

Elizabeth Gilbert

How did this piece find it's way to your nightstand?:

Well, I first started reading it when I picked it up at Powell's for my boyfriend.  Then I got addicted to it (and half way through it) exactly at the time when I had to send it to him.  Luckily, my sister also received it as a gift for her birthday, so I may or may not have sneakily swiped it from her room for a week.  Pretty sure she had no idea, although now she knows. And now she'll say she knew the whole time. 

Number of pages:

334

Time passed from start to finish?:

About two weeks
 

Describe the cover:

'eat' written in pasta, 'pray' written in prayer beads, and 'love' written in flowers.  Not much else going on.

In what section of the bookstore would a reader find this?:

Based on my experience, Travel Writing.  Also sometimes in biography.
 

Summary of the basic plot:

(from the back): In her early thirties, Elizabeth Gilbert had everything a modern American woman was supposed to want - husband, country home, successful career - but instead of feeling happy and fulfilled, she felt consumed by panic and confusion.  This wise and rapturous book is the story of how she left behind all these outwards marks of success, and of what she found in their place.  Following a divorce and a crushing depression, Gilbert set out to examine three different aspects of her nature, set against the backdrop of three different cultures: pleasure in Italy, devotion in India, and on the Indonesian island of Bali, a balance between worldly enjoyment and divine transcendence.

Background information on the story/author:

Um, pretty sure the summary covered some of that.  The author is an award-winning writer, and in 2008 was named by Times magazine one of the one hundred most influential people in the world.  Basically, everyone loves her book and wants to be her friend.  And I don't blame them.
 

What did you think of it? (your general response, what you liked or didn't like, what you learned, anything else you want to share about it):

I understand why this book has been so popular, I really do.  The author is honest and open with us and herself, sometimes brutally so.  There's nothing preachy or didactic about this story...it truly is HER story and that's the reason she wrote it. I think the appeal is that she speaks to undeniable truths we all struggle with and want to understand.  She also speaks to the imperfect person we all feel like we are.  I love the way the book was laid out (with purpose and meaning), as well as the way she realized retrospectively some of the significant meaning behind numbers and letters involved in her journey.  I definitely want to read it again.  And of course, I'm now trying to figure out what My Word is.  (you'll see)
 

Which page was your favorite? Share why:

Page 274.  This is where we realize (or rather, the author realizes) the largest lesson of them all (a very cyclical one at that)...and someone else has to point it out to her.  By setting out to help yourself, you end up helping Tutti.  (you'll see)
 

If the story was made into a movie, who would you cast as the main characters?

Kinda beat me to the punch there, didn't ya, movie industry?  I haven't seen the movie so I can't really speak to how well they cast the characters.  I can easily see Julia Roberts being a good fit, however. 
 

Share a quote that was worth reading twice. Explain why:

"Sofie is Swedish and in her late twenties and so damn cute you could put her on a hook and use her as bait to catch men of all different nationalities and ages."  (made me laugh)

"How many people have I heard claim their children as the greatest accomplishment and comfort of their lives?  It's the thing they can always lean on during a metaphysical crisis, or a moment of doubt about their relevancy -- If I have done nothing else in this life, then at least I have raised my children well."  (reminded me of many significant people in my life)

"There's a cat who lives here who is enormously affectionate to me for the half hour every day before I feed him, then moans crazily the rest of the time like he's having Vietnam War flashbacks.  Oddly, I don't mind this."  (made me laugh)

"Before dawn the roosters for miles around announce how freaking cool it is to be roosters ('We are ROOSTERS!' they holler.  'We are the only ones who get to be ROOSTERS!')"  (made me laugh)

"And then I remember a story my friend Deborah the psychologist told me once.  Back in the 1980's, she was asked by the city of Philadelphia if she could volunteer to offer psychological counseling to a group of Cambodian refugees - boat people - who had recently arrived in the city.  Deborah is an exceptional psychologist, but she was terribly daunted by this task.  These Cambodians had suffered the worst of what humans can inflict on each other - genocide, rape, torture, starvation, the murder of their relatives before their eyes, then long years in refugee camps and dangerous boat trips to the West where people died and corpses were fed to sharks - what could Deborah offer these people in terms of help?  How could she possibly relate to their suffering?

'But don't you know,' Deborah reported to me, 'what all these people wanted to talk about, once they could see a counselor?'

It was all: I met this guy when I was living in the refugee camp, and we fell in love.  I thought he really loved me, but then we were separated on different boats, and he took up with my cousin.  Now he's married to her, but he says he really loves me, and he keeps calling me, and I know I should tell him to go away, but I still love him and I can't stop thinking about him.  And I don't know what to do...

This is what we are like.  Collectively, as a species, this is our emotional landscape.  I met an old lady once, almost one hundred years old, and she told me, 'There are only two questions that human beings have ever fought over, all through history.  How much do you love me? And Who's in charge?'  Everything else is somehow manageable."  (made me think, plus an interesting return to the start of my learning about people and the world through books)

           Choose your rating:

          - Changed. My. Life.
          - I laughed, I cried, I want you to read it
          - A definite page-turner
          - Good to check out but don't spend the cash.
          - Why did I waste my weekend on this?
          - A disgrace to paper everywhere

Flip to page 2, 22, or 202. Share the 7th sentence on the page. 

"My thoughts have become like old neighbors, kind of bothersome but ultimately rather endearing -- Mr. and Mrs. Yakkity-Yak and their three dumb children, Blah, Blah and Blah."

"The Apocalypse has never been funnier."

~ Tell us the title: GOOD OMENS

~ Who penned this work?: NEIL GAIMAN & TERRY PRATCHETT

~ How did this piece find it's way to your nightstand?: I DISCOVERED IT HIDING IN THE SHELVES AT BARNES & NOBLE AND REALIZED IT WAS ONE OF NEIL GAIMAN'S BOOKS THAT I DIDN'T ALREADY OWN (VERY RARE)

~ Number of pages: 412

~ Time passed from start to finish?: I READ THIS ONE SLOWLY, SIPPING IT LIKE A NICE WINE.  EVEN AT THAT, I'D SAY NO MORE THAN 2 WEEKS

~ Describe the cover: WHITE BACKGROUND WITH RED WRITING, AND A NICE HANDSOME DEMON LOUNGING AROUND.

~ In what section of the bookstore would a reader find this?: SCI-FI, APPARENTLY. 
~ Summary of the basic plot: "ACCORDING TO THE NICE AND ACCURATE PROPHECIES OF AGNES NUTTER, WITCH (THE WORLD'S ONLY COMPLETELY ACCURATE BOOK OF PROPHECIES, WRITTEN IN 1655, BEFORE SHE EXPLODED), THE WORLD WILL END ON A SATURDAY.  NEXT SATURDAY, IN FACT.  JUST BEFORE DINNER.  SO THE ARMIES OF GOOD AND EVIL ARE AMASSING.  ATLANTIS IS RISING, FROGS ARE FALLING, TEMPERS ARE FLARING.  EVERYTHING APPEARS TO BE GOING ACCORDING TO DIVINE PLAN.  EXCEPT A SOMEWHAT FUSSY ANGEL AND A FAST-LIVING DEMON - BOTH OF WHOM HAVE LIVED AMONGST EARTH'S MORTALS SINCE THE BEGINNING AND HAVE GROWN RATHER FOND OF THE LIFESTYLE - ARE NOT ACTUALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO THE COMING RAPTURE.  AND SOMEONE SEEMS TO HAVE MISPLACED THE ANTICHRIST..."

~ Background information on the story/author: THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THESE TWO WROTE A BOOK TOGETHER.  TERRY PRATCHETT I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH, BUT HE APPEARS TO BE A MORE HUMOR-INCLINED AUTHOR.  I'M CERTAIN HE BROUGHT MANY OF THE LAUGH OUT LOUD MOMENTS TO THE BOOK.  COMBINED WITH GAIMAN'S MASTERY OF WORDS, IT WAS AWESOME!

 
~ What did you think of it? (your general response, what you liked or didn't like, what you learned, anything else you want to share about it): I LOVED IT!!  I HAVE YET TO DISLIKE A NEIL GAIMAN BOOK, BUT THIS IS ONE OF THE TOP THREE EASILY (IF YOU CAN COUNT THE INTRODUCTION TO 'FRAGILE THINGS' A BOOK).  A PERFECT BALANCE OF HUMOR, WHIMSY, DRAMA, AND THOUGHT-PROVOKING IDEAS.

~ Which page was your favorite? Share why: THIS IS SO HARD!  WHEN I READ, IF I FIND A PAGE I LOVE, I EARMARK THE BOTTOM PAGE OF THE BOOK.  I CAN HARDLY CLOSE THIS ONE ANYMORE, SINCE NEARLY EVERY PAGE IS FOLDED OVER.  I'M GOING TO PICK ONE, AND GO WITH PAGE 56, WHERE CROWLEY IS REMINDING AZIRAPHALE JUST HOW LONG ETERNITY IS IN HEAVEN, (HAVING TO WATCH 'THE SOUND OF MUSIC' FOR ALL OF IT)

~ If the story was made into a movie, who would you cast as the main characters? CROWLEY IS GEORGE CLOONEY.  OR MAYBE HUGH LAURIE.  AZIRAPHALE IS MATT DAMON? MAYBE (THINKING OF HIM IN THE INFORMANT).  ANATHEMA IS BRITTANY MURPHY (SAD, SORRY, BUT SHE WOULD HAVE BEEN GREAT IN THAT ROLE).  AND... ADAM I HAVE NO IDEA. NEWT IS SOMEONE LIKE OWEN WILSON PERHAPS.

~ Share a quote that was worth reading twice. Explain why: I'M JUST GOING TO SHARE A FEW I LOVED... AND FOR YOUR SAKE, I'LL GET RID OF THE CAPS (SORRY, IT WAS A BAD IDEA, BUT ONCE I WAS HALFWAY THROUGH THIS REVIEW, I WASN'T GOING TO GO BACK AND CHANGE IT) 

"Anathema tried every method of search she could think of.  There was the methodical quartering of the ground.  There was the slapdash poking at the bracken by the roadside.  There was the nonchalant sidling up to it and looking out of the side of her eye.  She even tried the one which every romantic nerve in  her body insisted should work, which consisted of theatrically giving up, sitting down, and letting her glance fall naturally on a patch of earth which, if she had been in any decent narrative, should have contained the book."

(On Newt Pulsifer's crazy Japanese car, the Wasabi):

    "Newt had never actually seen another one on the road, despite his best efforts.  For years, and without much conviction, he'd enthused to his friends about its economy and efficiency in the desperate hope that one of them might buy one, because misery loves company.

    In vain did he point out its 823cc engine, its three-speed gearbox, its incredible safety devices like the balloons which inflated on dangerous occasions such as when you were doing 45 mph on a straight dry road but were about to crash because a huge safety balloon had just obscured the view.  He'd also wax slightly lyrical about the Korean-made radio, which picked up Radio Pyongyang incredibly well, and the simulated electronic voice which warned you about not wearing a seatbelt even when you were; it had been programmed by someone who not only didn't understand English, but didn't understand Japanese either.  It was state of the art, he said.  

    The art in this case was probably pottery."

"As he stared over the top of his map, a door in the saucer slid aside with a satisfying whoosh, revealing a gleaming walkway which extended automatically down to the road.  Brilliant blue light shone out, outlining three alien shapes.  They walked down the ramp.  At least, two of them walked.  The one that looked like a pepper pot just skidded down it, and fell over at the bottom."

~ Choose your rating:
          - Changed. My. Life.
          - I laughed, I cried, I want you to read it
          - A definite page-turner
          - Good to check out but don't spend the cash.
          - Why did I waste my weekend on this?
          - A disgrace to paper everywhere

~ Flip to page 2, 22, or 202. Share the 7th sentence on the page."The crowd drew nearer, one or two of its members a little uncertain as to whether they'd done the right thing, now they came to think about it."

Of All Time

~ Tell us the title:  

Stardust

~ Who penned this work?:

The astounding Neil Gaiman

~ How did this piece find it's way to your nightstand?:

It was a recommended book on the B&N table, and I bought it on a whim.  I'm not sure it ever made it to my nightstand, however, once I cracked the cover.

~ Number of pages:

248

~ Time passed from start to finish?:

8 hours at the most

~ Describe the cover:

A whimsical swirl of blue vines accented with some gold scroll-like text boxes

~ In what section of the bookstore would a reader find this?:

Is 'amazing' a section?  No?  Well them I would tend to say Fantasy or Fiction perhaps, but I know that B&N always puts Neil in the Sci-Fi section, for reasons I don't entirely understand.

~ Summary of the basic plot:

From the cover: Young Tristan Thorn will do anything to win the cold heart of beautiful Victoria -- even fetch her the star they watch fall from the night sky.  But to do so, he must enter the unexplored lands on the other side of the ancient wall that gives their tiny village its name.  Beyond that old stone wall, Tristan learns, lies Faerie -- where nothing, not even a fallen star, is what he imagined.

~ Background information on the story/author:

From the cover: Neil Gaiman is the critically acclaimed, award-winning creator of the Sandman series of graphic novels; author of the novels Anansi Boys, American Gods, Neverwhere, and Coraline; the short fiction collections Smoke and Mirros and the upcoming [it's released now] Fragile Things; and the bestselling children's books The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish and The Wolves in the Walls. 

From my mind: My favorite author of all time.  Greatly under-appreciated in the greater public awareness of literature.  Creator of my greatest verbal intoxication.

~ What did you think of it? (your general response, what you liked or didn't like, what you learned, anything else you want to share about it):

I can't say enough.  This is my favorite story and favorite author...ever?  I can't really say that because I certainly haven't read every book there is on the planet, but for my first twenty-five years this certainly wins the prize.  I LOVE THIS BOOK!  The story is so simple, yet the most utterly romantic concept EVER, with of course a beautifully unexpected twist and ending.  His style of writing mesmerizes me... it's at once stunningly simple (I hate when writers think an excess of adjectives creates beautiful writing), yet flows and melds and twists and twirls (much like the visual on the cover of the book) to create a delicious collection of text.  It just blows me away, and my own writing skills simply can't do it justice. 

~ Which page was your favorite? Share why:

Page 68-69, whereupon a star falls from the sky. You simply have to read it to understand :)

~ If the story was made into a movie, who would you cast as the main characters?

Don't even get me started on the movie.  It already was made into a movie, and though the movie was pretty good, it did very little justice to the story.  Claire Danes should NOT have been the star.

~ Share a quote that was worth reading twice. Explain why:

"He stared up at the stars: and it seemed to him then that they were dancers, stately and graceful, performing a dance almost infinite in its complexity.  He imagined he could see the very faces of the stars; pale, they were, and smiling gently, as if they had spent so much time above the world, watching the scrambling and the joy and the pain of the people below them, that they could not help being amused every time another little human believed itself the center of its world, as each of us does."  (I don't feel I need to explain why)

Choose your rating:

- Changed. My. Life.

-I laughed, I cried, I want you to read it

-A definite page-turner
  - Good to check out but don't spend the cash.
- Why did I waste my weekend on this?
- A disgrace to paper everywhere

~ Flip to page 2, 22, or 202. Share the 7th sentence on the page.

"The snowdrop chimed in his hand."

Meditations on Mortality from the Human Anatomy Lab

~ Tell us the title:  Body of Work

~ Who penned this work?: Christine Montross

~ How did this piece find it's way to your nightstand?: It called out to me from the shelf at Book Warehouse.  For only $4.99, I couldn't NOT get it...

~ Number of pages: 292

~ Time passed from start to finish?: I'd say about 3 days

~ Describe the cover: A strange vaguely tinted shade of greenish blue and a faint image of a cadaver covered in gauze.

~ In what section of the bookstore would a reader find this?: Biography/memoir, maybe medical or health

~ Summary of the basic plot: A woman who went to medical school reflects on her experience with human cadaver dissection and what she learned from the process.

~ Background information on the story/author: From the inside: Dr. Christina Montross is a resident in psychiatry at Brown University.  She received her master's of fine arts in poetry from the University of Michigan and has had several poems published in literary journals.  While compiling this book, she traveled to anatomical theaters, sought out holy relics, and dissected three arms, a leg, and an entire human body.  She lives in Rhode Island with her partner, Deborah, and their one-year-old daughter, Maude. 

~ What did you think of it? (your general response, what you liked or didn't like, what you learned, anything else you want to share about it): I thoroughly enjoyed it.  I found it really interesting that she had a fine art degree and then went on to medical school -- I think it gave both her experiences in medical school and the stories she shared about them a unique perspective for the reader.  This wasn't a woman who was all about science her whole life, she was about as sensitive as they get (a poet, I mean, come on) and yet she survived dissecting a human being. 

~ Which page was your favorite? Share why: Page 121.  The author shares how strange it is that even a few weeks into medical school, people automatically assume she can answer every question about every ailment they have, friends and family members included.  How so quickly, with just putting on a lab coat, people completely expose themselves physically and emotionally to these 'doctors', not realizing that they know little more than their patients at that point.

~ If the story was made into a movie, who would you cast as the main characters? No. Idea.
~ Share a quote that was worth reading twice. Explain why: "Dissection, we discover, is in part a process of beginning to name parts of our own bodies whose names we have never known.  We find a structure beneath our skin, a place we have toweled dry perhaps ten thousand times and never noticed, and then we uncover it in our cadaver, feel the shape of it, learn its purpose."  I just found this interesting (as something I can relate to, having done dissections), but also rather poetically put.  There were a lot of quotes like that in the book. 

~ Choose your rating:
          - Changed. My. Life.
          - I laughed, I cried, I want you to read it
          - A definite page-turner
          - Good to check out but don't spend the cash.
          - Why did I waste my weekend on this?
          - A disgrace to paper everywhere

~ Flip to page 2, 22, or 202. Share the 7th sentence on the page."Two types of forceps are available, one with thin, blunt ends and one with a 'rat tooth' -- a metal V on one end that fits into a corresponding notch on the other -- to grasp and pick away extraneous matter."

A boy and his dogs

~ Tell us the title: The Story of Edgar Sawtelle
~ Who penned this work?: David Wroblewski
~ Number of pages: 561
~ Time passed from start to finish?: Too long, like 6 weeks
~ Describe the cover: Farm setting, with a boy and a dog walking towards a barn
~ In what section of the bookstore would a reader find this?: Fiction
~ Summary of the basic plot: Without giving anything away, it's about a mute boy (he can hear, but uses a made up sign language) and his parents who live on a farm but they raise dogs, and train them to a great extent before selling them.  
~ Background information on the story/author: This was his first book. It takes place in Wisconsin in the 50's, and the author lives in Wisconsin.
~ What did you think of it? He is a great writer, in his phrasing.  He had some excellent thoughts, but holy cow was the ending horrible.  I thought that, then looked online and almost all reviews said the same thing.  He wove a wonderful story, but left so so many of the storylines unfinished.  As one review said, it was almost like he was on a time crunch and just threw an ending together.  It was not satisfying in the least.

~ Which page was your favorite? Share why: I couldn't tell you.  There were a lot. of pages.
~ If the story was made into a movie, who would you cast as the main characters? Well, since the main character is 14 for most of the book, I don't know many 14 year old male actors.
~ Share a quote that was worth reading twice. Explain why: I'm sorry, I returned the book to the library before doing this.  So I have nothing to tell you.
~ Choose your rating:
- Changed. My. Life.
- I laughed, I cried, I want you to read it
- A definite page-turner
- Good to check out but don't spend the cash.
- Why did I waste my weekend on this?
- A disgrace to paper everywhere
~ Flip to page 2, 22, or 202. Share the 7th sentence on the page. That spring their dog, Violet, who was good but wild-hearted, had dug a hole under the fence when she was in heat and run the streets with romance on her mind. (sorry that is not sentence number 7, because that sentence sucked. but this one was good on that page)

it's simple...

~ Tell us the title: keeping life simple
~ Who penned this work?: Karen Levine
~ Number of pages: 154
~ Time passed from start to finish?: 2 days
~ Describe the cover: Very simple. Paper-bag brown with a green and white daisy illustration, title, author and short description
~ In what section of the bookstore would a reader find this?: Not sure actually...probably the gift section or perhaps a self-help(ish) type section.
~ Summary of the basic plot: There is not really a plot. The book contains guidelines, tips and ideas for keeping life simple.
~ Background information on the story/author: Well, the author is a contributing editor to Parents magazine, which I was not surprised to discover once I had finished the book...
~ What did you think of it? I really enjoyed what a light,quick and somewhat inspiring read it was. I also liked how many ideas it shared, however, I was expecting a little more substance. The first chapter contains some great guiding principles and an action step to take towards making those principles a bigger part of your life, but that is where that discussion ends. The rest of the book is a list of tips broken down into different categories. I think one of the biggest things I realized, though, is that the book is written from the perspective of a mother. This was quite obvious to me as I read through the book and I struggled to relate at times. It still contained lots of great ideas, but for me it was a struggle to keep focused.

~ Which page was your favorite? Share why: I don't think I really have a favorite page in this book. I suppose I enjoyed the first several pages the most.
~ If the story was made into a movie, who would you cast as the main characters? Um, yeah...no. That movie would not make money.
~ Share a quote that was worth reading twice. Explain why: "Remember, you really do have the capacity to make choices. And that is the key to your simpler life." This really stuck out to me because I have been pondering the power of choice lately and I found this to be one of the most simple, yet powerful quotes in the book.
~ Choose your rating:
- Changed. My. Life.
- I laughed, I cried, I want you to read it
- A definite page-turner
- Good to check out but don't spend the cash. (unless you are a mom and want tons of ideas for making your life more simple)
- Why did I waste my weekend on this?
- A disgrace to paper everywhere
~ Flip to page 2, 22, or 202. Share the 7th sentence on the page. Page 222 does not exist and there is a chart on page 22, so here we go: "On the pragmatic level, we hope to help you simplify your life by offering tips and hints for accomplishing tasks and chores more efficiently."

tales of fate and fortune on the road

~ Tell us the title: the Kindness of Strangers

~ Who penned this work?: 26 different people

~ How did this piece find it's way to your nightstand?: yet another fateful trip to Powells

~ Number of pages: 271

~ Time passed from start to finish?: about a month(ish)

~ Describe the cover: There is an outline of a human torso and strangely shaped head with a heart outline in the middle of the head and whimsical, childlike text declaring the title and basic information.

~ In what section of the bookstore would a reader find this?: Probably travel, but I found it on a random shelf while passing by in hopes of escaping the store with only one book...

~ Summary of the basic plot: It is a collection of true short stories of adventures and encounters with strangers during travel all over the world.

~ Background information on the story/author: Each story in the book is shared by a different author, but they all get a little mini bio at the beginning of their story. Most authors have penned other works in newspapers, magazines and/or their own books.

~ What did you think of it? It was great! Each story is only a few pages long, so it was easy to read a story a day quickly and not feel that I should be using my time more wisely. :) It made me long to indulge my sense of adventure and either get lost somewhere in the world or pick up a hitchhiker and learn of their journey. It also reminded me that simple kindness towards one another no matter what barriers may exist is beautiful and powerful.

~ Which page was your favorite? Perhaps the table of contents because it represents the diversity that exists within the pages. :)

~ If the story was made into a movie, who would you cast as the main characters? Um...this would be hard considering the whole 26 different stories thing...

~ Share a quote that was worth reading twice. "Here's what I love about travel: strangers get a chance to amaze you. Sometimes a single day can bring a blooming surprise, a simple kindness that opens a chink in the brittle shell of your heart and makes you a different person when you go to sleep - more tender, less jaded - than the one you were when you woke up."

Also: "DECENT UNDERWEAR: It's important."

~ Choose your rating: I laughed, I cried, I want you to read it

~ Flip to page 2, 22, or 202. Share the 7th sentence on the page. Then, after a few moments of reflection, my host reached down to the floor next to his bed and picked up what I took to be his two most valuable belongings.

Memoirs of a boy soldier

~ Tell us the title: A Long Way Gone

~ Who penned this work?: Ishmael Beah

 
~ How did this piece find it's way to your nightstand?: My sister gave it to me for my 25th birthday.  It got lost in boxes during my packing and moving, and patiently waited for my eyeballs to see it again.  

~ Number of pages: 229

~ Time passed from start to finish?: Three days

~ Describe the cover: A small boy walks, staring at the ground, on a dirt road, wearing green flip flops with holes in the soles and a gun slung over his shoulder.

~ In what section of the bookstore would a reader find this?: Memoir, Biography

~ Summary of the basic plot: From back cover: At the age of twelve, Ishmael Beah fled attacking rebels in Sierra Leone and wandered a land rendered unrecognizable by violence.  By thirteen, he'd been picked up by the government army, and Beah, at heart a gentle boy, found that he was capable of truly terrible acts.  At sixteen, he was removed from fighting by UNICEF, and through the help of the staff at this rehabilitation center, he learned how to forgive himself, to regain his humanity, and, finally, to heal. 

~ Background information on the story/author: From inside: Ishmael Beah was born in Sierra Leone in 1980.  He moved to the United States in 1998 and finished his last two years of high school at the United Nations International School in New York.  He graduated from Oberlin College in 2004.  He is a member of the Human Rights Watch Children's Rights Division Advisory Committee and has spoken before the United Nations, the Council on Foreign Relations, the Center for Emerging Threats and Opportunities (CETO) at the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory, and many other NGO panels on children affected by war.  He is also the head of the Ishmael Beah Foundation, which is dedicated to helping former child soldiers reintegrate into society and improve their lives.  His work has appeared in VespertinePress and LIT magazine.  He lives in Brooklyn. 

~ What did you think of it? (your general response, what you liked or didn't like, what you learned, anything else you want to share about it): Wow. Yet again, a memoir written by a child of war has blown me away.  This book, like many others, includes a map in the front, which really helps to put the story in context for me.  Only 4 years older than me, I can relate much better to the timeline and cultural references as well.  There is also a list at the back of the book with a succinct history of the country.  I have learned more about world history from reading memoirs such as this than I ever learned in school.  Several things stand out to me that I wasn't expecting.  First, the writing is clear & concise, yet beautiful & evocative.  Much of the story is written with the voice of the child he was at the time, which I find notable.  He didn't write the story as an adult looking back, but rather as the part of him that's still that child, remembering things as they happened.  I was blown away by the things Ishmael experienced.  It's incomprehensible, especially when you consider the parallels in time.  It's easy to think of these stories as happening far in the past, in a wholly different place and time, but Ishmael was killing his first person when I was learning about Lewis and Clark in 4th grade.  He was completely robbed of his childhood, and the unfairness in that is striking.  For some reason, I assumed that his rehabilitation had taken place in the US (shame on me for that), and was surprised that it took place in his own country.  After the joy of realizing that he had an uncle in Freetown that would take him in, I was furious with what became of the situation a few years later, feeling that Ishmael had simply been through too much already.  I also felt slightly angry at the intro, where it calmly states that he moved to the US in 1998, when in fact he fled from war for the second time, constantly in fear and unsure whether he would survive. 

~ Which page was your favorite? Share why: Page 200.  Ishmael was selected to come to the United States to speak about his experiences, and found a group of fellow children and adults who cared for him and became very close with him.  As he is leaving, everyone bursts into tears and says goodbye.  The closing to the page weighed on my mind.  He said: "I was sad to leave, but I was also pleased to have met people outside of Sierra Leone.  Because if I was to get killed upon my return, I knew that a memory of my existence was alive somewhere in the world."

~ If the story was made into a movie, who would you cast as the main characters?  I have no idea. 

~ Share a quote that was worth reading twice. Explain why: "I walked behind the coffin, the sound of my footsteps clinging to my heart."   During the time period when Ishmael was a soldier, the children soldiers were drugged with cocaine and other drugs (another thing I was completely shocked by) to keep them energized and numb their emotions.  The contrast between that time of his life and how much he FELT when this quote happened was astounding.

~ Choose your rating:
          - Changed. My. Life.
          - I laughed, I cried, I want you to read it
          - A definite page-turner
          - Good to check out but don't spend the cash.
          - Why did I waste my weekend on this?
          - A disgrace to paper everywhere

~ Flip to page 2, 22, or 202. Share the 7th sentence on the page: "But on the first day of school in Freetown, all the students sat apart from us, as if Mohamed and I were going to snap any minute and kill someone."

Politics, paranoia, and country music

~ Tell us the title: The Liar's Lullaby

~ Who penned this work?: Meg Gardiner

~ How did this piece find it's way to your nightstand?: Library Convention

~ Number of pages: 388

~ Time passed from start to finish?: About 3 days

~ Describe the cover: Black background with orange and white text, a cut off image of a woman's face and the city in the background.

~ In what section of the bookstore would a reader find this?: Fiction, Murder Mystery, Thriller

~ Summary of the basic plot: From the back: Forensic psychiatrist Jo Beckett is called upon to investigate a celebrity's shocking death in hopes of averting a national catastrophe.

~ What did you think of it? (your general response, what you liked or didn't like, what you learned, anything else you want to share about it): It was another page-turning story by Ms. Gardiner.  The plot line in this book was a little less interesting than her first two books with Jo Beckett, but was still a good read.  There were less dramatic twists, which I was pleased about, and instead the twists were completely unexpected. 

~ Which page was your favorite? Share why: In this book, President McFarland (President of the US) is from Montana.  About dang time!

~ If the story was made into a movie, who would you cast as the main characters? Dr. Beckett is the same as in previous reviews.  President McFarland is probably Bill Pullman, and for crazy Tasia I think of Heidi Montag.

~ Share a quote that was worth reading twice. Explain why: "Her guardian angel shot her a salute and said, Good luck with that, honey.  You're on your own."  I just thought it was funny.

~ Choose your rating:
          - Changed. My. Life.
          - I laughed, I cried, I want you to read it
          - A definite page-turner
          - Good to check out but don't spend the cash.
          - Why did I waste my weekend on this?
          - A disgrace to paper everywhere

~ Flip to page 2, 22, or 202. Share the 7th sentence on the page: "Mark."

Words to live by

The title: The Other 90%: How to unlock your vast untapped potential for leadership and life

Who penned this work?: Robert K. Cooper

How did this piece find it's way to your nightstand?: I like to wander down the aisles at the library. Seriously. I saw it and picked it up, thinking it would be a cheesy self-help book about sports or something. Flipped it open and read a page, realized I was wrong, checked it out, read half of it, and then my mom ordered me my own copy.

Number of pages: 273

Time passed from start to finish?: Hmm, that's hard to say. I started it back in November I think. Read it off and on. I'd say maybe about a month of consistent reading. I read one chapter per day when I got into the swing of things, and that worked out beautifully -- gave me a chance to reflect on what I read before moving on. It's not the type of book you can read in one sitting.

Describe the cover: Nice and cheesy. A picture of a mountain peak, with big bold lettering proclaiming the title.

In what section of the bookstore would a reader find this?: Business, self-help

Summary of the basic plot: The author supposedly provides you with directions to become a more efficient self that conquers the world and becomes an awesome business person. (according to the back). In reality, I saw it as his advice on life. Not a promise to fix yourself. Just a list of things he's learned about life from the people he has known. He divides the book into what he calls the Four Keystones: Trust, Energy, Farsightedness, and Nerve. He includes several stories and snippets of wisdom from his life and his mentors (especially his two grandfathers), as well as stories about extraordinary people to emphasize his points. He not only gives advice, he offers practical suggestions for putting those ideas into action.

What did you think of it? (your general response, what you liked or didn't like, what you learned, anything else you want to share about it): I really enjoyed it. In fact, I took notes, which I found helped. Distilling the information into an outline as I read allows me to go back later and reflect on his suggestions and ideas. I liked the structure (although I don't know if the four keystones were necessary), and liked that he included suggestions that were both idealistic (champion at least one underdog each day) and practical (exercises for improving posture). It rarely ran into the cheesy realm, and was unimposing...I never felt like he was speaking down to his readers.

Which page was your favorite? Share why: 89-91. The story about Art Tatum, a young boy in the early 1900s who loved music, though he was blind. He couldn't afford music lessons, so someone walked him down to saloons to practice on the player pianos. He learned music by feeling the keys move under his fingers, and eventually learned to play. What he didn't know is that when they created the rolls of paper music they used two pianists. Because he didn't know, and no one told him it was impossible, he was the first (and only?) person to learn to play FOUR hands of piano music.

Share a quote that was worth reading twice. Explain why: Where do I start? He includes a lot of quotes from other people, which I enjoyed. There was at least one quote to go with each chapter. One of my favorites was by Thoreau (shocking): "If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away."

Choose your rating:
- Changed. My. Life.
- I laughed, I cried, I want you to read it
- A definite page-turner
- Good to check out but don't spend the cash.
- Why did I waste my weekend on this?
- A disgrace to paper everywhere

Flip to page 2, 22, or 202. Share the 7th sentence on the page: "He looked very old when I first saw him; I found out later he was fifty-nine."

Slick

~ Tell us the title: THE MEMORY COLLECTOR

~ Who penned this work?: MEG GARDINER

~ How did this piece find it's way to your nightstand?: LIBRARY CONVENTION

~ Number of pages: 354

~ Time passed from start to finish?: 2 OR 3 DAYS

~ Describe the cover: BRIGHT PRIMARY YELLOW WITH BLACK CAPS TEXT AND A FAINT OUTLINE IMAGE OF THE CITY

~ In what section of the bookstore would a reader find this?: THRILLER, MURDER MYSTERY, FICTION

~ Summary of the basic plot: JO BECKETT, THE CHARACTER ALSO FROM THE DIRTY SECRETS CLUB, IS CALLED IN TO ASSIST WITH AN AIRLINE PASSENGER GONE CRAZY. HE APPEARS TO BE SUFFERING FROM SHORT TERM MEMORY LOSS, BUT THE REASONS TURN OUT TO BE QUITE SINISTER.

~ Background information on the story/author: THIS IS THE SECOND IN A 'SERIES' IF YOU WILL FEATURING THE CHARACTER JO BECKETT. EACH BOOK INVOLVES A DIFFERENT STORY LINE, BUT A CONSISTENT SMALL CAST OF CHARACTERS.

~ What did you think of it? (your general response, what you liked or didn't like, what you learned, anything else you want to share about it): IT WAS GOOD, A VERY INTERESTING PLOT LINE. THE CHARACTERS WEREN'T QUITE AS ENGAGING AS IN HER LAST BOOK, AND ALTHOUGH YOU NEED NOT HAVE READ THE FIRST, IT CERTAINLY HELPED TO KNOW WHO THE MAIN CHARACTERS WERE GOING INTO IT. AGAIN, THERE WERE A LOT OF TWISTS IN THE STORY LINE, A LITTLE TOO MANY FOR MY TASTE, BUT THEY DEFINITELY WEREN'T PREDICTABLE.

~ If the story was made into a movie, who would you cast as the main characters? SEE POST ON 'THE DIRTY SECRETS CLUB'

~ Share a quote that was worth reading twice. Explain why: I DIDN'T NOTE ANY QUOTES AS I READ. THE STORY ISN'T REALLY A STOP-AND-THINK STORY QUITE AS MUCH AS IT IS A CAN'T-PUT-IT-DOWN SORT OF TALE. I READ IT VERY FAST AND IT WENT BY SMOOTHLY WHICH SAYS GOOD THINGS ABOUT HER WRITING STYLE (SINCE THAT'S THE AIM FOR THIS TYPE OF BOOK, NO?).

~ Choose your rating:

- Changed. My. Life.
- I laughed, I cried, I want you to read it
- A DEFINITE PAGE-TURNER
- Good to check out but don't spend the cash.
- Why did I waste my weekend on this?
- A disgrace to paper everywhere

~ Flip to page 2, 22, or 202. Share the 7th sentence on the page: "BUT IF THIS CHECKPOINT HAD BEEN A PERSON, IT WOULD HAVE OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER."

Welcome to the Dirty Secrets Club

~ Tell us the title:
The Dirty Secrets Club

~ Who penned this work?:
Meg Gardiner

~ How did this piece find it's way to your nightstand?:
Library Convention

~ Number of pages:
394

~ Time passed from start to finish?:
2 days

~ Describe the cover:
Shiny deep red with bold black letters

~ In what section of the bookstore would a reader find this?:
Fiction, thriller, murder mystery

~ Summary of the basic plot:
Forensic psychiatrist Jo Beckett is hired by the SFPD to help solve a string of mysterious deaths.

~ Background information on the story/author:
This is the first in a series of novels involving Jo Beckett.

~ What did you think of it? (your general response, what you liked or didn't like, what you learned, anything else you want to share about it):
It was a nice quick read, definitely unique in the world of 'thriller' stories. The main characters were fleshed out pretty well, and all really likable. There were a LOT of twists, especially at the end, and to be honest it felt like one too many. A few is a pleasant surprise, but by the end of the story I kept saying 'seriously??? Another one?' It was also nice to read a story with current references (Ms. Gardiner is younger than the typical thriller writer), but they also went a little too far and it felt like she was emphasizing them just a touch too much. All in all an enjoyable read, though.

~ If the story was made into a movie, who would you cast as the main characters?
Jo Beckett would be played by Yolanthe Cabau van Kasbergen. Yes, she's a dutch soap opera star, and I just googled brown curly hair actress and she popped up, but she actually looks exactly like I imagine that the character does.

~ Share a quote that was worth reading twice. Explain why:
The author really likes to use ridiculous analogies, which I kind of enjoyed. For example "He was so clean and so sober that you could scrub him against a brick wall and scrape off graffiti."

~ Choose your rating:

- Changed. My. Life.
- I laughed, I cried, I want you to read it
- A definite page-turner
- Good to check out but don't spend the cash.
- Why did I waste my weekend on this?
- A disgrace to paper everywhere

~ Flip to page 2, 22, or 202. Share the 7th sentence on the page.
"Bodies, clothing, jewelry, lives -- all went horribly awry in the milliseconds of impact."

Impacting Everywhere Soon

~ Tell us the title: Blonde Bombshell (A comedy of intergalactic proportions)
~ Who penned this work?: Tom Holt
~ How did this piece find it's way to your nightstand?: It came from the lovely library convention
~ Number of pages: 378
~ Time passed from start to finish?: About a week?
~ Describe the cover: A pretty bright blue with bold black and white writing. Plus a giant bomb heading towards Earth.
~ In what section of the bookstore would a reader find this?: Fiction, comedy, science fiction
~ Summary of the basic plot: A bomb equipped with artificial intelligence is on a mission from the planet Ostar (inhabited by dogs) to destroy planet Earth. Apparently the musical emissions the Earth sends into space are driving the dogs insane.
~ Background information on the story/author: Tom Holt is from London, England. His biography in the back of the book says that "At Oxford he studied bar billiards, ancient Greek agriculture and the care and feeding of small, temperamental Japanese motorcycle engines...", among other silly things.
~ What did you think of it? (your general response, what you liked or didn't like, what you learned, anything else you want to share about it): I thought it was rather hilarious. The plot line was innovative and fun, and the dialogue was witty and engaging. Books that are considered 'comedy' rarely make me laugh more than a few times, but I was amused throughout pretty much the entire story.
~ Which page was your favorite? Share why: Page 25-26. One of the main characters takes a walk in the woods and sees a unicorn. The ensuing internal dialogue is hilarious.
~ If the story was made into a movie, who would you cast as the main characters? Cameron Diaz would definitely be Lucy Pavlov. And Aaron Eckhart would be a smashing Mark Twain. Beyond that I'm not sure.
~ Share a quote that was worth reading twice. Explain why: There are several quotes that I read twice. I enjoyed the sheer randomness and humor of them.

"Not every day you hallucinate members of the medieval bestiary. But it wasn't a hallucination. Figments of the imagination don't shit in the woods. And if they do, their shit doesn't smell so confoundedly realistic. therefore, it was a unicorn."

"There's a lot of things it could be, she said. Amnesia, incipient dementia, mercury poisoning, exposure to high levels of epsilon radiation. Or it could just mean you've been married for longer than eighteen months."

""Sometimes, she said, we choose to blot out whole chunks of our past, simply because they bother us, and we decide we don't want to carry that stuff around with us any more. It's a choice, not a medical condition. For example, I can't recall a single detail of the first time I met my future brother-in-law. Judging by the fact that it was also the last time I met him, and every time my husband suggests we get together my brother-in-law says, 'Keep that crazy bitch the hell away from me,' I gather that we didn't get on."

"She spent the afternoon fixing a small problem with the PavSoft grammar-and-spelling elf -- the poor thing had reacted badly to the latest compatibility upgrades, with the result that it'd taken to wandering forlornly across spreadsheets, curling up in a corner and sobbing uncontrollably..."

(referring to Earth) "On a planet still mostly powered by flammable goo derived from the crushed corpses of long-dead krill..."

"She had a suspicion that she was falling in love. If true, that could prove to be a real nuisance, given that the man (to use the term loosely) constituted the biggest threat that humanity and the Earth had ever faced. It was a bit like getting romantically involved with the Black Death, or having a crush on George Bush."

~ Choose your rating:

- Changed. My. Life.
- I laughed, I cried, I want you to read it
- A definite page-turner
- Good to check out but don't spend the cash.
- Why did I waste my weekend on this?
- A disgrace to paper everywhere

~ Flip to page 2, 22, or 202. Share the 7th sentence on the page. "And, since she'd had no part in putting the clever brains inside the pretty body, but was merely the beneficiary of the result, she saw nothing she could justifiably take credit for."