dtrpath27

Just want to say, I'm a huge Big Bang Theory fan and live in the United States. I haven't heard anything on the news or seen anything in tabloids at the check out lanes that even mentions Kaley Cuoco and her weight at anytime in the past few months, so I was really surprised to read your posts. I'm not saying that I couldn't find someone who said something if I went digging for it, but I really don't think it's at the forefront of our news coverage.

I'm wishing we weren't out of propane on our grill. It's 80 degrees and perfect weather throw something on the grill!

I'm having trouble getting into something as well. I started three different books: two library books that I didn't like & am taking back and one a Kindle book sample. I liked the sample a lot but it was more than I wanted to spend for an ebook, and they don't have it at the library yet. I started a fourth one that is straight non-fiction. I'm enjoying it so far, but we'll see how that goes. The Rosie Project was so well-done that I'm having a hard time going to another fiction piece!

Just put Mr. Owita's Guide to Gardening on hold at the library. So excited to read it! Incidentally, it's a Memoir, not a gardening book; luckily I'm also interested in gardening, or else I might have passed it over. The sample was great and I can't wait to read more!

A very interesting question... A lot of books published for children in the 17 & 1800's seem very mature and/or advanced by today's standards. Even fairy tales, if you've ever read the original Brothers Grimm, were rather gory and would not be considered appropriate for children if written today. I agree with you that there are some underlying adult themes, but it was written in a time when children were expected to be little adults, so does historical context come into play here? Also, are these themes any different from the innuendos found in every kid movie today, the totally inappropriate jokes/references that the parents get, but go straight over the children's heads? Is this just the 1865 version of that? Just some thoughts...

That's coming up fast!

Such a great book! It seems like it's been a hit with quite a few people around here!

March 2014 - Book Nine The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion Publishing Information: ©2013 by Simon & Schuster Pages: 305 Genre: Fiction Setting: Present day Melbourne and New York City Main Characters: Don Tillman (Genetics professor), Rosie, Gene (psychology professor and Don's best friend), and Claudia (Gene's wife) Amazon Synopsis: MEET DON TILLMAN, a brilliant yet socially challenged professor of genetics, who’s decided it’s time he found a wife. And so, in the orderly, evidence-based manner with which Don approaches all things, he designs the Wife Project to find his perfect partner: a sixteen-page, scientifically valid survey to filter out the drinkers, the smokers, the late arrivers. Rosie Jarman is all these things. She also is strangely beguiling, fiery, and intelligent. And while Don quickly disqualifies her as a candidate for the Wife Project, as a DNA expert Don is particularly suited to help Rosie on her own quest: identifying her biological father. When an unlikely relationship develops as they collaborate on the Father Project, Don is forced to confront the spontaneous whirlwind that is Rosie—and the realization that, despite your best scientific efforts, you don’t find love, it finds you. Arrestingly endearing and entirely unconventional, Graeme Simsion’s distinctive debut will resonate with anyone who has ever tenaciously gone after life or love in the face of great challenges. The Rosie Project is a rare find: a book that restores our optimism in the power of human connection. Impressions: Chalk up another vote for The Rosie Project! I have to be honest, though, I originally did not want to read this book. The first description of it that I saw online and even the classification of the book billed it as a Romance, and I'm not especially into romances so it turned me off to it a bit. I started seeing it pop up around here in posts, though, and for $1.99 price tag, I figured why not. I'm so glad I did! It was funny, charming and heart-warming. The romance was just one tiny aspect of this great story. I wholeheartedly recommend this book and will definitely be reading it again. This one is worth a trip to the bookstore to buy an actual copy.

Oyster

Just finished The Rosie Project. I absolutely loved it! I would absolutely recommend it.

Nice! It's great to have such company on this. IRL, the only people I've met who love this series as much as I do all live in my house.

I agree that it was quite absurd, but the absurdity appealed to me. I read the Forrest Gump review as well, but tried to forget it as I felt it lessened my enjoyment of this book. For me, it was fun just to roll with it. It is, isn't it? I'm always on the lookout for something new and to broaden my exposure to different books/authors, and the reviews on here are always so good for that!

If it's not one thing it's another! Hopefully you can catch a break soon.

Best of luck on your driver's exam. If it makes you feel any better, it took me three tries to pass! Dental work is the worst! It sounds like some rest is just what you need. Get well soon!

I'm about 70% of the way through The Rosie Project. I'm absolutely loving it so far. It's not at all l what I expected - in a good way!

Holy moly! You have quite a few.books there! I thought my library stack was big...

March 2014 - Book Eight Russian Winter by Daphne Kalotay Publishing Information: ©2010 by Harper Collins Pages: 496 Setting: Stalin-era Russia and modern-day Boston Genre: Historical Fiction Synopsis: Russian Winter tells the tale of two characters: the young and beautiful prima ballerina Nina Revskaya, living and dancing in Russia during the reign of Stalin and her modern-day much older self, confined to a wheelchair in her Boston apartment and haunted by the ghosts of her past. Details of Nina's painful life are gently revealed as auction house researcher Drew Brooks works to prepare Ms. Revskaya's extensive jewelry collection for auction. The anonymous donation of an Amber necklace that appears to match rare pieces in Ms. Revskaya's collection by university professor Grigori Solodin further deepens the mystery surrounding her life. Impressions: In this debut novel, Kalotay artfully weaves together the lives of her characters creating a mesmerizing ebb and flow of beautiful prose that is a pleasure to read. Unfortunately, the lovely cadence of the story is somewhat marred by a comparatively abrupt ending that leaves several questions unanswered. Although the conclusions are easy enough to draw, I found it to be out of keeping with the rest of the book, almost as if the author wrote the ending in the hopes of someday adding a sequel. Nonetheless, the good far outweighed the bad and I would not hesitate to read it again or to recommend it to others.

What a great idea! Do you ever go back through and just absorb all the delicious quotes you've found? I'm a bit of a word nerd. I keep a word journal that contains new words I've come across or old words that I forgot I knew.

Hmm...sometimes I also have to read a book twice before I really can enjoy it. After that I usually wind up loving it. Thank you so much for the review. It does sound like an interesting premise.

Thanks!

Earlier today I finished reading Russian Winter by Daphne Kalotay. Loved her writing style and the book, still thinking about the ending. Next I'm debating among How to Eat a Cupcake by Meg Donahue, The Rosie Project, or something else entirely.

Sometimes a light read is exactly what is called for! I actually.enjoy reading this sort of thing (especially after a stressful day) and will definitely check it out.

Very good review. It's been a long time since I've read this book. I'll have to read it again and see what I think.

That shows a considerable level of restraint! Hope you found some great ones.

I can see why the story drew you in at first. It's a shame it didn't pan out.