bethany725
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Posts posted by bethany725
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Curious if anyone else has read this book?
It sounds SO great to me (see synopsis below), and I stuck it in my buggy as soon as I read the back of it in the bookstore. However, since then, I've tried to read it and just couldn't get into it. It went slowly for me and I kept getting distracted and had to re-read. Eventually I gave up.
I want to give it another try one day because it just sounds so fabulous.
Anyone else tried this one before??
Synopsis:
From the outside, the Knowles family appeared to have it all
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Reviews are sort of what I had in mind when I thought of taking notes.. Sometimes I just read inactively and I finish a book and I know if I liked it or not.. but it's hard for me to really pin down WHAT I liked about it, or why. It makes it really hard for me to sort of review a book in whole, since I only take away my final impressions and can't remember my first impressions and the development as much (especially with long books).
I've been reading some today and trying this out, and I think the notes have been really helpful for me so far. Especially with things like perspective changes and shifts from one time period to another, it's been helping me sort those things out and keep them straight. I notice for sure that I tend to make more notes as the characters are being developed early on, and I jot down things as I draw conclusions about them. I've also kept a running list of some questions that I have along the way, and a couple of them I've already been able to answer just from reading further and stringing parts together.
Overall, I'm hoping it actually enhances my reading experience, rather than detracts from it. I (and this is only me!) tend to just read mindlessly sometimes, and I feel like I might be able to take away more if I can look back at the end and see the true "big picture" and understand the developments that took the story from beginning to end. Hopefully it will help make my own little reviews, critiques, and ramblings about books stronger and more developed.
We'll see.. could be something I try once, hate, and never do again. But I figure it's worth a shot!
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Hi everyone
I'm trying something new with the novel I just started reading.. I've started taking notes as I go along. Mainly first impressions and details of the characters, details about the setting and the time period, etc. I often find that as I read a book and my perspective changes or shifts based on the knowledge of the characters/plot/etc, I get to the end and forget how I felt in the beginning of the book. I sort of do a more 'inactive' reading thing and don't really take notice of some of the details about the characters and situations that could lend me insight as I travel further into the story.
So this time, in an effort to be a more 'active' reader, I'm taking these notes so it hopefully builds my understanding better. I'll see if it works!
Does anyone else do this or any form of note-taking while reading? Would love to hear what does and doesn't work for others.
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Picked Drowning Ruth (Christina Schwarz) as my next fiction read, since it was on my shelf and sounds really good!:
"....In the winter of 1919, a young mother named Mathilda Neumann drowns beneath the ice of a rural Wisconsin lake. The shock of her death dramatically changes the lives of her daughter, troubled sister, and husband....Told in the voices of several of the main characters and skipping back and forth in time, the narrative gradually and tantalizingly reveals the dark family secrets and the unsettling discoveries that lead to the truth of what actually happened the night of the drowning....Schwarz certainly succeeds at keeping the reade engrossed." -Francine Prose, US Weekly
I'm on page 24 and it's really good so far -- the story starts quickly and I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next! Lots of narrative shifts (1st person to 3rd person) and it moves back in forth in time a bit, but it's not hard to follow, so seems nicely done so far!
It was published in 2000, is Schwarz's debut novel, and was selected as part of Oprah's Book Club.. just as a little bit of background on its acknowledgments.
I'm also going to try to pick a classic to read along with it.. Will hopefully start the classic soon also! (Still going for either Wuthering Heights or Jane Eyre!)
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This sounds DELICIOUS, Talisman!! I love saucy things, so this is totally up my alley.
Do you think I could substitute soy milk for the soya cream / rice milk ?
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"Ruth remembered drowning." - Drowning Ruth by Christina Schwarz
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All this talk about parents buying their children books and taking them to the library, etc is fabulous! My parents and my husband's parents all did the same things for us when we were little, and I think that I'm going to make this a top priority when/if we have a child. It's so important!
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It's Cigar Night tonight at the club (for my husband -- NOT for me!
) so we're heading down there after he gets off work. Not sure what they have to offer on the menu, but hopefully I'll find something yummy for dinner there! -
Thanks, although maybe you should try another of his books, some are very different, and there are ones of his that I dislike and so maybe you would like, if you know what I mean?
Possibly.. It can't hurt once I get through some of the other things I have on my list!
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I went to an all boys school where the people that read for pleasure where all called by the same name
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I'd have to say that I think teenagers do still read books, as there's quite a few young adult series / books that are really, really popular right now. However, I went through a period when I was probably.. 16 and went through probably 21 where I didn't read nearly as much. I start driving at 16, and then it was that all my time was consumed with cheerleading and school.. then I started college and who has time to read anything other than class books then? Finally after I grad'd, I picked the habit back up, and haven't stopped since. I sincerely hope that most teenagers don't go through the same phase I did, but if some of them do, I can certainly relate and understand it.
Also, as another angle.. there are so many other sources of entertainment now that are available to teenagers. The internet, gaming, etc are much more prevalent now than when I was in my teens, and I think it distracts from the simple task of reading a good book sometimes.
Just my opinion.
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I'm kidding, I get called sorts by those who know me haha. My name isn't even Roxi, its Nollaig, so meh!
STILL!
I'll try to do better from now on! Can't promise it will NEVER happen again, but can promise I'll do my best. -
Rosie....? I'm ROXI
My apologies, Roxi.. I am ashamed!! In my last book forum, I talked with a girl named "Rosie" all the time and I think my fingers just got into the habit of tagging the "sie" after the "Ro" ! Forgive my not thinking!
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You don't know me and the kitchen. We're mortal enemies. It sees me coming and it mocks me.
I'm with ya, Rosie! It's NOT a pretty sight for me when I'm cooking! My poor husband is at such a disadvantage after marrying me..
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It's worth it for ACTUAL Ragu spaghetti sauce instead of generic "tangy concasse" they're always trying to sell me here.
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Such a shame... but probably a great way to sum it up, Roxi!
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Tonight it's a break from Indian food!!
Spaghetti for us -- even found some REAL Ragu pasta sauce in a store here today. Cost me an arm and a leg, but it's worth it!
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I just read your ramblings on the first 2 books.
I completely agree with much of what you said -- and like how you mentioned Carlisle as the link between good and evil. I also agree with your saying Bella lacks much personality. The hard part is, I think that the book would have been WAY more interesting if told from the perspective of Carlisle and Esme, or Edward, or pretty much anyone besides Bella. Bella seems to me to be the most basic character, and it's a shame we view so much of the story through those basic eyes. Imagine how cool it could have been to hear Carlisle's voice of reason telling this story? You know he's not unfeeling -- he's just controlled and determined to have good win out. I'd love to get a glimpse inside his head and see how he REALLY feels sometimes -- I bet he's passionate and uber.sexy! -
Hmmmm.. that would have been really interesting if Bella hadn't liked him. Half of me thinks he would have gotten his way with her -- one way or the other -- and half thinks he would have welcomed the relief since he was trying to stay away from her in the beginning anyway. I'm with you on this one though.. I think the pull would have been too strong for him!
I'll have to check out your blog review on this book..
Does it say who your fav and least fav characters are??
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Must be the ADD in me!
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So what DID you think about eddy as a character?
Oooh I forgot to answer this in my last post.
He's not my favorite, and he's not my least favorite.
I will say that during the first book (which I fully expected to hate), I asked my mom "Is it wrong that I'm in love with a fictional vampire character??"
Overall, I really did like Edward.. There's something reaaaaally sexy about the guy (even though I don't like Robert Pattison appearance-wise *ducking to avoid things being thrown*).. The way I imagined him in the book was really sexy anyway. The fast car, the amazing strength, and there's no doubt he put Bella before himself time after time. He has a mysterious, aloof air in the beginning and it's really attractive. What can I say? I like the challenge some guys present.
(Or did anyway, before I was washed up and married! ) Some people say he's overprotective.. I actually think he's the right amount of protective. Bella DID have a knack for getting herself into trouble and he stepped in at just the right times, for the most part. And it's admirable how he let her make her own decisions with Jacob, despite the fact that he was probably torn apart inside when she kissed him or told him she loved him, etc. So I think he was actually a good balance of hands-on and hands-off.
Like the guy, but also hard for me to really evaluate him since so little of the book was from his perspective. I think it's why I have an easier time really making my judgment of Jacob and Bella: So much of the story was told from their view. If "Midnight Sun" is finished, I bet I'll have a whole page to write on Eddie-boy!
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What about actually dancing on your BOOKSHELF?
Dance lightly, and I'll welcome it!
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Well thats fair enough. I pretty much agree with what you said there, I just like to be awkward
Hey, I post in hopes someone will post their own opinion in return!
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I just wanted to dance too -
Sorry
I hate it when bookshops have NOTHING you want! Its such a nuisance. Happend to me the other day. I'm currently reading nothing as a result.
Dance all you want! ESPECIALLY on my bookshelf thread.. I think the more dancing, happy people, the better.
20 Books Everyone Should Read!
in General Book Discussions
Posted
I've given this a lot of thought and held off on posting, because I didn't know if the books I listed would be "right," or even what factors I should consider when deciding if it's a book I think EVERYONE should read. Finally, I stopped overanalyzing it and decided that, for me, the best list I could put out there was a list of stories that I think have the potential to teach some valuable life lessons to, or have an impact on, as many people as possible. So for better or worse, this is my list of the 5 books (in no order) I think can make a big impact on people regardless of genre preference, race, religion, age, gender, etc.
Fortune's Rocks -Anita Shreve
Great Expectations -Charles Dickens
A Thousand Splendid Suns -Khaled Hosseini
The Scarlet Letter -Nathaniel Hawthorne
Midwives -Chris Bohjalian