nursenblack Posted April 15, 2014 Author Share Posted April 15, 2014 #8 The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (via Kindle per library loan) synopsis from amazon.com The extraordinary #1 New York Times bestseller that is now a major motion picture, Markus Zusak's unforgettable story is about the ability of books to feed the soul.It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will become busier still.Liesel Meminger is a foster girl living outside of Munich, who scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement.In superbly crafted writing that burns with intensity, award-winning author Markus Zusak, author of I Am the Messenger, has given us one of the most enduring stories of our time. review For years now, I have wanted to read The Book Thief, but always put it off for one reason or another. I am beyond grateful to have finally read such a unique and beautiful novel. The narrator of the story is a large contributor of its uniqueness, it is Death. But Death is completely overshadowed by the main character, Liesel Meminger, a foster child forced to live with a new family, in a new town, in nazi Germany. All of the characters seem like flesh and blood captured on the page, and I feel like I know them. I believe The Book Thief is the epitome of a modern classic not only for its depiction of the persecution of the Jews and the lives of the German citizens, but for being uplifting and utterly devastating at the same time. As I read, my heart soared and broke so many times. It's definitely the most emotional and unforgettable book that I have read in a while. This book is labeled as young adult, but by no means is it only for young adults. I strongly recommend. (5/5) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nursenblack Posted April 15, 2014 Author Share Posted April 15, 2014 #9 Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt my synopsis Winnie Foster leads a sheltered life, and longs to runaway from the disapproving eyes of her family. One day, after wondering into the woods her family owns, Winnie stumbles into an adventure that turns out to be nothing like she ever imagined. She meets a family claiming to have obtained eternal life from drinking from a spring in the woods. But living forever isn't all it's cracked up to be... Review I have to admit that I watched the film first, and didn't even know this book existed until I came upon it. So, that being said, I was expecting a bit more romance, but there was some. I really enjoyed this bite-size novel about friendship. It's whimsical with just the right amount of darkness and force to make it enjoyable for children and adults alike. (4/5) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted April 16, 2014 Share Posted April 16, 2014 Great reviews . I'm glad you loved The Book Thief, I loved it too. I thought Tuck Everlasting was pretty good too. I had no idea there was a film. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nursenblack Posted April 16, 2014 Author Share Posted April 16, 2014 I thought Tuck Everlasting was pretty good too. I had no idea there was a film. It's very sweet. It stars Alexis Bledel from The Gilmore Girls. I own it on dvd and really want to watch it again soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nursenblack Posted May 9, 2014 Author Share Posted May 9, 2014 I was actually reading two books at once, which is something I never ever do. But since one was a memoir, I thought I could do it and I did. #10 Orange Is the New Black: My Year In A Women's Prison by Piper Kerman (via Kindle per library loan) synopsis from amazon.com With a career, a boyfriend, and a loving family, Piper Kerman barely resembles the reckless young woman who delivered a suitcase of drug money ten years before. But that past has caught up with her. Convicted and sentenced to fifteen months at the infamous federal correctional facility in Danbury, Connecticut, the well-heeled Smith College alumna is now inmate #11187–424—one of the millions of people who disappear “down the rabbit hole” of the American penal system. From her first strip search to her final release, Kerman learns to navigate this strange world with its strictly enforced codes of behavior and arbitrary rules. She meets women from all walks of life, who surprise her with small tokens of generosity, hard words of wisdom, and simple acts of acceptance. Heartbreaking, hilarious, and at times enraging, Kerman’s story offers a rare look into the lives of women in prison—why it is we lock so many away and what happens to them when they’re there. my review I have to be honest and admit that I would have never been compelled to read Orange is the New Black if hadn't been for the Netflix series. I rarely read memoirs or nonfiction books, so this was a real stretch. I didn't know what to expect after falling in love with the tv series, but it really gripped me from the beginning. It read much like a novel and I was excited to meet the characters and find out what would happen next. The fact that it is all true (minus name and characteristic changes) makes it an even more inspiring, life lessons story. (4/5) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vodkafan Posted May 9, 2014 Share Posted May 9, 2014 (edited) my review I have to be honest and admit that I would have never been compelled to read Orange is the New Black if hadn't been for the Netflix series. I rarely read memoirs or nonfiction books, so this was a real stretch. I didn't know what to expect after falling in love with the tv series, but it really gripped me from the beginning. It read much like a novel and I was excited to meet the characters and find out what would happen next. The fact that it is all true (minus name and characteristic changes) makes it an even more inspiring, life lessons story. (4/5) That's it? You are not going to tell us if she was beaten up, traumatized, made into someone's mother of a puppy dog!, turned into a junkie , had her neck tattooed and learnt how to pick locks? Edited May 9, 2014 by vodkafan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nursenblack Posted May 10, 2014 Author Share Posted May 10, 2014 That's it? You are not going to tell us if she was beaten up, traumatized, made into someone's mother of a puppy dog!, turned into a junkie , had her neck tattooed and learnt how to pick locks? Nope. Read it and find out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vodkafan Posted May 10, 2014 Share Posted May 10, 2014 Nope. Read it and find out. You are so cruel to me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nursenblack Posted May 10, 2014 Author Share Posted May 10, 2014 You are so cruel to me I'm just evil like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nursenblack Posted May 10, 2014 Author Share Posted May 10, 2014 #11 Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart by Beth Pattillo synopsis from amazon.com Claire Prescott is a sensible woman who believes in facts and figures, not fairy tales. But when she agrees to present a paper to a summer symposium at Oxford on her ailing sister's behalf, Claire finds herself thrown into an adventure with a gaggle of Jane Austen-loving women all on the lookout for their Mr. Darcy. Claire isn't looking for Mr. Anyone. She's been dating Neil -- a nice if a bit negligent -- sports fanatic. But when a tall, dark and dashing stranger crosses her path, will the staid Claire suddenly discover her inner romantic heroine? Her chance meeting with a mysterious woman who claims to have an early version of Austen's Pride and Prejudice -- in which Lizzie ends up with someone other than Fitzwilliam Darcy -- leads to an astounding discovery about the venerated author's own struggle to find the right hero for Lizzie Bennett. Neil's unexpected arrival in Oxford complicates Claire's journey to finding her own romantic lead. Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart is the story of a woman who finds that love isn't logical and that a true hero can appear in the most unexpected of places. my review Pattillo's Austen inspired novels are the perfect rainy day reads that have just enough conflict to still keep them cozy. In Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart, Claire Prescott meets a kind -sometimes confused- elderly lady, who lets her read Jane Austen's first draft of Pride & Prejudice, First Impressions. It is quite ambitious to write in the voice of one of the most beloved writers of all time, but Pattillo provides many "chapters" and brings it to life. First Impressions is an entirely different and unexpected story, and I found it fascinating to partake in speculation of what the lost manuscript might be like. Oh, and I mustn't fail to mention the romance. There is more than one suitor for the heroin to choose from, just as Jane Austen would have it. (4/5) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nursenblack Posted June 4, 2014 Author Share Posted June 4, 2014 #12 Timebound (The Chronos Files, Book 1) by Rysa Walker (via Kindle per library loan) synopsis from amazon.com When Kate Pierce-Keller’s grandmother gives her a strange blue medallion and speaks of time travel, sixteen-year-old Kate assumes the old woman is delusional. But it all becomes horrifyingly real when a murder in the past destroys the foundation of Kate’s present-day life. Suddenly, that medallion is the only thing protecting Kate from blinking out of existence. Kate learns that the 1893 killing is part of something much more sinister, and her genetic ability to time travel makes Kate the only one who can fix the future. Risking everything, she travels back in time to the Chicago World’s Fair to try to prevent the murder and the chain of events that follows. Changing the timeline comes with a personal cost—if Kate succeeds, the boy she loves will have no memory of her existence. And regardless of her motives, does Kate have the right to manipulate the fate of the entire world? Timebound was originally released as Time’s Twisted Arrow. my review I really love a good time travel novel. It's always intresting to see what notion of time travel the author has dreamed up. Timebound, doesn't disapoint. It has sci-fi, mystery and romance, a winning trio. My complaint with the book is that it seemed a bit weighed down, at times, with facts from the past, which slowed down the story. I did like the bits with the grandmother's holographed journal, though. I'm looking forward to the second book, Time's Edge. (4/5) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nursenblack Posted June 4, 2014 Author Share Posted June 4, 2014 #13 Gathering Blue by Lowis Lowry (via Kindle per library loan) synospis from amazon.com Lois Lowry once again creates a mysterious but plausible future world. It is a society ruled by savagery and deceit that shuns and discards the weak. Left orphaned and physically flawed, young Kira faces a frightening, uncertain future. Blessed with an almost magical talent that keeps her alive, she struggles with ever broadening responsibilities in her quest for truth, discovering things that will change her life forever.As she did in THE GIVER, Lowry challenges readers to imagine what our world could become, how people could evolve, and what could be considered valuable. Every reader will be taken by Kira’s plight and will long ponder her haunting world and the hope for the future. my review I love Lois Lowry's writing style, and the dystopian worlds she creates. The worlds are simpler, but cruler with characters who begin to doubt them. Gathering Blue is part of The Giver series, but could easily stand alone as it's own novel. I do recommend reading The Giver first because it would be a shame to miss it. I really need to get my hands on the rest of this series (4/5) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nursenblack Posted June 4, 2014 Author Share Posted June 4, 2014 #14 The Moon Sisters by Therese Walsh (via Kindle per library loan) synopsis from amazon.com This mesmerizing coming-of-age novel, with its sheen of near-magical realism, is a moving tale of family and the power of stories. After their mother's probable suicide, sisters Olivia and Jazz take steps to move on with their lives. Jazz, logical and forward-thinking, decides to get a new job, but spirited, strong-willed Olivia—who can see sounds, taste words, and smell sights—is determined to travel to the remote setting of their mother's unfinished novel to lay her spirit properly to rest. Already resentful of Olivia’s foolish quest and her family’s insistence upon her involvement, Jazz is further aggravated when they run into trouble along the way and Olivia latches to a worldly train-hopper who warns he shouldn’t be trusted. As they near their destination, the tension builds between the two sisters, each hiding something from the other, until they are finally forced to face everything between them and decide what is really important. my review I love Walsh's knack for weaving tragedy with whimsy, and she does it so beautifully. I was swept up right away in this tale of two sisters, Olivia and Jazz, who are both in search of closure after their mother’s apparent suicide. Each chapter alternates between the sisters' perspectives and I especially enjoyed getting to experience Olivia’s synesthesia (a neurological condition where the senses are crossed). If you want a summer read that is off the beaten path and hard to put down, then read The Moon Sisters. (4/5) currently reading: Dead as a Doornail (Sookie Stackhouse novel) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nursenblack Posted June 9, 2014 Author Share Posted June 9, 2014 Finished June 9th #15 Dead as a Doornail (A Sookie Stackhouse novel) by Charlaine Harris (via Kindle per library loan) synopsis from amazon.com Small-town cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse has had more than her share of experience with the supernatural—but now it’s really hitting close to home. When Sookie sees her brother Jason’s eyes start to change, she knows he’s about to turn into a were-panther for the first time—a transformation he embraces more readily than most shapeshifters she knows. But her concern becomes cold fear when a sniper sets his deadly sights on the local changeling population, and Jason’s new panther brethren suspect he may be the shooter. Now, Sookie has until the next full moon to find out who’s behind the attacks—unless the killer decides to find her first… my review Dead as a Doornail is the fifth book of the Sookie Stackhouse (True Blood) novels about a ditsy, telepathic waitress who manages to consistently get herself entangled with the town's supernatural citizens. I found Doornail to be a real snooze fest until halfway through. Even when something of significance happens it's usually weighed down by the bad writing or Sookie's intellect. The last thing I want to do is insult other readers' taste in books, but I am truly shocked by all the good reviews of Doornail. I feel that it is the weakest one I have read so far. I may still finish the series, but just out of curiosity to see who Sookie ends up with. (1/5) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted June 10, 2014 Share Posted June 10, 2014 It's a shame you didn't enjoy this one much. I have most of the series on my TBR, I'm one of those people who usually prefers to own the whole series before I start reading it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nursenblack Posted June 10, 2014 Author Share Posted June 10, 2014 It's a shame you didn't enjoy this one much. I have most of the series on my TBR, I'm one of those people who usually prefers to own the whole series before I start reading it. I've not been a huge fan of the books (love the True Blood show), but some of them are definitely better than others. Well, maybe you'll get the rest and start this summer. I think they're good summer reads, easy and quick, especially if you are planning on reading them straight through. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 my review I really love a good time travel novel. It's always intresting to see what notion of time travel the author has dreamed up. Timebound, doesn't disapoint. It has sci-fi, mystery and romance, a winning trio. My complaint with the book is that it seemed a bit weighed down, at times, with facts from the past, which slowed down the story. I did like the bits with the grandmother's holographed journal, though. I'm looking forward to the second book, Time's Edge. (4/5) I love this type of novel too. I'm not really a fan of series, however, so I feel torn. I might look out for this second-hand - it sounds good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nursenblack Posted June 13, 2014 Author Share Posted June 13, 2014 I love this type of novel too. I'm not really a fan of series, however, so I feel torn. I might look out for this second-hand - it sounds good. There is also a novella that is a series companion called Time's Echo. The second book, Time's Edge, isn't released here in the U.S. until October. I hope you find it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nursenblack Posted June 13, 2014 Author Share Posted June 13, 2014 Finished June 12th #16 Looking For Alaska by John Green (via Kindle per Library loan) synopsis from goodreads.com Before. Miles "Pudge" Halter's whole existence has been one big nonevent, and his obsession with famous last words has only made him crave the "Great Perhaps" (François Rabelais, poet) even more. He heads off to the sometimes crazy, possibly unstable, and anything-but-boring world of Culver Creek Boarding School, and his life becomes the opposite of safe. Because down the hall is Alaska Young. The gorgeous, clever, funny, sexy, self-destructive, screwed-up, and utterly fascinating Alaska Young, who is an event unto herself. She pulls Pudge into her world, launches him into the Great Perhaps, and steals his heart. my review Looking for Alaska is a bittersweet, coming of age novel set at a boarding school where the next high jink is just a few firecrackers and cigarettes away. Green does an excellent job in exploring teenage friendships and I really enjoying his writing style. That being said, the climax was a bit predictable and maybe intended to be a shocker, but I will not say anymore about it because I don't want to give anything away. Some adult readers have complained that there is too much bad language, smoking, alcohol use, and sexual encounters in the book, but isn't that part of the appeal for young readers? Hey, whatever gets them to read is aces. This is my second John Green novel, and though I didn't enjoy it as much as The Fault In Our Stars, I will read more. (3/5) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted June 14, 2014 Share Posted June 14, 2014 This book is on my wishlist, I'm glad you liked it . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weave Posted June 15, 2014 Share Posted June 15, 2014 Great review Nursenblack, I have still to read 'Looking for Alaska', I have An Abundance of Katherines' on my kindle. I have read 'The Fault in our Stars' (which I realy enjoyed) and 'Paper Towns' which was a great read too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nursenblack Posted June 29, 2014 Author Share Posted June 29, 2014 Finished June 28th #17 The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer (via Kindle per library loan) synopsis from amazon.com The summer that Nixon resigns, six teenagers at a summer camp for the arts become inseparable. Decades later the bond remains powerful, but so much else has changed. In The Interestings, Wolitzer follows these characters from the height of youth through middle age, as their talents, fortunes, and degrees of satisfaction diverge.The kind of creativity that is rewarded at age fifteen is not always enough to propel someone through life at age thirty; not everyone can sustain, in adulthood, what seemed so special in adolescence. Jules Jacobson, an aspiring comic actress, eventually resigns herself to a more practical occupation and lifestyle. Her friend Jonah, a gifted musician, stops playing the guitar and becomes an engineer. But Ethan and Ash, Jules’s now-married best friends, become shockingly successful—true to their initial artistic dreams, with the wealth and access that allow those dreams to keep expanding. The friendships endure and even prosper, but also underscore the differences in their fates, in what their talents have become and the shapes their lives have taken.Wide in scope, ambitious, and populated by complex characters who come together and apart in a changing New York City, The Interestings explores the meaning of talent; the nature of envy; the roles of class, art, money, and power; and how all of it can shift and tilt precipitously over the course of a friendship and a life. My review The Interestings spans the lives of six friends from teenagers, who meet at an art camp, to middle aged adults, working to keep their friendships intact. The novel is definitely character driven, with a time changing plot that just works. I think the main ideas are success and friendship, and how one can threaten the other. When I first began this novel, I thought it was a little slow, but shortly I became interested in each character. Though, from the tone, I knew nothing huge - no major plot point or twist- was going to happen, yet I still wanted to find out what happened next. Don't get me wrong, plenty of things happen, just not in the way of more traditionally plotted books. So, was The Interestings interesting? Yes. (4/5) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted June 30, 2014 Share Posted June 30, 2014 It sounds like an interesting book, I'm glad you enjoyed it . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julie Posted June 30, 2014 Share Posted June 30, 2014 Nurse I've been wondering about this one for awhile. It sounds like you enjoyed it ,and sometimes books really don't have an actual point to them, but are still really good ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nursenblack Posted July 6, 2014 Author Share Posted July 6, 2014 (edited) Finished July 4th #18 Here on Earth by Alice Hoffman (via Kindle per library loan) synopsis from amazon.com The bestselling author of The Dovekeepers tells her most seductive and mesmerizing tale yet--the story of March Murray, who returns to her small Massachusetts hometown after nineteen years, encountering her childhood sweetheart...and discovering the heartbreaking and complex truth about their reckless and romantic love. my review When I found out that Here on Earth was inspired by Wuthering Heights, I knew I had to read it. Most of the novels I've read by Hoffman have been really enjoyable, and Here on Earth didn't disappoint. Often, retellings are just modern versions of the same exact story that follows the same plot. What this story does, while retaining many similarities to Wuthering Heights, is maintain originality. The plot doesn't run parallel with the classic, which I really appreciated. I enjoyed the characters, even though I wanted to smack a few of them. I found Hollis, the Heathcliff-inspired character, to be even more of a villain, yet March was definitely more subdued than Cathy. At first, I wondered if the passion would be subdued as well, but found it to be dark and destructively passionate as its muse. (4/5) Edited July 6, 2014 by nursenblack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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