julie Posted April 17, 2015 Author Share Posted April 17, 2015 (edited) The Nurses Having been a nurse , years ago, I thought this book quite interesting. I worked in ER for a time myself, but mainly on the Medical ,and occasionally on the OB floor. I wish the book would have covered nurses who work in more areas of the hospital to get a wider scope of things. I no longer work, (unfortunately), I've been a patient several times in the past few years, in the same hospital I worked in. The nurses tell me how much it has changed now, how the working conditions are. Understaffing, a big company bought out several hospitals in our area, so they treat their employees very poorly .. It makes the nurse's job so much more stressful . Nursing is the most wonderful , fulfilling career you could ever have . I wish the book would have stressed that a bit more. I know it was mentioned many times, but the majority of the book tended to lean on all the BAD things happening in the nursing profession. I realize those thing need to be brought to the forefront . I'm just afraid there was such a negative spin on nursing, it could deter future nurses from even attempting the job !Are some doctors rude, sarcastic and disrespectful of nurses ? Yes .Are some nurses taking drugs illegally ? Yes, but a VERY small minority ( in my experience ).Do you have long hours, sometimes crappy treatment, and not the greatest working conditions ? Yes. But I wouldn't trade my years as s nurse for all the money in the world. Best thing I've ever done with my life . Edited April 17, 2015 by julie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted April 17, 2015 Share Posted April 17, 2015 Hi Julie ! Lovely to see you on here again ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julie Posted April 17, 2015 Author Share Posted April 17, 2015 Hi Julie ! Lovely to see you on here again ! Hi Pixie ! Great to see you too ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julie Posted April 17, 2015 Author Share Posted April 17, 2015 Don't Blame Me, It's Everybody Else Book 3 in the continuing series ,and by far, the funniest. They have all made me chuckle, but this one literally made me laugh so hard there were tears in my eyes .This one is all about the planning and execution of the wedding .Seems that her family were quite odd ,but she was marrying into one that was equally as strange. Neither set of parents got along ,so the wedding turned into quite an adventure ,but OH SO FUNNY !Only one more yet to go in the series . I sure hope this author writes some more books. She is a gem . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julie Posted April 17, 2015 Author Share Posted April 17, 2015 Don't Know Where She Gets That From The author, Alex wraps up her family story in this book. I'm hoping one day she will resurface with adventures as a grandmother .This book talks of her parenting years, having a new baby , going to school functions, and dealing with her zany parents and in laws who stay just as funny in this book as in the previous ones .These 4 books were the funniest I've read in a long time. The author and I are almost the same age, so much of what she talked about was familiar to things at that time of my life .Very good little books. all very short. I could read these stories again, but will save them for another time when I need a really good laugh again . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julie Posted April 17, 2015 Author Share Posted April 17, 2015 Who Killed Chrissy?: The True Crime Memoir of a Pittsburgh Girl's Unsolved Murder in Las Vegas If you like true crime, then don't waste your money on this one . The author spends about 85 % of the book talking about HER life ,which isn't really all that interesting . Supposedly in the beginning of the book, she lets on that the murder of "Chrissy " , 30 some years ago ,has been such a traumatic event in her life, that she has never been able to think about it before and has had to block it out or it would devastate her .THEN come to find out, they were neighbors , barely more than acquaintances .Chrissy asks her one day to go on a trip to Vegas with her and she agrees , but for the biggest part of the book, she has bashed this Chrissy for being stupid, not that great looking, naïve, making bad choices with men (although she never got to KNOW any of them ...It's just irritating, because you'd think if you had been friends or even neighbors with someone ,whose murder was never solved ,and you cared enough about it to write a BOOK ,then you'd try to find something good to say about the victim. All she does is bash her ,say she's afraid of her ,say she has a violent temper and foul mouth and gets too friendly with the strangers she meets in Vegas .. Then in the next sentence, this author says that she sees a guy at the pool who is not THAT bad-looking , and they have a "sex act" in the pool together right after meeting .ALRIGHT .. enough is enough . I have over 300 more books to read , I don't have time for nonsense like this . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julie Posted April 17, 2015 Author Share Posted April 17, 2015 Dial M The Murder of Carol Thompson A very good book about the murder of a beautiful young lawyer's wife ,and mother of 4 ,that happened in Minnesota back in the early 1960's . She was attacked in her home early one morning and managed to collapse on her neighbor's front porch, while they called for help. Sadly, they were unable to save her .This story was written well, told in detail, easy to follow . It's a story of greed, infidelity , and a man so self-centered , he can't even be truthful to himself .I liked this book because it went into lots of detail about what happened to the family afterwards .How the kids all turned out in their adult lives and what they chose to feel regarding the murder of their mother when they were all still kids at home. Thankfully, they had a wonderful family backup system that gave them as normal a life as they could possibly have under the circumstances . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julie Posted April 17, 2015 Author Share Posted April 17, 2015 Well written and a wide variety of cases. Would have liked the book to be longer with more details. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julie Posted April 17, 2015 Author Share Posted April 17, 2015 (edited) Portraits of Celina Bayley is a teen girl whose family tries to pick up the pieces and move on after they have suffered a great loss . She happens to get the bedroom that her mom's cousin used to use, who came up missing at the same age Bayley is , 40 years previously. Her disappearance was never solved .Celina, the missing girl decides to contact Bayley from the afterlife and get her to help solve the mystery of her disappearance. I really liked this book. It kept me interested throughout the story and had a very intense ending !Well done ! Edited April 17, 2015 by julie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted April 17, 2015 Share Posted April 17, 2015 Carter Beats the Devil ***** When you begin this book, you sorta wonder how good it could be ,since it mentions President Warren Harding in the beginning. I didn't know much about the guy ,but his photo makes him look like a fuddy-duddy ,so I'm thinking, good grief, how good could THIS be ? I'm really glad I kept reading, as this book had a bit of everything thrown in : a magician, always trying to outdo himself, several famous people, a possible murder plot, a couple of romances thrown into the mix, a mystery, and a very exciting finish . I'm SO glad I kept reading ! Oh boy! Another recommendation! Lovely to see you here Julie and well done with writing out all those reviews .. amazing work Glad your reading is going well xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julie Posted April 17, 2015 Author Share Posted April 17, 2015 No one Helped : Kitty Genovese, New York City, and the Myth of Urban Apathy I've read about the Kitty Genovese case before in other books and articles. The book about there supposedly being 38 witnesses who heard and saw the entire crime and ignored it, was apparently not the "true" version ,according to this author .This book was very well researched and went into a lot of detail about the neighborhood where the crime happened and its residents, about the city of New York, about the newspapers and media of the time, and the culture and plight of the lesbian women of that time . It told about the changing times in not only the city, but the country in general, regarding women's roles ,and young girls who decided to do something a bit out of the "norm " than generations before . They could live in a big city, have a job and their own apartment, and live with anyone they chose and have that freedom . I'm glad that those freedoms have evolved and that girls growing up today know that their choices are so much more open than they were all those ears ago .The book was good, but it may not be of as much interest to someone who likes reading just "True Crime" books. This book seemed more to me as a book that could be used in a college classroom setting to learn more about truth in journalism, how one newspaper making a sensational claim can change the outlook of the world on a crime, how the culture of a city can change over time, etc .As far as the crime part, it isn't really gone into in as great a detail as a regular true crime book would have . There are lots of other issues discussed in this book ,which kind of override the crime itself . The crime was still the centerpiece of this tory, but this book uses it to address so many other issues ....Bottom line is that a beautiful young girl who lived in a middle class neighborhood ,was doing nothing wrong , other than coming home from work. A lowlife spotted her and followed her home, stabbed her and she died. She DID have people who heard her scream, but most thought it was nothing more than some noisy bar patrons or an argument .There weren't 38 people who heard and saw everything that happened an did nothing to help . What happened was a tragedy, but it happened quickly, the killer got away but was arrested shortly after . A very sad story of a young girl's life cut way too short . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julie Posted April 17, 2015 Author Share Posted April 17, 2015 Oh boy! Another recommendation! Lovely to see you here Julie and well done with writing out all those reviews .. amazing work Glad your reading is going well xx Thanks, it's good to be back . Been reading a lot this year ! I thought of you while reading this. It really was extremely good, but if you don't wanna read it ,you don't have to ! We all like different books . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julie Posted April 17, 2015 Author Share Posted April 17, 2015 Eyewitness to Titanic If you are looking for a book for your middle-grade child to use for a report on the Titanic, I doubt you could find better than this. It has so many facts about the ship, from the men who first got the idea of building it ,to the people who built and designed it, the passengers ,crew, capacity , price of tickets , all the "extra features " that made it such a classy ship, lists of some of the famous people on board and whether they survived or not , reasons why they may have avoided such a catastrophe ( seems as if they spent more on the luxury end of things and not enough on the safety and building materials used .I honestly can't think of much f anything more detailed someone would need to know about the Titanic . I think young boys who are interested in ship would absolutely love this book ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted April 17, 2015 Share Posted April 17, 2015 Thanks, it's good to be back . Been reading a lot this year ! I thought of you while reading this. It really was extremely good, but if you don't wanna read it ,you don't have to ! We all like different books . I have it in my jar of destiny .. when it comes out I'll definitely read it I'm glad to hear it's good .. everyone says so too so I'm missing out .. curiosity might well get the better of me sooner or later Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julie Posted April 17, 2015 Author Share Posted April 17, 2015 Travels With Gannon and Wyatt : Ireland This is apparently part of a series of books with many more in the works about twins boys who visit different countries all over the world. It's apparently loosely based on real twin that have done the same .The book would be for middle school aged kids, I'd guess. It reminded me of a book that a homeschool family would use. It tells a bit of a story of the boys traveling ,with each of them keeping a sort of journal of their adventures so they each take turns telling a part of the story . There are a few photos sprinkled throughout the book . The story seems to concentrate quite a bit on saving the environment, growing safe crops and animals without using a lot of pesticides and growth -hormone type things for the animals, etc .As said, I think this book would be great for homeschool kids whose families want the to learn about other countries ,while also learning about some of their history, culture, foods, etc . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julie Posted April 17, 2015 Author Share Posted April 17, 2015 I have it in my jar of destiny .. when it comes out I'll definitely read it I'm glad to hear it's good .. everyone says so too so I'm missing out .. curiosity might well get the better of me sooner or later I started it myself a few times before and never got very far on it. Maybe it's a timing thing. Once I got going, it was really interesting . Not sure if you are interested in magicians of the olden days like Houdini, but he plays a part in this . It told a lot of history about those days so I thought it quite good . Lots of colorful characters too ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julie Posted April 17, 2015 Author Share Posted April 17, 2015 The Nightingale Girls The setting is a teaching hospital in 1930's England. The story centers around 3 main student nurses ,who each sign up for the class for different reasons, each coming from totally opposite backgrounds.In the beginning, it's a bit confusing because there are several other characters in the story : other students, teachers, head nurses, hospital board members. It took me quite awhile to get everyone sorted out . It was well with the time it took ,and also for the good story it told. I guess it'd remind you a bit of Call the Midwife, only this hospital talks about all the different areas of the hospital the nurses train in, and all that hey have to learn to deal with as beginning nurses .A very good book, and I'm thrilled to see that there are several others in the series ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julie Posted April 17, 2015 Author Share Posted April 17, 2015 Wit & Wisdom of America's First Ladies I always enjoy books about the first ladies, mainly because they sometimes get left in the dust while their husbands get all the attention . I liked this book because it gives you a glimpse of the first ladies and a few of their memorable quotes, so you get to know a bit more about their personalities or some cause they were passionate about . I always say the same thing about books like this -- too short ! Thus, the lower stars, but still a nice little book . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julie Posted April 17, 2015 Author Share Posted April 17, 2015 A Journey With Strangers I love reading travel books, but have to say I was disappointed in this one. I had high hopes for it being close to the age the author was and remembering the times well as a teen .I can't quite put my finger on what this was lacking ,but it seemed a bit dull in parts and I couldn't really relate well to the character . He leaves from California to hitchhike to Florida to meet up with some girl he is supposedly nuts about ,but meets another one along the way that he also had met before , and seemed pretty willing to have a good time with her too, if she would have been willing. I don't know, maybe that's just teen boys for you, but the whole journey seemed a little stupid if he liked this Florida girl enough to go that far across country to meet her again .Anyhow, I can' quite describe what it was about this book that didn't quite do it for me ... the writing was ok, but nothing special . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julie Posted April 17, 2015 Author Share Posted April 17, 2015 Wylding Hall I'm not sure what type of review to give on this one. It's written in the voice of several different members of an old 70's folk music type band . They had some early success , and went to an old run down abbey to work on some new songs and record another album .I'll have to be truthful and say I didn't quite get it .They were all on drugs and drinking , and the main star of the band, Julian, who everyone seemed to love , started acting a little odd and wandering off in the woods to an old ruin . They all were making their last album ,and a local boy came to take photos of them singing.A few days later , Julian came up missing ,and part of the clue to who he may have gone off with was in the photos . Each band member thinks differently about what may have happened to him .I wasn't super enthused with this one, but I really didn't get the ending . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julie Posted April 17, 2015 Author Share Posted April 17, 2015 Biggie Henry, nicknamed "Biggie" by a classmate when he was younger, is a teen who seemed to eat to hide his feelings of failure in his life. He doesn't sound like he realizes that in the beginning of the book. He just gets used to being called Biggie, so he eats and gets bigger . His social life is pretty much all online ,making lots of friends that he can keep at a distance .He has a crush on a girl named Annabelle, from his school , and one day in gym class, his coach makes him pitch the ball .They find out he is really good at it Annabelle tells him he should try out for the baseball team.His father and stepfather are both star athletes in their town , and Biggie has always rejected the sport, probably because he feels they have both rejected him.What happens when the girl he likes tells him to play baseball ?Read the book and find out . A great lesson about life at the end of this one . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julie Posted April 17, 2015 Author Share Posted April 17, 2015 Pines What if you woke up in the woods , severely injured , and with no memory of who or where you were ? No ID, cell phone, or ability to contact anyone ?That's what happens to Ethan ,the main character in this story . He's a Secret Service Agent, sent to a small town in Idaho to search for 2 of his co-workers , who came up missing in the same area .He soon finds out he is living in an unusual place, almost like the "Perfect Town ". But is it as perfect as it looks from the outside ? Will Ethan ever see his family again ?I don't usually read this sort of book , but it actually held my interest and I read it within a few hours' time .Give it a try and see what you think of "The Pines ". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted April 17, 2015 Share Posted April 17, 2015 (edited) I`ve really enjoyed reading your reviews. Oh ! I have that Pines book on my Kindle, lurking in my get-to-at-some-point pile. Edited April 17, 2015 by Little Pixie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julie Posted April 17, 2015 Author Share Posted April 17, 2015 The Dirty Dust I tried . I really did. This one just didn't do much for me . Do you have to be Irish to get it ? I'm not sure .The idea for the story was a good one . I've often wondered myself , if the dead realize who they are buried next to , and in a way , it'd be a comfort to know that dialogue can go on once we are in the grave . We'd have a "captive audience "that would have to listen to our ramblings .I guess it would have been easier to understand if the talking didn't just go on and on, with no idea of who was talking next, or what they were talking about .I get it that some of them were less than happy with their laying out, or the choice of grave plots they got .Wish I could give this a better review .Sorry ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julie Posted April 17, 2015 Author Share Posted April 17, 2015 I`ve really enjoyed reading your reviews. Oh ! I have that Pines book on my Kindle, lurking in my get-to-at-some-point pile. Pixie Thanks, glad you are enjoying them. Just a couple more to go and I'll be caught up . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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