Guest ii Posted June 13, 2008 Share Posted June 13, 2008 Yes, massage, facial and mani-pedi save a lot, thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maureen Posted June 13, 2008 Share Posted June 13, 2008 Ok. These are for you ii Hope you feel better now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ii Posted June 13, 2008 Share Posted June 13, 2008 (edited) Ooooh, balloons! I love balloons! Thank you, Maureen. Edit: I jsut wanted to clarify that yes, I'm better now. It was a case of real world reminding me it exists, and it threw me off-balance for a while. As I said, a massage and facial go a long way in making me feel like a human again. Edited June 13, 2008 by ii Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ii Posted July 13, 2008 Share Posted July 13, 2008 What: A Complicated Kindness by Miriam Toews Blurb: Nomi Nickel lives with her father, Ray, in East Village, a small Mennonite town in Manitoba. She dreams of escaping to the big city, but since her mother and sister left home, it's hard to imagine leaving her gather behind. As she begins to piece together the story behind her mother's disappearance, she finds herself on a direct collision course with the town' minister - her uncle Hans, otherwise known as The Mouth. With fierce originality and brilliance, Miriam Toews takes us straight to the centre of Nomi's world and the complicated kindness at the heart of family life. A highly bestseller in Canada, A Complicated Kindness won the Governor General's Award in 2004. Opinion: I really liked this one! The narrative voice of Nomi is strong and captivating. Her way of telling things from her life as simple facts doesn't highlight their absurdity and yet reveals it as obvious. It's hard to explain. She jumps a lot, both in story and in focus on ideas, but this surprising connection between things is something I found really powerful and effective. Like when she talked of her town and the American tourists that come to see their model town of Mennonites, and ended up talking about the logic of behaving well and getting to Heaven. It's right next to the real town, this one, which is not really real. It's a town that exists in the world based on the idea of it not existing in the world. It was created as a kind of no-frills bunker in which to live austerely, shun wrongdoers and kill some time, and joy, before the Rapture. The idea is that if we can successfully deny ourselves the pleasures of this world we'll be first in line to enjoy the pleasures of the next world, forever. But I've never really understood what those pleasures will be. Nobody's ever come right out and told me. I guess we'll be able to float around asking people to punch us in the stomach as hard as they can and not experience any pain, which could be fun for one afternoon. I'll give this one 10/10. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Library Nook Posted July 13, 2008 Share Posted July 13, 2008 Sounds great, I want to branch out into authors from a variety of different countries and this sounds like an interesting one to add to the list! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ii Posted July 18, 2008 Share Posted July 18, 2008 Oh, do look it up, Library Nook, it's brilliant! What: Playing with the Grown-ups by Sophie Dahl Blurb: Kitty's mother, Marina, is both utterly beguiling and terrifyingly embarrassing, and more often than not Kitty can only gaze on her antics with awe and toe-curling trepidation. But as Kitty grows up it becomes clear that perhaps Marina isn't the most exemplary of parents, and that sometimes a girl might have to put herself first. Sophie Dahl writes with a keen eye, a warm heart and wonderful lyricism about a coming-of-age that's quite unlike any other. Opinion: I don't know if I'm just in the mood for strong female voices, but I really liked this one too! Dahl has a way with words, captivating the reader into her world, which, given her family history, isn't surprising. The story of Kitty growing up, of her love for her mother, is painful and raw, showing that sometimes the greatest loves are the most difficult ones. 'Lyrical' is indeed a fitting word to describe this. Grade: 10/10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ii Posted August 9, 2008 Share Posted August 9, 2008 What: lullabies for little criminals by Heather O'Neill Blurb: Heather O'Neill dazzles with a first novel of extraordinary prescience and power, a subtly understated yet searingly effective story of a young life on the streets - and the strength, wits, and luck necessary for survival. At thirteen, Baby vacillates between childhood comforts and adult temptation: still young enough to drag her dolls around in a vinyl suitcase yet old enough to know more than she should about urban cruelties. Motherless, she lives with her father, Jules, who takes better care of his heroin habit than he does of his daughter. Baby's gift is a genius for spinning stories and for cherishing the small crumbs of happiness that fall into her lap. But her blossoming beauty has captured the attention of a charismatic and dangerous local pimp who runs an army of sad, slavishly devoted girls - a volatile situation even the normally oblivious Jules cannot ignore. And when an escape disguised as betrayal threatens to crush Baby's spirit, she will ultimately realize that the power of salvation rests in her hands alone. Opinion: Confusing, in a good way. Baby has a voice of a child and an adult at the same time. As a reader you're left to wonder if she's telling the story as an adult, in a recap-ish way, or is she just a child who's too grown-up for her years. But as the situation gets worse, this gap between Baby's two voices gets more apparent, and more heartbreaking. Lullabies for little criminals is a strong story that'll break your heart. In a good way. Grade: 9/10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ii Posted August 13, 2008 Share Posted August 13, 2008 I'm going to use this as a general reading-related blog from now on, too. As some of you may know, I'm starting to use Goodreads more, and tried to add a book there just now. I typed in the title "the behaviour of moths" and clicked 'search'. It replied with "no results found." and "did you mean 'The Bull from the Sea'?" WHAT?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate Posted August 13, 2008 Share Posted August 13, 2008 I'm going to use this as a general reading-related blog from now on, too. As some of you may know, I'm starting to use Goodreads more, and tried to add a book there just now. I typed in the title "the behaviour of moths" and clicked 'search'. It replied with "no results found." and "did you mean 'The Bull from the Sea'?" WHAT?? Haha crazy website search engine! Maybe you should stick to us...! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ii Posted October 23, 2008 Share Posted October 23, 2008 What: Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Lustre by Dana Thomas Blurb: Fashion may be fabulous, but what price true luxury? With incredible access to the glamorous world of the luxury brand, Deluxe goes deep inside the workings of profit margins and market share to discover the fate of real luxury. From the importance of fashion moguls, to red carpet stars and the seasona 'must-have' handbags, Dana Thomas shows how far illustrious houses have moved from their roots. Thomas witnesses how these 'luxury' handbags are no longer one in a million, discovers why luxury brand clothing doesn't last long, and finds out just who is making your perfume. From terrifying raids on Chinese sweatshops to the daunting chic of Paris workshops, from the handcrafting and economics of early twentieth-century designers to the violent truth behind the 'harmless' fakes, Deluxe goes deel into the world of exravagance, and asks: where can true luxury go now? Opinion: I was drawn to this book for two reasons. One, having grown up in this world, world where you never saw the price tags, where you had custom-made handbags and haute couture outfits, where you only had to make one call, I was curious of what Thomas had to say about what I saw as my world. What revelations she had to make. On the other hand, I had been wondering the very same thing: what's luxury anymore? As someone who doesn't buy Luis Vuitton handbags because everyone has them, I felt in-tune with this question, and was looking for answers. Deluxe is not a book that shows the murky secrets behind these luxury brands. Mostly because there isn't any "dark secrets" to reveal. The power of the book is in showing that what once was luxury, a secret world of the priviledge few, something to aspire to, is now available to all and has become almost the norm. All because of the need to make profits. What once was luxury is now for masses. If you're even slightly interested in either fashion or business life, this book is worth the read. Grade: 9/10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ii Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 (edited) Something I read in the plane again... What: The Making of Mia by Ilana Fox Blurb: Jo has landed the job of her dreams at Gloss magazine - but it soon becomes a nightmare. As a mousy secretary with a passion for giant bags of Maltesers and comfy shoes, Jo doesn't exactly fit in at the uber-chic office. Her boss humiliates her, her colleagues bitch about her, even the receptionist ignores her. Jo might be overweight and overlooked, but she's also bright, ambitious and smart - and she has a plan... Reduced to tears for the umpteenth time by her devastatingly handsome but utterly ruthless boss Joshua, she realises it's time for drastic action. Jo's going to give herself the ultimate make-over, and by the time she's finished the magazine world - and Joshua - won't know what's hit them. Opinion: For some reason I like these make-over/ugly duckling stories. And this one had a good story. If only the way of telling it and the language was less naive and childlike. Yes, Jo was fat and not pretty in any way and all that, there's no need to repeat it all the time. Also, the focus on the weight being the sole source of unattractiveness and why people don't like you was a tad, well, childish. And mean, really. In a serious note, the book had a good message. Don't judge people by their looks. It was just painted on so big and bright that you saw it coming mile away and started to resent being preached to. A little subtlety would have saved this book. I hated the way it was written, but I liked the story. Does that make any sense? Grade: 6/10, the plot saved this one. Edited December 13, 2008 by ii typo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ii Posted December 13, 2008 Share Posted December 13, 2008 (edited) What: The Shoe Queen by Anna Davis Blurb: In the Shoe Queen, author Anna Davis immerses readers in the glitter and excitement of 1920's bohemian Paris - where one woman's obsession with shoes leads her into a steamy affair that will make her question what maters most in life. When English society beauty Genevieve Shelby King spots the most exquisite lace slippers on the feet of her archrival, she covets a pair of her own. But the exclusive designer, Paolo Zachari, denies her request - and no amount of money from her wealthy American husband will change his mind. Soon Genevieve's desire for a pair of unobtainable shoes develops into an obsession with their elusive creator - threatening her marriage. Zachari awakens her to a passion beyond anything she as ever known, forcing her to confront the emptiness of her elaborately designed life and a secret buried deep in her past. Opinion: I felt I read the book in two different way at one. On one hand, I was just reading the story, and on the other, I was reading about the fashion of the Jazz Age. The 20's are not an era I'm too familiar with when it comes to fashion (in fact, I had to check the shoe design trends, for I had only a vague idea of the shoes of that time), so I enjoyed the learning experience. Paris was in a big role in the book, which is understandable. Paris, and particularly the ideas people had of Paris were important in the years between the two wars, and while I knew of it, I knew of the rivers of Americans and English moving to Paris to experience the 'Parisian life of arts and bohemian creativity', I haven't really payed that much attention to that side of the era. Once again, it was a learning experience. And I always love reading about Paris. As for the story, I don't know. I liked the way Davis didn't tell everything, but left room for the reader to fill in the gaps. She did explore the inner life of her characters, well Genevieve, her husband Robert and her best friend Lulu at least, and gave a good picture of the demons and fears and hopes they were struggling with. During the book, some things seemed to be irrational, but they were explained in the end. But it wasn't a simplified tying all together -type of solution, but it sort of rearranged the pieces you had, and suddenly you saw the pattern there. You understood them. Bit by bit the pieces fell into place nad you started to see the broken people with their fears and dreams and love. While there were weaker points in the story, for example the early detailed descriptions of clothing and shoes, Davis got over those. And while with these types of stories you usually guess how it's going to turn out, with the Shoe Queen you weren't so interested in the destiny of Genevieve's marriage, but on what will happen to the characters. What kind of persons are they and how they can handle this? Grade: It wasn't perfect, but it kept me reading till 4am, so... 8/10 Edited December 13, 2008 by ii Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ii Posted January 26, 2009 Share Posted January 26, 2009 Okay, so no big flashy reviews, I'll save that to my blog, but I did finish Richistan; A Journey Through the American Wealth Boom and the Lives of the New Rich by Robert Frank. It was interesting and funny. I loved how Frank didn't take a condemning stance and go "why should all these people have all this money when there's so much suffering and poverty" while still highlighting the gap between the rich and, well, really, everybody else. Frank covered the issue and the lives of the rich from several angles, focusing on the fast way to both make and lose the money, on the problem of "keeping up" with your peers, the difficulties of managing that money, on philanthropy and political involvement, on the next generation. The one focus I felt was left between the lines was the Old vs. New Money, but that was more my own issue than Frank's, as the book was about the New Money, really. While it was always funny, it was at times sad reading. I didn't know whether to feel sorry for the people or laugh at them, to agree with them or applaud them. I felt their pain, and yet wondered about their actions. It was a conflicting read for me personally, as I'm not really one of them, yet face the same issues. The real reason to read this book is the beauty of Frank's writing. Richistan was sharp and poignant, but never judgemental. 10/10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted January 26, 2009 Share Posted January 26, 2009 Just had a mosey round this thread. I see you gave "Waiting" by Ha Jin 10/10, which is nice to see, as its one of the books on my list for my next round of amazon-shopping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ii Posted January 26, 2009 Share Posted January 26, 2009 Just had a mosey round this thread. By all means, you're more than welcome. I see you gave "Waiting" by Ha Jin 10/10, which is nice to see, as its one of the books on my list for my next round of amazon-shopping. Oh, it's brilliant! It's very delicate and almost fragile. Very beautiful and heart-wrenching. 10/10 was the least one could give it! Let me know when you get around to it, I'd love to hear your thoughts, and if you liked it as much as I did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted January 26, 2009 Share Posted January 26, 2009 Let me know when you get around to it, I'd love to hear your thoughts, and if you liked it as much as I did. Will do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ii Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 How come I'm on page 2 again?? I seriously need to start some major controversy here, just to keep it up... Finished The Dressmaker by Elizabeth Birkelund Oberbeck Blurb: Monsieur Clauge Reynaud is known throughout France for making fabulous clothes. The most elegant women in Paris regularly undertake the pilgrimage to the cobbled village of Senlis to be charmed by the tailor in his cluttered studio by the century-old apple tree. Claude can take a measurement at a glance, stores everything in his head and fashions each dress by hand. And, despite his ex-wife's protests, he refuses to be lured by the promise of the Parisian fashion industry. He is too old to change and certainly too old to fall in love: his only passion is his studio. Then one afternoon, in a cloud of spring blossom, Mademoiselle Valentine de Verlay arrives on Claude's doorstep. She commissions him to create her wedding dress. But before the first stitch has even been made, Claude realises that for the first time in his life he has fallen passionately in love and, very quickly, the seams of both their lives begin to unravel... Opinion: I liked this. The style of writing was different, very selective and yet very exposing. The characters were stripped of their protective layers and presented to the reader in a raw, yet very lyrical way. As for the story, you expect this to turn into your ordinary love story, but you'll be surprised. First off, it's not really about two people falling in love. It's about love. Period. And as you read on, you wonder if there is going to be a happy ending or if the story ends in tears. After you've finished the book, the story's all wrapped up, you're still left wondering. Not because there's no ending, but because you can't quite make up your mind whether it's a happy or sad one. Lyrically written story about love, that'll make you gasp at the use of language, and cry for the characters. 9/10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 How come I'm on page 2 again?? I seriously need to start some major controversy here, just to keep it up... Yours gets more traffic than mine, which is nearly always on page 2 - I think I must read pretty unimaginative books! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 Mine's always on page one. But thats coz I read like a book every 4 or 5 days. I have two rambles to post in mine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ii Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 I just saved mine from page 3 the other day... now that was sad! I'm trying to come up with some good debate issue... Maybe I should hate Time Traveller's Wife. What do you think, would that work? *laughs* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 Do so at the risk of your opinions losing their potency I'm afraid you won't like it now haha, because there are things to dislike about it! But I think it tackles a monumental task, philosophy and metaphysics and a not-too-cheesy love story admist it all, spanning an entire lifetime. And it does it well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ii Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 I'm trying to play down my expectations, as I don't want to expect the impossible... And it's in hardback. Bummer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 Ouch. Don't let that distract too much. Mine is a nice second hand paperback IN ENGLISH copy, as I'm not fluent in 56 million languages like you. (or is it three? French, English, Finnish....?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ii Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 Ouch. Don't let that distract too much. Mine is a nice second hand paperback IN ENGLISH copy, as I'm not fluent in 56 million languages like you. (or is it three? French, English, Finnish....?) *laughs* Well, three, really. Although I do know some Norwegian. But not enough to read in. And the basics in German ("Are you a millionaire?" "I love you." and "Good morning." which, according to Law Boy, is all I need), and some bare essentials in Italian ("Are you crazy?!?", the usual polite phrases of thank you and please and good morning, "How much is that?", "Can you send it to my hotel please?" and "Do you have these shoes in blue?") 56 million was close, though! I got The Time Traveller's Wife in Finnish a while back when I ran into it at a sale, and it's the kind of book BF's mom is probably interested as well, so it's nicer for her to have it in Finnish. I just hope the translation doesn't take away from the language too much. Okay, I should update my blog on my reading, as well... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maureen Posted January 28, 2009 Share Posted January 28, 2009 I'm trying to come up with some good debate issue... Maybe I should hate Time Traveller's Wife. What do you think, would that work? *laughs* You will lose my vote next time you run for president - you cannot hate TTW! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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