Emily's reviews
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Emily posted a review at 2011-10-14 10:19:34 for The Time Traveler's Wife (Harvest Book).
(Language: English)
  
Well, looks like I finally got around to reading this book. And I'm kind of wondering why I never bothered to before for this book truly is everything everyone described about it. It's romantic. It's a solid sciencie-fiction story. It's a full-on entertaining read.The story revolves around Henry and Clare, a husband and wife whose love story is unconventional due to Henry's time-traveling nature--a medical condition, of all things. It goes over their first meetings to the end of their romances. The writing is lovely and poetic--sometimes it gets rather flowerly, which may please some and repel others. But what really attached me to this story was the focus on the characters--this is a story about people. This is a modern classic. Loved it. 
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Emily posted a review at 2011-10-13 12:56:40 for The Color of Heaven (The Color of Earth).
(Language: English)
This was something of a disappointing conclusion for me. All that we expected to happen happens without any of the wonder or suspense of the prior two weeks. It's all nice enough, but this is pretty much just weddings and sex. Still, it ends the trilogy and that's all we need.
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Emily posted a review at 2011-10-13 12:46:35 for Tess of the d'Urbervilles (World's Classics).
(Language: English)
Oh, this is a difficult one for me. On one hand, I can defnitely see why this is the classic it is. On so many levels this is a thoroughly gorgeous novel, full of beautiful and layered writing, great characterization, and a pondering theme. But this isn't necessarily the sort of story you would sit down to read. It's not "exciting" nor "feel good" but rather one of those important novels set out to make a statement rather than entertain. It's also difficult to relate to, with our view of morality in a different time. In fact, it seems most of this book is dedicated to discussing that morality. A great book for lit class discussion, but not necessarily to be a favorite.
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Emily posted a review at 2011-10-10 04:07:51 for A Tale of Two Cities.
(Language: English)
This truly may be my favorite of all of Charles Dickens' novels. Oh, I read a few others here and there, but none of them quite captured my attention and heart like this. Set in both Paris and London before and during the French Revolution, this is a love story of the most classic and exciting kind. Full of intrigue at every twist of the plot this is the sort of thing that would appeal those looking for a great page-turner these days. The story revolves around three major characters: Lucie, a young French girl who at the beginning learns her father has just been released from years in a French prison; her husband Charles Darnay, another Frenchman who has disassociated himself from his noble-but-cruel family; and Sydney Carton, their mutual friend who is forced to silently love Lucie. Mixed with their story is that of the French Revolution, the pain of the impoverish citizens and the way they change as power becomes theirs. It all wraps up in a powerful and touching conclusion. This is the type of book that should be read. Don't let the classic nature scare you away--really, it's that good.
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Emily posted a review at 2011-10-10 03:57:47 for The Warded Man.
(Language: English)
Oh, I don't know about this book. It's been a long time since I've written adult fantasy so perhaps I'm simply out of the loop of what is good. And that is not to say this one is bad, but it seems to be little more than another fantasy book among many and I found little that set it apart. It is set in a world where demons run rampant and mankind's survival depends on protecting themselves. Wards--protective symbols-- are placed on houses and objects to keep the demons at bay. Unforunately, tragedies still happen. Here, three different characters survive demon attacks in three different ways. And the result is rather standard: We've three usual figures: the healer, the bard, and the magic warrior, all developed into fairly decent characterizations, but nothing more. The world is vague--though does its history and mythology credit. Perhaps it's merely a place a few more sequels need to establish? My biggest complaint, however, was the amount of time it took to set everything up. Lots and lots of back story and very little that actually happens until the end--which winds up being rather overly sentimental and a little too bravado. There's some goods things, though. I liked the idea of everything. It's a neat concept that comes forth quite decently and the writing is fine. Just don't expect anything extraordinary.
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Emily posted a review at 2011-10-03 11:26:04 for Brave New World.
(Language: English)
After spending a weekend reading this book, I am happy to say why it is the important classic it is. Huxley creatively made a future hedonistic society against which to discuss philosophy. Which is pretty much what this book is--whether you like it or not.
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Emily posted a review at 2011-09-30 02:42:37 for Ravenwood.
(Language: English)
Truth be told, what attracted me to this book was the stunning cover--and this turns out to be one of those situations where you can judge a book by its cover. Andrew Peters managed to create a wonderful world in which to tell a wonderful story. And it is the world that really sold this book to me. In the distant future of a world I assume to be earth, the environment has become so polluted that mankind has been forced to discover other ways to live--namely, the land of Arborium in which unimaginably huge trees provide the backdrop of civilization and the actual ground is a place of legend. Here lives a race of people called the Dendrens. The story begins when a plumber's apprentice by the name of Ark overhears a conspiracy to side with the rival nation Maw and overthrow the kingdom. It's a classic sort of adventure story, but Peters spices it up with this world of trees, its mythology, and a thoroughly delightful assortment of characters. Ark is a brave young soul, and his adventure is contrasted with that of the wicked Petronio--a boy for whom I didn't know whether to cheer or boo. Ark's friend Mucum provides a spot of comic relief, and even the minor characters turn out to be rather enthralling. Best of all, and I know I have said it before, Peters' world of Arborium is impressively creative. What begins as simply a world high up in the trees opens up with teasing hints about its nature and creation. There is a fine blend of fantasy, mythology, and science-fiction--all elements that could possibly create quite the section of fans for this book and its sequels, if any. The writing itself is quite lovely, adventurous, well-versed, and rather funny when appropriate. My only complaint is what I consider to be an overuse of tree-related humor that quickly became old for me. Yet all I could think about when reading this, besides how darn cool it all struck me, was how much I think other people would like it. It's smart, creative, and well-written. I don't know what else you need.
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Emily posted a review at 2011-09-28 09:19:39 for Steampunk!: An Anthology of Fantastically Rich and Strange Stories.
(Language: English)
I remember a year or so ago my cousin sending me a picture of her Halloween costume as a "steampunk girl" and my response being "what the flip is steampunk?" A quick explanation of it had me aware that, yes, I had read the occasional steampunk piece with no idea what I was reading. My conclusion was that I appreciated the genre and the freedom within it that makes it next to impossible to nail down a definition. I like that. "Steampunk!" is a collection that celebrates the variations and interpretations of steampunk with 14 differing stories that all make allusions to the concept, and by familiar authors--various fans should be pleased. Though I had my favorite and not-so-much favorite stories in this book, I'm happy to say that overall this is a great volume for anyone looking to sit down for a few minutes with a good short story. Besides, I can only chock up my not-so-favorites to personal taste and I'm sure others will be more than thrilled with them. The stories range from your typical Victorian-with-mechanics story to modern, real-life stories--and everything in between. The writers take the steampunk challenge seriously, all producing respectable stories. I figure at least one story has to please even the most reluctant of readers. And this might be a shallow note to cover, but this is a gorgeous book. I'm impressed with the cover art as well as the organization and layout. This is the kind of book you can leave lying around or even on a shelf and still get guests noticing. With all the hullabaloo about steampunk going on these days, this is a fine book to add to the trend and I hope future anthologies will be made.
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Emily posted a review at 2011-09-26 09:18:18 for The Soul of a Business: Managing For Profit And The Common Good.
(Language: English)
While I have no particular interest in running a business, I have been for a long time a fan of the Tom's of Maine products and hold the business in high regard. It's hard for me to not like a business so bent on natural products and improving the lives of the surrounding community. When I was given the opportunity to read Tom Chappell's book I was intrigued to not only get a feel-good reading opportunity but to see just how his business strategy differs from others. The book certainly is one that is focused on making a business succeed, which I think makes this so much more than feel-good fluff. Chappell is a competent president who isolated strategies and proved them to work. He offers his advice in clear, clean statements and even tells how he came to his conclusions. It seems easy enough a process to mimic. Perhaps it's just my non-business nature, but some of the book did run a tad dry for me and not everything seemed as organized as it could have been. Still, those looking for business strategy ideas might be impressed.
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Emily posted a review at 2011-09-25 08:52:41 for Watership Down (Puffin Books).
(Language: English)
It's kind of sad that I have gone as far in my life and have never read this book. I, like I'm sure many others, have heard of the title in the lists of great children's literature. But I am so pleased that I have finally had the opportunity to read it. Upon opening it was I immediately drawn into the incredible world of rabbits as imagined by the author. There's so much fact, but it's dressed up with the magic of animal government that has been successful in so many stories. This is a method that works. The story involves a group of rabbits who, upon discovering their warren won't last much longer, leave to start their own. Lacking females, they decide to ask for does from a nearby warren, only to find themselves in battle with rabbits very different from their own. The characters are richly imagined and richly detailed. Entire rabbit cultures and mythologies are built up. This is an adventure story in the truest sense and I am thrilled to have finally read it.
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Emily posted a review at 2011-09-20 12:40:54 for Write Your Way Into Animation and Games.
(Language: English)
I consider myself an amateur writer who happily remains in the line of young adult/children's stuff, but this book piqued my interest because of a fairly recent interest in writing a plot for a video game... perhaps it was destiny that led me to this book. Among all the books out there that instruct you how to write and get published for everything else it was quite novel to find one on the specifics of other art forms. The set-up of the book is marvelous. Now, this is most definitely a textbook, so if that is a format that scares you off you may want to avoid this. But it works as any good textbook should and is chock-full of information and extras that strive to offer all sorts of advice and tips. The organization of chapters in sensible, and the clean-cut index and table of contents made this very easy to navigate. But that's all fluff. What is crucial to this book's quality is the information it contains. It's practical advice, it's good advice, and it is presented clearly. The book gets into the world of animation and video games without any nonsense. The advice is tailored to both subjects and the sort of writing and characters both require. However, my favorite part of the book was how general much of the information was. Even if you have no intention of writing for video games or other kinds of animation (mind you, this book is extremely informative on that) there is plenty of information in there that is useful for any writer. I was very impressed with the spectrum and depth of this book. An excellent resource.
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Emily posted a review at 2011-09-20 12:35:44 for 50 Strange Stories of the Supernatural.
(Language: English)
When I first bought this book, I expected a fairly standard work of fairly mediocre tales. I suppose that is due to me not examining the book thoroughly. Whatever the reasoning, I was most impressed by all this book had to offer. It ignores the standard spooky stories and instead chooses instances of history and famous folklore. The various writers provide excellent and well-written accounts. Best of all, each and every story in here can be found elsewhere (believe me, I did the search). The book is definitely for believers in the weird and as a slight bias toward the truth of these events, but I find it makes the book all the more delightful.
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Emily posted a review at 2011-09-06 09:56:39 for Arctic Autumn: A Journey to Season's Edge.
(Language: English)
Yeah, I'm one of those people who since childhood has imagined myself tromping through the wilderness of dozens of places, the arctic included, and still holds a special place in my heart for such dreams. So I found it dang easy to empathize with Dunne, so easy I immediately found myself sucked into this book, finding it even more enchanting a read during a weekend camping trip. Somehow wilderness books are even better in the outdoors. I think nature bonds with nature. Dunne's account is a trip with his wife and a few others to spend the lovely season of autumn up in the actic circle. It's a travel log, to be sure, but hides that fact in blissfully descriptive details, poignant thoughts, and plenty of humor in the wiriting. Therefore the travel log becomes a diary, the one teetering on randomness but redeems itself in the joy of its thoughts. Dunne happily recounts his experiences in the arctic, caring less about the day-to-day details (which, when included, are written via bright summary) and more about the unique moments and his reaction to everything. The book has everything: the arctic descriptions and scenery, the people, reflections on life and nature, etc. He is certainly opinionated, but never preachy, and his point of view only increases the greatness of this book. The details of the book itself are also a treat. The chapters are by month, with the Native word for such time included. Also included are beautiful photographs of the experience. It's small size makes it wonderfully handy for traval (a subliminal message, me thinks?) I was thrilled with this book. It's a quick read, but full of wonder.
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Emily posted a review at 2011-09-02 04:32:31 for Abish - Daughter of God.
(Language: English)
So often it seems that what makes Abish so notable is the fact that she is little more than some random woman who appears once in scipture. Yet that little mentioning is so much. Who is this woman? Why was she so important to have been granted a name? Why was she such a singularity of faith among the Lamanites? I'm sure we are all aware that plenty of Sunday School lessons and weepy Young Women's talks could be written on this subject, but Ms. Grant instead takes the more entertaining way: a creative embellishment of this mystery woman's life. It's all things that such a scripture should cause. This is a very positive, uplifiting, and spiritual book--yet thankfully avoids the gushing and the preaching. Rather, Grant allows Abish to tell the story, not about the absolute meaning and wonderment of that moment in King Lamoni's court, but at the path that led her to it. The story begins in King Lamoni's court where a young Abish is released from service to the princess. Having spent most of her life in the palace, she is unable to fit into home life. Her relationship with mother is awkard at best and she soon finds herself offered for marriage to a detestable human being. The characterization is wonderful. Despite the historical setting, Abish is easy to relate to--I personally had no problem with the modern speak, just found it easier to follow. Grant never glorifies or completely demonizes anyone, and the personalities blend easily to the character-focused but fast-moving plot for easy comprehension. This is one of those books that is great for light reading, yet still offers a worthy spiritual message.
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Emily posted a review at 2011-08-27 10:57:36 for Eve.
(Language: English)
Yeah, I get it. We all love the post-apocalyptic novel, the story of a world that has fallen from its presence grace. I like 'em, too. Despite their popularity its delightfully easy to find ones that are good. And why wouldn't it be? You find a way to destroy the world and then create a new world of survival. It almost always makes for a great read. Unless you're falling far too much into the idea of how easy the story idea is and then... don't even bother. What's the problem here? Write a post-apocalyptic novel and the readers will flock to you no matter how dry it is. "Eve" is one of these books It has everything a post-apocalyptic novel should have, yet none of the heart and soul. Effort, please. Effort! Obviously this is the tale of Eve, a girl growing up in a world where a plague has taken out most of the population and all that remains of America is pop culture references, Anna Carey's random references to literature, and a bunch of road signs that are partially unreadable leaving the surviving population with no clue of their history (You'd think one of their great literary novels would clue them into the fact that perhaps "Califia" just might be "California", but no.) Anywho, Eve is an orphan who has lived a more-or-less enchanted life at an all-girls school who then discovers, quite effortlessly, that her fate and the fates of her classmates upon graduation is to become baby-breeding machines. So, understandably horrified at this cruel twist on maternity, she flees into the wild world. Which isn't much. There's wilderness, ruins, and roving troublemakers as well as the oh-so-scary servants of the King. Now this all has the potential to be good stuff, but Carey fails to do much with it. No real attempt is made at world-building, and I was left with impression that Eve and her eclectic assortment of companions just run around through vague fields and buildings. The writing itself is decent, but syntax doesn't do much here. Eve and her companions are completely void of personality and descriptions are mediocre at best. As I have recently begun playing the video game "Fallout 3" that also has a post-apocalptic America, I expected a little more world-building with Carey's American remains. Nothing. And the story... it just moves to fast to allow any heart or even any suspense. The plot starts off far too quickly and every challenge is immediately handled. The novel has everything it technically should have: a pretty and youthful heroine, a seedy government, a destroyed civilization, a love interest... but they are all there to pretty much make up a check list. They fit awkwardly into a story that failed to be gripping. Rather than being the gritty novel of a dystopian future for which I had hoped, "Eve" is just a generic novel for its genre.
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Emily posted a review at 2011-08-27 03:50:35 for Wisdom's Kiss.
(Language: English)
I fell in love with Murdock's writing after reading "Princess Ben". She respects the wonders of the fairy tale while giving it a more discerning look. She's imaginative, funny, and always sure to give her characters just a bit of something extra. In something of a sequel to "Princess Ben" comes a thoroughly intelligent story that makes a fine mark in the fairy tale world. It's enchanting, it's fun, it's creative. It's worth a read for anyone who loves fairy tales. Romance and intrigue are explained through a variety of voices. Which leads into what is truly novel about this story. This book is a clip of history... which means it's told through diary entries, letters, encyclopedias, and all other sorts of historical documents. It's not irritating in the least, but fun and surprisingly easy to follow. I felt it added quite a bit of charm to the storytelling. This is just a great book altogether. The story is wonderful, the characters are interesting, and the format is a lot of fun.
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Emily posted a review at 2011-08-27 03:48:23 for Eating Clean For Dummies (For Dummies (Health & Fitness)).
(Language: English)
I doubt I'm the type to ever take up some vegan diet, but there is a part of me that delights in natural nutrition. The way I was raised combined with spiritual beliefs do make the clean eating way of life all the more intriguing. My surprise came during my reading when I realized I had already learned a good chunk of what this book said. This is not a criticism of the book at all, but a note that should be given to the more cynical readers: There's nothing new here, just facts of nutrition and food that have been around for ages. What does that say about us? Are we all blindly ignoring the obvious? Onto the book! This is actually the first "For Dummies" book I've read and I must say I'm pleased with the set up. It's a good book to either browse through or head-on tackle. The layout is easy to follow, the organization is delightfully obvious, and it's all reminiscent of school days' text books. I like that. The focus here is not so much on organic this and vegetarian that, but on the basics of nutrition. What do our bodies do with nutrients? Why do we need them? Where do they come from? It's a great base for an argument for clean eating. As far as preachiness... I'm happy to say I found the book rather void of this. It encourages organic food but gives the reasons. Vegetarianism and veganism are offered as options, not the rule. So it's a populace-friendly book. Best and perhaps most useful of all are the recipes and shopping guides. Extremely handy and a great way to start the process.
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Emily posted a review at 2011-08-27 03:42:46 for The Eighty-Dollar Champion: Snowman, the Horse That Inspired a Nation.
(Language: English)
Though I never knew much about Snowman, I knew of him and had always been intrigued by his story--what I knew of it. I truly do appreciate a book that gives me a studious and in-depth look on his story. And this book is more than satisfactory in that regard. There seems to be a proper amount of research and facts, all committed to the one goal of sharing of just how neat the Snowman story is. How could a story like this not be inspirational? A horse rescued from a meat truck goes on to become a jumping champion. In a land that loves the underdog, of course this story would strike a chord. Letts' writing made this book flow. Her style evoked auras of old-time news reels; devoted to getting the story, but also happy with picking at all sorts of little details. Not only does this tell Snowman's story, but Harry de Lauer's as well as the nature of the country at that time. It all creates a good and informative background and understanding of just what this horse and man saw and felt. She also has a fine insight into thoughts and feelings. Maybe that's just a writer's creative license writing a book, but it certainly resulted in a thoroughly human feel to all of this. It's not just a horse story; it's a human story. However, this book is all over the place. Yes, the detail and writing are rich, but too often comes the mistake of the infodump. I do appreciate background and details, but there were some bits that were just superfluous. I read on, hoping those would figure in later, but they never did. But other information is repeated, and repeated often. It's as if Letts put down some beautifully-written notes and never properly put them together. I hear a dozen times about one competition rule and only once about another--information that would have served me well early in the book. Still, it's a neat story and a well-written book that just needs to be organized better.
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Emily posted a review at 2011-08-27 03:40:56 for Any Given Day: The Life and Times of Jessie Lee Brown Foveaux.
(Language: English)
Kind of interesting to think this book was ever even mass published in the first place. I'm sure everyone loves a scrap of family history from a beloved grandmother and that is indeed the nature of this book. The story lover in me is pleased with this. Mrs. Foveaux lived an interesting life in a world now rarely glimpsed. She overcame trials, she dealt with people, and she rose all above it. There's much inspiriation in this story as well as that lovely aura of down-home goodness. But it's not the most quality book one could find. It was written for her descendents, which means there isn't much in the way of the artful bits for which readers look. It's a good and thoughtful read, but should be recognized for what it is.
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Emily posted a review at 2011-07-17 09:10:39 for Beyond Foo, Book 1: Geth and the Return of the Lithens.
(Language: English)
Being a big believer that Geth was by far the best character of the Leven Thumps series I was pretty darn excited for a trilogy starring him as well as one that would return us to the excellent world of Foo. And I am happy about such things, but I'm also getting the impression this is being considered little more than a side quest. It's fun, it's witty, but it's just not on the same level Leven Thumps was. The story begins some time after the Leven Thumps tale has ended. The only two characters returning (so far) are Geth and Clover (excuses have been made for everyone else, which is fine.) They run into a strange girl called Eve, are attacked, and wake up in a land beyond Foo's boarders where dreams have been lost. It's all a neat concept, but other than this new land there just isn't anything original about the story. It relies on concept from the first series without adding anything new. The writing is rather dry, and Obert Skye's jokes and wittiness can't save it; in some cases, the humor is forced. The balance between the hilarity and the drama just isn't there. It's fun to see Geth and Clover again, and I love seeing the "new Geth". The story itself is fairly interesting, and it appears Obert Skye is stil very much into this world and characters. He's creative, but in this case the creativity only gets as far as telling a nice story. Still, it's a nice return to Foo and other lands and the book does get better as it goes along. I think I'll be reading the sequel.
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Emily posted a review at 2011-07-10 07:37:02 for The Help.
(Language: English)
"The Help" was one of those books I more or less heard about for awhile but not being the type to hop on the local book club bandwagon I never thought either about reading it until my mother saw the trailer for the upcoming movie and showed the Kindle into my hands. I was for a split second between books on my reading list and spent the next couple of days devouring this poignant and delightful story. I've finished with the opinion that, yes, this book does live up to its hype. I do so love it when that happens. Told in the voices of three characters the story tells of colored help in 1960s Jackson, Mississippi. Minnie struggles to hold down a job with the society-despised white trash Celia. Abelaine takes care of her white charge, a beautiful little girl that gets more attention from the help than her own mother. Skeeter seeks to interview the help in order to write a book. The three women's journey together is a thoroughly readable one that touches the soul as their stories intertwine. The book is permeated with that voice of the struggle for equality and is reminiscent of so many other fine tales of the equal rights movement. To me, the "women's lit" touch is the cherry on top. Heck if I didn't want to go fight for a worthy cause and change the world when I was finished with the story--though it must be said that even as worthy as the cause is and just how much I hate racism, it seemed the story sometimes relied on that good intentions feel to the point where cheesiness was a threat. Fortunately, I can take a strong dose of that quite happily, but I know many readers would want to consider that. The story is also just darn cute. This is where the charm comes in, and this old world of Jackson comes sparkling to life. It's a sweet and worthy read, full of nice characters, wonderful ideas, and even a bit of humor. It's one of those books that demands to be read in as few sittings as possible and it certainly warms the soul.
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Emily posted a review at 2011-07-07 09:03:54 for The Dagger Quick (Paula Wiseman Books).
(Language: English)
It seems that our culture is still happily in the midst of the pirate craze, and as someone who has gone through a pirate phase or two of my own that is just fine with me. All that considered, it only seems fitting that amongst all the more violent and adult fare there should be something for the kids to enjoy. With its young characters and non-stop storytelling, "The Dagger Quick" is quite suited for that niche. The story revolves around Kitto, a handicapped boy learning to be a cooper like his father. Until his uncle, a wanted pirate, shows up to hire Kitto and his father to help him. It's a nice turn of events that leads into a thoroughly enjoyable pirate story that is rich in adventure and emotion. Kitto is a character worthy of being liked. He's very much a boy, yet demonstrates the fear and feelings all kids secretly want to identify with. The rest of the cast is just as delightful and I was quite impressed with the variety: Kitto's energetic little half-brother Duck, his beautiful and strrong stepmother Sarah, the shades-of-grey Uncle William. Wiseman digs into characterizations with a clear goal of getting into everyone's minds, and the result is good without being cheesy. Wiseman is also a marvelous storyteller. The book is just fun, fast-paced and upbeat so it's near impossible to put down--which is a great thing for young readers. Having taught elementary school myself, I can tell he aimed this toward his intended audience of the kids and I think kids will enjoy this. I loved the pirate world. It's definitely the "romantic" version, but in storybook land that is often the best one, perfect for outlandish escapism. I even appreciated the dabbling into history. My complaints are few and mild, but I shall bring them up: It might be purely personal, but I have always had difficulty with complete omniscience in a story and Wiseman's tendency to jump back and forth between character perspectives was sometimes hard to follow. As for dialogue, it seemed Wiseman was emulating a charming storybook style, which is fine by me, but it sometimes just became dry. All I could think about during this book was how much the right group of kids would love it. It's clear, simple writing infused with nice vocabularly and history. The story is engaging, the characters believable. And it's a heck of a lot of fun. I can't wait for the sequel.
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Emily posted a review at 2011-07-04 11:21:06 for The Four Desires: Creating a Life of Purpose, Happiness, Prosperity, and Freedom.
(Language: English)
I pretty much got this book on a lark. I practice basic yoga and meditate every now and then, but I wouldn't go as far as to consider myself deeply entrenched in the philosophy. So I was mildly surprised at how captivated I was by this. Rod Stryker is quite brilliant at focusing the philosophy and making book-accessible his class, resulting in a thoroughly readable and useful book. He stays quite simple as he breaks down the Four Desires into understandable terms. He is thoughtful, intelligent, and a fantastic teacher even in the medium of writing. I read the book through the first time without doing most of the exercises, but as I only refrained out of having no way to do them at the time I fully intend on going through with them. I was most impressed at how interactive the book was with these exercises as Stryker instructs us how to focus and find our desires and carry them out. Even without the exercises, the book contains plenty of information and thoughts that are well-worth the read, for pondering's sake. Stryker is also a fine writer, which is what I feel really sells this book. He's easy to understand, but the writing is still quite good. His voice is clear, and I was charmed by the stories and anecdotes he shared. The book is full of thoughtful advice, practical advice, meditations, and even focuses on yoga poses. No matter what you need or want, this book will find something to offer you.
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Emily posted a review at 2011-07-01 10:23:21 for The Secret Journal of Brett Colton.
(Language: English)
I hate to admit it, but I'm rather snotty when it comes to LDS fiction. In fact, I'm known for often making fun of it, especially the romantic/emotional stuff. But after several insistences that I read this, I did and completely devoured it. How rare is it to find a piece of LDS fiction that thrives on more than just its Mormon nature but a poignant plot and interesting characters? I found this to a thoroughly heartfelt story that steps beyond its counterparts. Kathy is a teenager girl who just can't bare the stories of her dead brother Brett, who died of luekemia when she was a baby. In her eyes, her family dwells on his memory and his perfection. Kathy would like nothing more than for everyone to just move on and perhaps move herself beyond her family's expectations. But on her 16th birthday, she receives a long-held letter from Brett directing her to the hidden journal he kept during his illness. Here the story opens up into an intriguing and touching balance of Brett's journal entries and the life Kathy begins to live. She learns of Brett's devotion to her as his baby sister, his relationship with his friends and family, his thoughts and feelings on his sickness, and his budding interest in the Book of Mormon. Meanwhile, Kathy begins a reluctant friendship with a popular Mormon boy and finds herself actually talented in the drama class her family all but forced her into. Best of all, the sometimes-difficult relationship she has with her family begins to change for the better. Sure, it's a theme that has been done many a time, but I appreciated it just the same. It's sweet, thoughtful, and Ms. Mangum's perspective of human relationships is impressive. I most loved the focus on the family relationships and Kathy's personal growth. Too often I've seen the theme as a punishment to the family, but this one focuses on her family's positive qualities. Rather than celebrating Kathy's desire to do something besides drama, it celebrates the discovery of a talent. My complaints are few: While I did like Mangum's clear writing style, she did seem to suffer from a situation that I notice affects many creative writing teachers-turned-authors: The desire to shove out details and descriptions that aren't all that necessary. Nothing technically wrong, and her emotions were sweet, but the book could have done with a bit more artistry. My other complaint is that I almost would have preferred all Mormonism have been stripped from this story. Indeed, it's a good sign that this story could have survived just fine without the LDS infusion. I do realize that it still is LDS fiction, but the fact that it was told from the eyes of a "Gentile" girl made the LDS stuff quite pushy and I had to wonder if her football playing Mormon friend really did do anything besides talk about the church. But the result is a fine one, and I would recommend this book in a heartbeat to anyone looking for good LDS fiction.
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Emily posted a review at 2011-06-25 11:36:13 for The Long Walk: The True Story of a Trek to Freedom by Slavomir Rawicz.
(Language: English)
My mother insisted I read this book, and I'm sorry to say that for a long time I put it off. But after viewing the movie As Far as My Feet Will Carry Me, mentioning it to her, and having her wonder if it were based upon this book (it's not) I found myself in the frame of mind where I just had to read this story. Frankly, I don't much care either for the authenticity of the camp; what makes this story so incredible is the events following the escape. A man sentenced to 25 years in prison decides to break out and head for freedom. He selects six companions, with a young girl later added, and the journey begins. It's a harrowing account, full of the gritty details of lands where these people just weren't meant to go. Rawicz's words are vivid, emotional, and certainly in the realm of poetic; this is a book where not only the situation is gripping but is artistically a pleasure to read. What stands out most is the power of the human spirit: the determination of these men, their friendship, their dependence on the kindness of so many strangers. The book is fine on so many levels. It's a great perspective of history. The survival story is exciting and inspiring. There is so much heart and humanity in this that is told so subtly as to avoid any overreaching in poignancy. Truly, this is a book that must be read.
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