Lies I Told My Children (and Other Stories)

Lies I Told My Children (and Other Stories)
Karen McQuestion
Copyright July 2009

A book of cute short stories that I think most every parent can relate to.  McQuestion's stories kind of reminded me of The Bloggess, just  on a more PG scale.  From the safety of Metallica concerts for teenage boys, to just realizing you can't control everything, I had a smile on my face most of the time.

And you may lend it out on the Kindle, so I will gladly share.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith
Kindle Edition 2009

True fact:  I hate Victorian romance novels.  Jane Austen and The Bronte Sisters bore me to death.  (This coming from a girl who reads historical papers for the heck of it.)  I'd be a pretty crappy librarian if I said I never read any of their works (not for lack of trying on my part).  And so, how better to hook me than to add in a few zombies here and there?  I had no idea if this would work, but it did.

I now understand and appreciate Lizzy and Darcy's love story and it also helps that they just don't lounge around the countryside, but rather bond over slaying the undead.  Elizabeth kind of reminded me of Uma Thurman's character in Kill Bill.  In fact, the whole book had a sort of Tarantino-esque vibe to it.  Does that make for good literature?  No, but it was entertaining.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
J.K. Rowling
Copyright 1999

Okay, so this one was a reread.  My five year old daughter has been asking about Harry and wants me to read it to her, but I had to reread it before I curled up next to her and took her down Diagon Alley.

No, this is not a book for five year olds.  At least not my five year old.  She is way too sensitive and easily spooked by "bad guys" for me to make this our bedtime read.  Nor was it the book for me when I read it all those years back.  Too be honest, I didn't like it and couldn't understand the hype (isn't that the way it usually is with things that are hyped up?).  But now, a decade or so later (wow), I can genuinely appreciate it for what it is.

So, what is it?  To me, it is a fun catalyst for the imagination and a book that turned a whole generation on to the joys of reading.  Doesn't every kid dream at some point that they are more than what others say they are? With the exception of maybe the prefects, everyone at Hogwarts was a misfit in some way.  Kids could find someone they could relate to.  (For me, it was Hermione.  And wow, I am annoying.)

Is it a masterpiece of prose?  Heck no!  But, I will keep reading the series, because it grows with and on you. 

The Hound of the Baskervilles

The Hound of the Baskervilles

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Kindle Edition 2010 

I am enjoying the opportunity to catch up on these classic books I've never read.  And I must say I am pleasantly surprised by how good they are.  I was expecting to be bored, but find myself eagerly anticipating what the next page has to offer.

The Hounds of Baskerville is part of Doyle's Sherlock Holmes Series. It was genuinely a good story.  The ending wasn't a shock per say and I may not have been captivated by Holmes as a character, but that didn't matter.

Holmes and his genius play a minimal role (only to save the day in the end. Which I suspect may be his style) as we follow Watson to the estate in the English countryside.  Watson's duty is to protect the latest Baskerville as he attempts to reestablish the family's mansion following the death of his uncle.  The Baskerville family has been plagued by a curse for generations following the heinous behavior of one of its patriarchs.  Was the curse to blame for the uncle's death, or something more sinister?  Da...da..dum....

This is Where I Leave You

This is Where I Leave You  
Jonathon Tropper
Copyright 2010

First off just let me say, this book rocked.  I am not a mushy kind of girl, well I won't admit to being one at least, so you wouldn't think that a book about a man who has just lost his father and walks in on his cheating wife would be for me.  But, Tropper injected the story with such sarcasm and realism that it hooked me. 

This is Where I Leave You is a coming of age story for us 30 year olds.  The main character thinks he has settled into life, only to have everything turned on its head.  Yea, I know there are soooo many other books about the same thing, but they all lack the finesse of this book.  Trust me, they do....

Another note to fellow Kindle readers:  Three years ago when my husband bought me the Kindle for Christmas (Thank You)  it was with the promise that I would stop collecting books in every nook and cranny.  But, just how am I supposed to keep that promise when the paperbacks are cheaper???  Any solutions?

Blogging for Dummies

Blogging for Dummies
Susannah Gardner
Copyright 2012

 Curiosity got the best of me when I picked up this book for my Kindle.  Every computer science book that I have ever bought has either been way too in-depth for my needs, or just skims the surface.  Unfortunately, this book was no exception.

Blogging for Dummies is a great primer.  Gardner excels at introducing the technology and all its accoutrement in an easy to follow and entertaining style.  But, for those of us who know Blogger and WordPress, the book is lacking that added oomph.  I don't know what aha! moment I wanted, but this book just didn't give it to me.  Not for lack of trying.  Gardner encourages bloggers of all sizes and genres, but to me, her advice was somewhat trite: Get out there, write often, and have fun.  Well, that's a no brainer.  In fact, its my life motto.

A quick note to the Kindle users, the "Dummy" format doesn't  translate all that well. It was hard to differentiate text for sidebars and vice versa.

We, Too, Are Americans

We, Too, Are Americans
 Megan Taylor Shockley
Copyright 2003



Caveat:  I am friends with Megan, so this "review" holds little merit, other than to record that I read the book.  :) I am a dork...  I will read historical non-fiction for the pure thrill of it all.  So it helps to have friends in high places.

We, Too, Are Americans discusses the organization of African American women to improve their socioeconomic status during WWII, specifically in Richmond, VA and Detroit, MI.  It helps the reader to create a picture of race relations in the 1940's by contrasting two cities on opposing sides of the Mason-Dixon Line.

A well written and thorough treatise, the book explores an oft-forgotten segment of social history.  Many people, myself included, were unaware of the efforts of middle class African American Women to minimize the the inequalities between blacks and whites during the Jim Crowe Era.  But logically it was the ideal time to strike: America was in crisis and African Americans were working as hard on America's behalf.  For their effort, middle class black women lobbied for jobs and improved conditions through organizations such as sororities and other social groups.  Shockley's research shows how the stage was set for the Civil Rights Movement on the foundation created by the groups.