true boy tales: Book Reviews

Monday, September 19, 2011

Book Reviews

I've read a few books lately that didn't make it on to my official blog list but I thought they were worth sharing with those of you who read as much as I do. So if you've exhausted the list to the right and can afford a few "good" ones amidst the "great" ones, here are a few I give 3.5 or 4 out of 5.
One Thousand White Women: The Journals of May Dodd by Jim Fergus. Its a fictional story set in the late 1800's about a group of white women who come to live with a tribe of Native Americans. I learned a lot about their culture. There's a lot of humor in it and the characters are very endearing. I was just disappointed in the ending. I would give it 4 out of 5.
Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys. Historical fiction about the deportation of a Lithuanian family during WWII, sent to labor camps in Siberia, similar to the Nazi concentration camps. Its a heart-breaking story written in the point-of-view of a teenage girl. For some reason the writing style just left a little to be desired, but still, a great book. I would give it 3.5 out of 5.
Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah. This is a modern day, fictional novel that chronicles the lives of two women who are best friends from their teens through adulthood. I would give much of the book a 3 out of 5 and found some of it to be a bit cliche but the ending was so emotional, I think I cried through the last 20 or 30 pages. I love a book that makes me "emote out loud" as I like to think of it, so I recommend this one because of that.
Please share any that I should add to my list!

Party post coming soon...just waiting on pics from my sister.

1 comment:

CandySeptember 19, 2011 at 1:42 PM
I just finished firefly lane! A friend picked it up for me and left it on my doorstep with a bar of chocolate. (maybe she thought i needed a good cry?) I really related to Kate. It was an easy read...I do want to read that white woman book, thanks for putting it down.
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for the book lovers {my recent favorites}:

Brain on Fire by Susannah Cahalan: An incredibly haunting medical memoir. There's a lot of medical info to read through but I didn't find those parts boring and difficult to wade through. I thought she shared just enough. But if you like a book that's easy to read, this isn't it. I couldn't get this one out of my mind for a very long time. An unforgettable true story.
Me Before You by JoJo Moyes and What Alice Forgot by Lianne Moriarty: I'm just going to lump these two together because they're in the same category. I'm calling them deep chick lit. A perfect summer book to get lost in. Read them. Both. I promise you from the bottom of my heart that you will LOVE them. (I liked them both way better than Where'd You Go, Bernadette.)
These Is My Words by Nancy E. Turner: Most of my favorite books have a main character with a whole lotta grit. I wasn't quite sure about this one when I first started it but, oh, did it sweep me in and not let me go til the last page. I also love a book that makes me "emote out loud" as I like to think of it. This one had me smiling all the way through and crying my eyes out at the end. It follows a young girl through her life in the Arizona Territories in the late 1800's. A must read for anyone who likes Historical Fiction.
Someone Knows My Name by Lawrence Hill. I LOVED this book. Its a very well researched historical fiction novel about a young girl kidnapped from her village in Africa and sold into slavery. It follows her through her whole life and the unbelievable heartache and trauma she lives through. I've been telling people I liked it as much as Unbroken but the main character is so much more endearing and has so much spunk.
Another Place at the Table by Kathy Harrison. I have a thing for modern day memoirs of utterly heartbreaking stories (Like Breaking Night and Blackbird). This is a Foster mother's first-hand account of the children she took in over the years and the unbelievable trauma they went through before they came to her.
Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls. I loved this lighthearted yet emotional story of a strong woman making the best of a hard life in the Southwest, beginning in the 1930's. I love her writing style--just cuts to the point of every story without too much "fluff" and yet tells it in a way that you can picture everything in vivid detail. Her memoir, The Glass Castle, is one of my all-time favorites, and this true-life novel about her grandmother didn't disappoint.
The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh. Modern day fiction about a girl raised in Foster homes and her struggles throughout life. She learns about the Victorian Era language of flowers and that becomes a huge part of her life. I finished it in two days. An easy read but very emotional and moving.
Zeitoun by Dave Eggers. The true story of a man's experience after Hurricane Katrina when he decided not to evacuate in order to look after several properties he owned. Quite an unbelievable story and so hard to believe this happened in the US only a few years ago.