tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85265845731892211322024-03-13T01:38:14.878-07:00Rachielle's ReviewsA Few of My Favorite BooksRachielle Shefflerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04953954064826451304noreply@blogger.comBlogger56125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8526584573189221132.post-77738087865935563762012-09-24T17:54:00.001-07:002012-09-24T20:11:18.578-07:00Book # 49 - The Time Traveler's Wife<br />
The Time Traveler's Wife<br />
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Audrey Niffenegger</div>
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Audiorecording<br />
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A little girl encounters a naked man in the meadow. Creepy to begin with, but over time, Henry De Tamble, the time traveler, endears himself to Clare Abshire. Henry meets Clare in different time periods of his life, while she ages chronologically. Eventually, they meet at the appointed time build a life together as husband and wife. His time travel often disrupts their relationship, but Clare persists. A story of love. Confusing at times and somewhat vague in the end.<br />
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Rachielle Shefflerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04953954064826451304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8526584573189221132.post-18924830216922456072012-09-24T17:28:00.000-07:002012-09-24T17:55:06.512-07:00Book # 48 - Tender at the BoneTender at the Bone<br />
Growing up at the Table<br />
Ruth Reichl<br />
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Although I don't like to cook anything fancy or anything that has more than five ingredients, I loved this book! Part memoir, part cookbook, it is funny and touching. I could smell and taste the buttery warmth in every chapter.Rachielle Shefflerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04953954064826451304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8526584573189221132.post-42158842382641153332012-09-24T17:11:00.001-07:002012-09-24T17:11:13.664-07:00Book # 47 - A Lesson Before DyingA Lesson Before Dying<br />
Ernest Gaines<br />
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A young black man, Jefferson, was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Convicted for the murder of a man in a robbery gone awry, he listened to the defense attorney call him "so simple that he was a hog, not a man." His godmother, who was at the sentencing, appealed to the Grant Wiggins, local schoolteacher, to grant him one wish - to make Jefferson a man before he went to the gallows.<br />
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Set in the Civil Rights era in Bayonne, Louisiana.Rachielle Shefflerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04953954064826451304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8526584573189221132.post-440068335387102952012-09-24T17:00:00.000-07:002012-09-24T17:00:03.011-07:00Book # 46 - Julius CaesarJulius Caesar<br />
William Shakespeare<br />
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When my son was having difficulty with the burden of homework, my husband and I reassured him that Mommy and Daddy were there for him.<br />
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"How could I help?" <br />
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I was totally unprepared for the answer, "Could you start reading Julius Caesar?"<br />
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So, one hot summer day, when I was supposed to be training for the 3-Day Walk for the Cure, I sought the refuge of the air-conditioned library to find tools to tackle this task.<br />
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With the help of Cliff's Notes, Shakespeare for Dummies and some simplified children's books, I read Julius Caesar! Another great tool was No Fear Shakespeare, an online comparison of Shakespeare's English and modern English. I was very happy to be able to help my son with his essay. Finally, it wasn't Greek to me.<br />
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Happy to say, I caught the Shakespeare bug, and went on to borrow books on tape. So much easier listening to the play than reading the verse.<br />
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<br />Rachielle Shefflerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04953954064826451304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8526584573189221132.post-85294246853959499332012-09-24T11:40:00.001-07:002012-09-24T11:41:04.535-07:00Book # 45 - The Sisters Antipodes<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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The Sisters Antipodes </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Jane Alison </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
277
pages<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dysfunctional family x 2.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Two families meet in Australia.
The fathers are diplomats. The mothers are both young and
beautiful. The children, two sets of sisters, are practically alike. Within
a year, the parents swap partners, and each family gets reconfigured.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Major consequences for the girls who
never felt loved by their fathers.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #131313;">Painful and
poignant memoir. Written with honesty. Soul searching without psychobabble.
Every little girl needs her daddy, and when this basic need is not fulfilled,
the ramifications into adulthood may prove tragic.</span><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Rachielle Shefflerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04953954064826451304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8526584573189221132.post-60440940128341611932012-09-24T11:28:00.000-07:002012-09-24T11:30:01.710-07:00Book # 44 - The Diary of Ma Yan<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">Diary of Ma Yan</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">The Struggles and Hopes of a Chinese Schoolgirl</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">167 pages</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">I borrowed this book in the hopes that my daughter would read at least one book during the summer vacation. A Chinese girl in a poor village anguishes at her parents' decision to stop her schooling. This is something my daughter could not relate to, so I ended up reading the book because it resonated with some difficulty in my own childhood.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">This is a story of how a little girl values education. Her diary, though simple and rudimentary, becomes a tool to help her family and her village.</span><br />
<br />Rachielle Shefflerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04953954064826451304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8526584573189221132.post-32474889941331132312012-09-24T11:19:00.002-07:002012-09-24T17:54:54.941-07:00Book # 43 - How to be an American HousewifeHow to be an American Housewife<br />
Margaret Dilloway<br />
276 pages<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSMmZph9oQJc4auLIcDWw62AdqBwSHE_zJcBRL2i-lv9tStsZOmANMf0j6OAxa4Y0ncoXRObUzdzyFpvGpcdTkCIgOV4WCQ9jxELEuQPADqW2umtsgOnhjjg2g5d5wxQdPlyZvxOO-EwE/s1600/IMG_4817.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSMmZph9oQJc4auLIcDWw62AdqBwSHE_zJcBRL2i-lv9tStsZOmANMf0j6OAxa4Y0ncoXRObUzdzyFpvGpcdTkCIgOV4WCQ9jxELEuQPADqW2umtsgOnhjjg2g5d5wxQdPlyZvxOO-EwE/s320/IMG_4817.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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A Japanese mother and an American daughter come together to resolve the past. Shoko seeks the help of her daughter to help her reconcile with her brother Taro who was still in Japan. She was too ill to travel to Japan, so she asks her daughter Sue to intercede for her. Sue brings her own daughter Helena, and together, they begin their journey into Shoko's past. <br />
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Masterful weaving in and out of the present. Graceful transition to memories and back to the present.Rachielle Shefflerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04953954064826451304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8526584573189221132.post-19839980874329401182012-07-29T15:38:00.003-07:002012-09-24T11:30:38.910-07:00Book # 42 - Snow Flower and the Secret FanSnow Flower and the Secret Fan<br />
Lisa See<br />
269 pages<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQg84fy9KQIV925FOobeufMYBaPCX2hfJTE7CXRgSeJ0SBqs52g636eRHxLeIuze5mbORsrx90Sd-Ujc25cdgKJSRI-zXUJXiTDfYRd6ad5lH4i85lRzNDvgVUI6M6ocGKEivJZ06xj0o/s1600/IMG_4490.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQg84fy9KQIV925FOobeufMYBaPCX2hfJTE7CXRgSeJ0SBqs52g636eRHxLeIuze5mbORsrx90Sd-Ujc25cdgKJSRI-zXUJXiTDfYRd6ad5lH4i85lRzNDvgVUI6M6ocGKEivJZ06xj0o/s320/IMG_4490.JPG" width="195" /></a></div>
Finished 7/24/2012<br />
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Beautiful story about the friendship of two girls sworn to each other as soul-sisters. They expressed their thoughts and love though the secret women's writing of nu shu.<br />
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Trick: With Lisa See's books, read the notes first. Usually the last chapter, Lisa would describe the writing of the book. Given the historical perspective, I enjoyed the book much better than her previous one, Peony in Love.<br />
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I was surprised with some bad reviews about this book, mostly criticizing it for the topic of footbinding and the absence of women's rights. It was the same everywhere in the world at that time, although the manifestation was different. For example, In America, women were denied the right to vote. In China, women's feet were bound. It's like refusing to read a book about slavery or the Holocaust because it is morally wrong.<br />
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<br />Rachielle Shefflerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04953954064826451304noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8526584573189221132.post-8456061573768734322012-07-29T15:30:00.002-07:002012-07-29T15:30:35.605-07:00Book # 41 - The HelpThe Help<br />
Kathryn Stockett<br />
Audiorecording, 15 CD's<br />
Finished 7/26/2012<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaBNZoLJJRWmlN6ztYOjg5Nt-Faqe_tVci7r_LvqpOywtI7UvHdMpZQoRy0zZ4tp-s53AjvLME4QozLPubNisebHu4WupKxoOnpcvjwUxbZ8V_KGc008KHMjcMLsvGZwT04T0gpLgonxM/s1600/IMG_4809.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaBNZoLJJRWmlN6ztYOjg5Nt-Faqe_tVci7r_LvqpOywtI7UvHdMpZQoRy0zZ4tp-s53AjvLME4QozLPubNisebHu4WupKxoOnpcvjwUxbZ8V_KGc008KHMjcMLsvGZwT04T0gpLgonxM/s320/IMG_4809.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
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All the hype about the Help is true! I loved it! The audiorecording gave a good feel for the characters.<br />
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Skeeter graduated from Ole Miss and went home to her parents' house in Jackson, Mississippi. She applied for work everywhere, and got rejected everywhere, except for the local town newspaper. She was hired to write housekeeping tips, a topic she knew nothing about. An editor at Harper and Row wrote her and gives sage advice, "Write about things that disturb you, especially if they don't bother anyone else."<br />
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So the stories about the help began. Risking life and limb, Skeeter interviewed all the black maids working for the white families, including her own. Not an easy task for the 1960's where the Jim Crow laws haunted everyone's movement. <br />
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Well-written. The characters were carefully developed and I got to to care for them and root for them. I can't wait to watch the movie.<br />
<br />Rachielle Shefflerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04953954064826451304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8526584573189221132.post-81770158059269527362012-07-29T15:17:00.000-07:002012-09-24T11:31:05.334-07:00Book # 40 - The Lemon TreeThe Lemon Tree<br />
an Arab, A Jew and the Heart of the Middle East<br />
Sandy Tolan<br />
9 CDs' Audiorecording<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLoa27Xj6mBBSYXKig9leoDqFk7fpeBNptMFRJ6JoIMO04S6p0u2jth6AS5cA5bRd_gHFrc3h0quY8FRTnrCdxHVLxrp3SAP-apZTGlSCWCPb66fcux5cyw4_S_2DxPNuYrOXAUO8JUo0/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-07-29+at+2.58.50+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLoa27Xj6mBBSYXKig9leoDqFk7fpeBNptMFRJ6JoIMO04S6p0u2jth6AS5cA5bRd_gHFrc3h0quY8FRTnrCdxHVLxrp3SAP-apZTGlSCWCPb66fcux5cyw4_S_2DxPNuYrOXAUO8JUo0/s320/Screen+Shot+2012-07-29+at+2.58.50+PM.png" width="222" /></a></div>
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True story of Bashir Khairi (the Arab) and Dalia Eshkanazi (the Jew) who shared a common childhood home. Bashir and his family were driven from their home by the invading Israeli army. Dalia's family moved into the beautiful home with the lemon tree. She always wondered about the people who abandoned their home. An answer came knocking on their door when Bashir visited after decades of expelled from Palestine. An unlikely friendship unfolds.Rachielle Shefflerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04953954064826451304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8526584573189221132.post-5923234702901231942012-07-29T15:05:00.000-07:002012-07-29T15:06:23.171-07:00Book # 39 - The Piano TeacherThe Piano Teacher<br />
Janice Y. K. Lee<br />
326 pages<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1hyeNT6_ngXW2dgGzShn7KwtVTbnBVlK3U4JygKZ4DZyI8isp-8DW3thgP-kjkOa6n1DQoiPvTDC56ao2IJh10AA3asb_ZqSjUAoXicqYdc6bpa8OHu2fW1LuFCK2cG4kAx8c-iKja44/s1600/IMG_4535.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1hyeNT6_ngXW2dgGzShn7KwtVTbnBVlK3U4JygKZ4DZyI8isp-8DW3thgP-kjkOa6n1DQoiPvTDC56ao2IJh10AA3asb_ZqSjUAoXicqYdc6bpa8OHu2fW1LuFCK2cG4kAx8c-iKja44/s320/IMG_4535.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
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I was on the road when I started reading this book. At first I thought that was why I had a hard time focusing. I love anything piano, and that is why I picked up this book. This story is about a woman who happened to be a piano teacher (the piano had nothing to do with the book). The chapters alternate between 1941 and 1953 in Hong Kong, and attempted to recreate the life of British expats in Hong Kong during and after World War II.<br />
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This is the most boring book ever! I thought that the story tried to pick up by page 60, and I kept trying to plod on and see where the story turned. The characters are bland and the story is not compelling.Rachielle Shefflerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04953954064826451304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8526584573189221132.post-6143603769746622822012-07-29T14:52:00.000-07:002012-07-29T14:52:04.077-07:00Book # 38 - Lipstick JihadLipstick Jihad<br />
Azadeh Moaveni<br />
246 pages<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrC_ZuYM2LD9VsW55I4v4Oq5aD1faZFHVD7WgRTrHGmt-Q57Ooe1U7svqiIrluewHwFMMpISrvNe1CrsaoJV_ok5FhsIOhzFvQ0JWUnj6w4DRKbHORy4B8-b5VWWjT9e2_naSWtTRwwUI/s1600/IMG_4385.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrC_ZuYM2LD9VsW55I4v4Oq5aD1faZFHVD7WgRTrHGmt-Q57Ooe1U7svqiIrluewHwFMMpISrvNe1CrsaoJV_ok5FhsIOhzFvQ0JWUnj6w4DRKbHORy4B8-b5VWWjT9e2_naSWtTRwwUI/s320/IMG_4385.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
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A California girl struggled with her Iranian heritage, clashing too often with her strict parents and their strange culture. She grows up, becomes a journalist and decides to move to Iran. There, she struggled with being too American in Iran.<br />
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Azadeh Moaveni's journeys to find herself and accept both her identities is interesting because the two countries she belongs to hate each other.Rachielle Shefflerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04953954064826451304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8526584573189221132.post-35114596163327783822012-07-29T14:47:00.000-07:002012-07-29T14:47:10.484-07:00Book # 37 - A Pearl in the StormA Pearl in the Storm<br />
How I found my heart in the middle of the ocean<br />
Tori Murden McClure<br />
292 pages<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVNPsvZ09AeQKdX6B8LSs_z-8i3AlsqMUcVkjO6wLPvSQa4Ce_phRW8KsyBsRTXnEaexBB0QWYxq12bmYWh93oZNgs2i5IK7q_PQRWI9FaruL3Rw4qVzjT2Yefj05QO_DUuuJxqBqqfFU/s1600/IMG_4388.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVNPsvZ09AeQKdX6B8LSs_z-8i3AlsqMUcVkjO6wLPvSQa4Ce_phRW8KsyBsRTXnEaexBB0QWYxq12bmYWh93oZNgs2i5IK7q_PQRWI9FaruL3Rw4qVzjT2Yefj05QO_DUuuJxqBqqfFU/s320/IMG_4388.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
Finished 7/1/2012<br />
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I finished this book in two sittings. What an amazing story of strength and perseverance.<br />
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I loved how Tori interweaved her childhood stories with her quest to become the first person to sail across the Atlantic Ocean.<br />
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She was also the first woman to ski to the South Pole.<br />
<br />Rachielle Shefflerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04953954064826451304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8526584573189221132.post-86416471221922823282012-07-29T14:41:00.003-07:002012-07-29T14:41:45.953-07:00Movie # 5 - BraveLoved this animated story of Princess Merida. Watched it with the whole family. Commented to my daughter that this is a fairy tale I loved, where the princess is strong and has no need for a prince charming to save her and her family. Makes me want to take up archery!Rachielle Shefflerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04953954064826451304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8526584573189221132.post-76059149649998641742012-07-02T17:24:00.001-07:002012-07-02T17:24:44.431-07:00Movie # 4 - Moonrise KingdomMoonrise Kingdom<br />
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There didn't seem to be a good selection of movies at the theaters last week, and my husband suggested Moonrise Kingdom.<br />
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I read the blurb earlier, and asked my husband, "What kind of father are you to let your daughter watch two twelve-year old kids run away and get married?"<br />
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"Frances McDormand is in it," he answered.<br />
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I was hooked. It turned out to be a wonderful family movie! Very well written and I loved the musical bonus at the very end after you think all the credits have rolled.<br />
<br />Rachielle Shefflerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04953954064826451304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8526584573189221132.post-60619434258187632432012-07-02T17:19:00.000-07:002012-07-02T17:19:38.257-07:00Book # 36 - The Glass Castle: A MemoirThe Glass Castle: A Memoir<br />
Jeannette Walls<br />
288 pages<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQyMaLB6v8ey6YY1DQVAhsa-cg4GD0V70L_Qn-JPX91TzPkqY356hS-XhsD4NC4LzDe3E70lyTijIXCLLfXVgr0XwfreV32vZeEX1S3WJ9JPPokPBSArk1IhFnSWGRfumyfEf3ff8kY9E/s1600/IMG_4386.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQyMaLB6v8ey6YY1DQVAhsa-cg4GD0V70L_Qn-JPX91TzPkqY356hS-XhsD4NC4LzDe3E70lyTijIXCLLfXVgr0XwfreV32vZeEX1S3WJ9JPPokPBSArk1IhFnSWGRfumyfEf3ff8kY9E/s320/IMG_4386.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
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Jeannette Walls, a contributor for MSNBC, unburdens her past in this heartwarming memoir. She recalled her childhood with an alcoholic father who dreamt of finding gold so that they could build a glass castle and live happily ever after. Her mother, an erratic artist, enforced no rules and let the kids fend for themselves against other children who ridiculed their living conditions. As far as Jeannette could remember, they had been running away, usually in the middle of the night. Eventually, they settle in Welch, West Virginia. Despite the hunger and neglect, Jeannette and her siblings stick together and rise above their circumstances.<br />
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I was telling someone about this book, and with a puzzled look, he asked, "And that is a good book?"<br />
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Yes it is. I love books where even though the situation is depressing, there is a redeeming quality in the end. Except in this case, it is not just a story but someone's life.Rachielle Shefflerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04953954064826451304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8526584573189221132.post-40086258336816850222012-07-01T16:26:00.000-07:002012-07-01T16:26:27.999-07:00Book # 35 - If You Knew SuzyIf you Knew Suzy<br />
A Mother, A Daughter, A Reporter's Notebook<br />
Katherine Rosman<br />
307 pages<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBkdKgjz-1GYzG9manxc27uYMt48lIkLkVYHGQyJefor2r_12t0aEslwtDD5hStq5Z3yMaoTp-YF4_lOb6mdqWt92s0-p_raGQ-BCQbLnaze0HBDI-GMCNLD02UN241HGaZGSi6FPgjQw/s1600/IMG_4233.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBkdKgjz-1GYzG9manxc27uYMt48lIkLkVYHGQyJefor2r_12t0aEslwtDD5hStq5Z3yMaoTp-YF4_lOb6mdqWt92s0-p_raGQ-BCQbLnaze0HBDI-GMCNLD02UN241HGaZGSi6FPgjQw/s320/IMG_4233.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
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A daughter tried to come to terms with the way her mother faced her terminal cancer. Katie Rosman used her investigative skills as a reporter to dig into her mother's address book and explore the relationships with the people with whom she associated. She talked to her mother's Pilates students, eBay broker, and her caddie, among others. She discovered a woman who loved life and refused to acknowledge its end. She also found that there are questions that will never be answered.<br />
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Funny, poignant and entertaining.Rachielle Shefflerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04953954064826451304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8526584573189221132.post-35767694273003297012012-07-01T16:18:00.000-07:002012-07-01T16:18:22.264-07:00Book # 34 - Zoo StoryZoo Story<br />
Life in the Garden of Captivity<br />
Thomas French<br />
288 pages<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijqHQKm_WOi1XRAgGK4wvBAqtbM4HETux-6eOSzbioYniPYD3lYuCI63rv0lf4EVyJCbMpSXCqblihFPhA6JV6DPo860RLdwoWoWeqQmTYF3onWo1WSvp97hrsroPbgdytbUqGGwOC9-0/s1600/IMG_4232.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijqHQKm_WOi1XRAgGK4wvBAqtbM4HETux-6eOSzbioYniPYD3lYuCI63rv0lf4EVyJCbMpSXCqblihFPhA6JV6DPo860RLdwoWoWeqQmTYF3onWo1WSvp97hrsroPbgdytbUqGGwOC9-0/s320/IMG_4232.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
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Fascinating story about the eleven elephants who traveled by air from Swaziland to the zoos in Tampa, FL and San Diego, CA. This book explores the life of the the elephants and other animals and their relationships with their keepers. This book focuses on Lowry Park in Tampa, FL from its decrepit beginnings to its high point of being rated "the best zoo in America" by a children's magazine.<br />
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San Diego Zoo and the Wild Animal Park were mentioned a couple of times. I wonder if there is book is written about these zoos closer to home.Rachielle Shefflerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04953954064826451304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8526584573189221132.post-47666790901630553672012-07-01T16:05:00.000-07:002012-07-01T16:05:52.614-07:00Book # 33 - Peony in LovePeony in Love<br />
Lisa See<br />
11 CD's Audiorecording<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz6KHCyE4qcMU6Rl8S55qj9yIyYLm_5JAKgcAReuKasjJGPg_2t3CYv6WIt7VJ1I6XbXDTHLeONyNFpMrKgD6L7CU1VGJbMb0P3pPjUX0nuDyd9LdtQUwF56ugJU_FlRaDBjPO5pzxg2s/s1600/IMG_2825.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz6KHCyE4qcMU6Rl8S55qj9yIyYLm_5JAKgcAReuKasjJGPg_2t3CYv6WIt7VJ1I6XbXDTHLeONyNFpMrKgD6L7CU1VGJbMb0P3pPjUX0nuDyd9LdtQUwF56ugJU_FlRaDBjPO5pzxg2s/s320/IMG_2825.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
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The opera Peony in Love inspired and entertained many people in the history of China. For some women who were physically bound by their tiny feet, listening to the opera became a way to escape. Some went as far as to yearn for love that their obsession spawned a pattern of physical disease such as melancholy or anorexia.<br />
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Peony, the young lady who became lovesick after obsessing about the opera, died young before she married her fiance. Her ghost traveled on in the lives of the two women who married her intended husband. Her spirit manifested itself in her sister-wives writing commentaries on the Peony Pavilion. Their husband, a renowned poet, at first gets credit for these writings. But eventually, the three wives' combined commentary got published and achieved fame of its own.<br />
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Strangely enough, these events are based on actual events.<br />
<br />Rachielle Shefflerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04953954064826451304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8526584573189221132.post-28812858723214172962012-06-09T19:35:00.001-07:002012-06-09T19:36:21.186-07:00Book # 32 - Polio<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Polio</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">David M. Oshinsky</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">342 pages, thankfully 54 of them are notes</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Traces the history of polio research. Interesting insight into the life of the polio-stricken president, Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Conquering polio captured the hearts of the American people. They poured enormous amount of support into the March of Dimes, setting the bar for charity giving.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">This book covers the careers of many key players in the fight, the top ones being Jonas Salk with his killed virus vaccine and Albert Sabin with his live virus version. Many other scientists and policy makers fit into the puzzle with the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, changing polio from a dreaded thing to a disease that was conquered.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Took me a long time to read it, but I finally did. Interesting bit about Jonas Salk moving to La Jolla. I work near the Salk Institute and want to tour it soon. Also, Salk's second wife, the artist Francoise Gilot, has a sculpture in the lobby of the hospital where I work.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"> </span>Rachielle Shefflerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04953954064826451304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8526584573189221132.post-18866531974259051072012-05-25T18:08:00.003-07:002012-05-25T18:12:40.093-07:00Book # 31 - The Hummingbird's DaughterThe Hummingbird's Daughter<br />
Luis Alberto Urrea<br />
499 pages<br />
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This is the real story of the author's relative, who rose from her illegitimate beginnings to become the Saint of Cabora in Mexico. Teresita Urrea, a young girl abandoned by her mother, sought out Huila, the local medicine woman. Huila could sense that even at an early age, the young Teresita possessed certain gifts. Only time will teach her to use them wisely and only for good.<br />
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Luis Alberto Urrea has a very engaging style. He builds his character very slowly so that I get to know, love and care for his characters. Halfway through the book, the action picks up and I was able to finish the story in no time.<br />
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<br />Rachielle Shefflerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04953954064826451304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8526584573189221132.post-47254014963422572072012-05-25T18:08:00.002-07:002012-05-25T18:08:27.584-07:00Book # 30 - Silent SpringSilent Spring<br />
Rachel Carson<br />
Audiorecording, 9 CD's<br />
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Rachel Carson's book Silent Spring launched the movement to protect the environment from unnecessary toxins. Published in 1962, she talked about the chemical warfare against weeds, insects and bugs that resulted in poisoning the environment. Thus, many silent springs ensued, where no bird sang because they ate the poisoned earthworms who ate the poisoned earth.<br />
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What I found most interesting in this book were the explanations on how the human and insect bodies react to the toxins released in the environment. She also discussed diseases that were caused by the exposure to the chemicals. <br />
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Reading Silent Spring left me with a sense of awe and a new respect for our environment.Rachielle Shefflerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04953954064826451304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8526584573189221132.post-47458626963381052172012-05-21T19:44:00.001-07:002012-05-21T19:49:09.248-07:00Book # 29 - EnglishWang Gang<br />
9 CD's, Audiorecording<br />
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A young boy's love affair with the English language, his friendship with his teacher and coming of age against the backdrop of China's repression under Mao Tse Tung.Rachielle Shefflerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04953954064826451304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8526584573189221132.post-35197516997731865292012-05-21T19:41:00.000-07:002012-05-21T19:49:36.986-07:00Book # 28 - The Next Thing on My List<br />
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by Jill Smolinski<br />
7 CDs, Audiorecording<br />
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June Parker meets Marissa Jones at a Weight Watcher's meeting. She offers a ride when she saw Marissa waiting at the bus stop. In the car, Marissa momentarily unbuckles her seat belt to reach into her purse. She wanted to share a recipe with June. In that horrible instant, June swerves to avoid a dresser falling out of the truck in front of her. Her car rolls over, and the next thing she know, the paramedics on the scene say, "Don't bother with that one, she's gone."<br />
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When June cleaned out Marissa's purse, she finds a list of "things to do before my twenty-fifth birthday." Guilt-ridden, she vows to finish the remaining eighteen items. Only two were crossed out - Lose a hundred pounds, and wear sexy shoes.<br />
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This is a charming story and it got me thinking about the things on my bucket list.Rachielle Shefflerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04953954064826451304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8526584573189221132.post-20295295969488531442012-05-03T20:49:00.001-07:002012-05-03T20:49:50.451-07:00Book # 27 - Consider this, SeñoraConsider this, Señora<br />
Harriet Doerr<br />
finished reading 5/3/2012<br />
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Recommended by Luis Alberto Urrea, author of Into the Beautiful North. This is a book about Americans and Europeans choosing to live in Mexico. This book reminds me of my mom's hometown in the Philippines, where life is slow and everybody knew everyone. The beauty of this book is its slowness, its pace forces the reader to appreciate country life.<br />Rachielle Shefflerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04953954064826451304noreply@blogger.com0