A bit late, but here it is! I ended up the year with 101 books, without even trying.
A once-a-month review of the books I read.
The rating is the same as Goodreads--5 stars means "it was amazing," 4 is "really liked it," 3 is "liked it," 2 is "it was okay," and 1 is "didn't like it."
The Scarlet Letter by Nathanial Hawthorne (2 stars)
A classic that I sorta skipped out on reading during high school...I got a book that is a sequel, so I wanted to actually read this one first. The story is good, but the writing style was not my taste--much to much telling going on.
The Carnivorous Carnival (Book 9) and The Slippery Slope (Book 10) by Lemony Snicket
Series of Unfortunate Events (3 stars each)
I had to slow down on these ones because they were just getting rather tedious.
Hester: A Novel by Paula Reed (4 stars)
This is the sequel to Scarlet Letter, and it was so much better in many ways. Much more engaging, if a little drawn out, I felt like Hester was a more fleshed out woman in this story. The book was agented by someone I'm very interested in working with, and it turns out the author lives here in Colorado (and teaches at Columbine High School in Denver). Lots of local connections! Worth a read, even if you didn't enjoy SL.
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (3 stars)
Right off the bat, no one under 25 should even think of picking this one up. At least if you are my CPers. If you aren't, just know it's not recommended for younger readers. This is a story of a 1940's woman who is magically whisked back in time to the last 1700's. There's a bunch of politics between the Scots and the English, with Claire being a Brit and her new husband is a Scot. And let's not forget that Claire is already married in her own time. It's a bit convoluted, but the story is engaging enough that I'm likely to pick up the next one in the series at some point.
Smoke From This Alter by Louis L'Amour (4 stars)
I stumbled upon this one when I strolled through the poetry section at the library. Yes, you heard me, poetry! Not what you would expect from a well-known western writer, but it was fantastic. More structured and stiff than I usually care for, L'Amour shows great command of many of the trickier tools like meter. I did fall in love with several, and enjoyed almost all of them. And the fact that this was published before all his novels just made it even more fun. I would recommend this to any poetry fan.
January 14, 2012
December 17, 2011
December 15, 2011
in the nick of time...
Time for another honest report on my life.
As you know, I hit bottom, or a bottom (I'm sure I could go lower, but it was a low point either way). And faithwise, I was just sitting there, in the cold and dark, waiting. Turns out there's an odd sort of peace when you are in such a place, one I did not expect. When you are all done trying, when you aren't clinging to a rope for all you are worth, well, you can relax. Your situation hasn't changed, just how you are responding. It was interesting, to say the least.
Part of my bottom was not having a job and being at the end of my finances. Despite applying all over, I had nothing. And then I got an email. It was offering me a chance to apply for a full-time position for a job I had lots of skills and experience in (phone work). But I got the email on a Sunday night, and he wanted a response by Saturday night, the day BEFORE. I was crushed.
Then I figured it couldn't hurt to respond. So I answered all his questions, sent him a note saying I hadn't received it before Saturday, but that I would still like to be considered if possible.
Then it was in God's hands. And let me tell you, I prayed. I had friends pray. And I was strangely calm about it. I figured that if God wanted me to have the job, it would take him opening the door.
Well, long story short, the door opened. And after a phone interview, an in-person interview, observing the job, and a second round of interviews today, I was offered the position.
I'm still touching bottom--it's going to take sometime to hike out of this hole. But at least now I have provision. I'm not trying to jump on my own, I have a trampoline to help.
Thank you, God, for providing. Nothing like waiting until the very last second--I can see where I get my flair for the dramatic.
And welcome back to the full-time workforce. At least I can wear jeans every day...that should help ease the pain, right?
As you know, I hit bottom, or a bottom (I'm sure I could go lower, but it was a low point either way). And faithwise, I was just sitting there, in the cold and dark, waiting. Turns out there's an odd sort of peace when you are in such a place, one I did not expect. When you are all done trying, when you aren't clinging to a rope for all you are worth, well, you can relax. Your situation hasn't changed, just how you are responding. It was interesting, to say the least.
Part of my bottom was not having a job and being at the end of my finances. Despite applying all over, I had nothing. And then I got an email. It was offering me a chance to apply for a full-time position for a job I had lots of skills and experience in (phone work). But I got the email on a Sunday night, and he wanted a response by Saturday night, the day BEFORE. I was crushed.
Then I figured it couldn't hurt to respond. So I answered all his questions, sent him a note saying I hadn't received it before Saturday, but that I would still like to be considered if possible.
Then it was in God's hands. And let me tell you, I prayed. I had friends pray. And I was strangely calm about it. I figured that if God wanted me to have the job, it would take him opening the door.
Well, long story short, the door opened. And after a phone interview, an in-person interview, observing the job, and a second round of interviews today, I was offered the position.
I'm still touching bottom--it's going to take sometime to hike out of this hole. But at least now I have provision. I'm not trying to jump on my own, I have a trampoline to help.
Thank you, God, for providing. Nothing like waiting until the very last second--I can see where I get my flair for the dramatic.
And welcome back to the full-time workforce. At least I can wear jeans every day...that should help ease the pain, right?
December 10, 2011
saturday snapshot...
My chickens really do love yogurt! Gwendolyn is the one looking up, from there (counterclockwise) is Rose, Ophelia, and Cordelia. Aren't they pretty?
December 5, 2011
november reading review...
A once-a-month review of the books I read.
The rating is the same as Goodreads--5 stars means "it was amazing," 4 is "really liked it," 3 is "liked it," 2 is "it was okay," and 1 is "didn't like it."
The Painter of Shanghai by Jennifer Cody Epstein (4 stars)
Epstein understands both words and art, and that made this book a great read. The story of a young girl sold into prostitution by her uncle, we follow her through her two years in the house, her rescue by a government official, her introduction to the art world, and her studies that take her around the world.
Due to the subject matter, I do not recommend this for most reader, and not for any of my teens (wait until your 25, please and thank you!). Dara loaned this one to me, and it's no surprise that she liked it, being so art focused!
A Series of Unfortunate Events, Books 6,7,& 8 by Lemony Snicket (3 stars to each)
The Ersatz Elevator, The Vile Village, The Hostile Hospital
They are still pretty quick reads (2 hours or less), but I'm sorta falling out of enjoyment with them. They are great stories, and if I was a kid or had kid, I'd likely enjoy them a tad more. I'll finish the series, but won't be rereading them soon.
The rating is the same as Goodreads--5 stars means "it was amazing," 4 is "really liked it," 3 is "liked it," 2 is "it was okay," and 1 is "didn't like it."
The Painter of Shanghai by Jennifer Cody Epstein (4 stars)
Epstein understands both words and art, and that made this book a great read. The story of a young girl sold into prostitution by her uncle, we follow her through her two years in the house, her rescue by a government official, her introduction to the art world, and her studies that take her around the world.
Due to the subject matter, I do not recommend this for most reader, and not for any of my teens (wait until your 25, please and thank you!). Dara loaned this one to me, and it's no surprise that she liked it, being so art focused!
A Series of Unfortunate Events, Books 6,7,& 8 by Lemony Snicket (3 stars to each)
The Ersatz Elevator, The Vile Village, The Hostile Hospital
They are still pretty quick reads (2 hours or less), but I'm sorta falling out of enjoyment with them. They are great stories, and if I was a kid or had kid, I'd likely enjoy them a tad more. I'll finish the series, but won't be rereading them soon.
Real Life and Liars by Kristina Riggle (3 1/2 stars)
I picked this one up because it was agented by an agent I'm interested in, and it was well worth the read. A story about a mother who is dying of cancer and her three adult children, this is a well-written exploration of family dynamics.
I'm not a huge fan of the multi-narrator/POV style (The mother is first person, the three "children" are in third), but it wasn't as annoying as some.
This is NOT a book for any of the CPers to be reading--wait until you've graduated college.
I picked this one up because it was agented by an agent I'm interested in, and it was well worth the read. A story about a mother who is dying of cancer and her three adult children, this is a well-written exploration of family dynamics.
I'm not a huge fan of the multi-narrator/POV style (The mother is first person, the three "children" are in third), but it wasn't as annoying as some.
This is NOT a book for any of the CPers to be reading--wait until you've graduated college.
In the Frame by Dick Francis (3 stars)
Another fun read by Francis--this one is about a painter who ends up trying to clear his cousin, who is suspected of murdering his wife. Francis combines the art world, the wine world, and Australia into this one, and it's a blast. What was even more fun was realizing it was written before I was born--in the days when you could travel under any name you liked and had no cell phones :P.
Horoscopes for the Dead by Billy Collins (4 stars)
I think once I have time to really spend with these poems, the ranking will go up to 5 stars, but on first read, I had a harder time than usual getting into this collection (that's to say it took five poems instead of the normal one!). Collins is still the best, and I love hi,
Another fun read by Francis--this one is about a painter who ends up trying to clear his cousin, who is suspected of murdering his wife. Francis combines the art world, the wine world, and Australia into this one, and it's a blast. What was even more fun was realizing it was written before I was born--in the days when you could travel under any name you liked and had no cell phones :P.
Horoscopes for the Dead by Billy Collins (4 stars)
I think once I have time to really spend with these poems, the ranking will go up to 5 stars, but on first read, I had a harder time than usual getting into this collection (that's to say it took five poems instead of the normal one!). Collins is still the best, and I love hi,
Hold Still by Nina LaCour (3 1/2 stars)
This was another one I picked up in my agent research. LaCour is one I'll watch for in the future. It was really a good read, I just don't know that I'll read it again. This YA tale is about a 17-year old whose best friend commits suicide. A few months later, the MC finds her friend's journal tucked under her own bed. She starts to read and finds out she how much she didn't see, and that her friend left her one final gift--a way to deal with the loss.
While it says YA, I'd say only the older YA set (17+) due to some subject matter.
It looks like I'm going to round out the year just over 100 books. I'm already reading number 99, and the month is young!
This was another one I picked up in my agent research. LaCour is one I'll watch for in the future. It was really a good read, I just don't know that I'll read it again. This YA tale is about a 17-year old whose best friend commits suicide. A few months later, the MC finds her friend's journal tucked under her own bed. She starts to read and finds out she how much she didn't see, and that her friend left her one final gift--a way to deal with the loss.
While it says YA, I'd say only the older YA set (17+) due to some subject matter.
It looks like I'm going to round out the year just over 100 books. I'm already reading number 99, and the month is young!
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