Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua

It was engaging, interesting, and thought-provoking. I approached it with an open-mind and read it for what it was...a memoir NOT a parenting book. And so because of that I loved it.

Human nature, personality differences, just people in general fascinate me (yes, I'm the one at the airport who is content to sit for two hours and people watch), so this book was everything I wanted.

I do have one criticism: I read a review that said this book was written 10 years too soon, and I completely agree. My impression was that this book was supposed to show the mother/daughter journey through rebellion and reconciliation. It does that, but her younger daughter (the one who rebelled) is still a young teenager. This book was written during the 18 months following their initial compromise. 18 months doesn't really tell us what will happen in the long run. There's still so much of this story that needs to be lived out. Maybe she wants to write a sequel, so she had to hurry and get this published before they lived any more of their lives. I don't know. But I do agree that it would have been nice to have Lulu and Sophia grown up so that it would have felt more like an ending.

Highly recommend though! I was so sad when it was over!

I wrote this review before creating this blog.

Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls

I really wanted to read The Glass Castle before reading this one, but when this was selected for book group, I didn't have time to read it first. You definitely don't need to have read it to understand or enjoy this story. I just think it would have given me some added perspective, especially with Rex and Rose Mary, and it would have made Rose Mary's childhood even more interesting. As it is, now I am dying to read The Glass Castle.

Jeannette Walls tells her grandmother's story in first person, and she creates such an authentic voice for her. You just feel like you're sitting at the kitchen table with her while she recounts the events of her life. Even if certain details were fictionalized and certain facts were elaborated, I really do believe that Lily Casey Smith's voice and personality were accurately portrayed. For example, in the book, whenever her first husband is mentioned, she always calls him a "crumb bum." It seemed like that description was used a bit excessively until I realized that's probably how the real Lily Casey Smith always referred to him. She lived an amazing life. I was especially impressed with her attitude when they were kicked off of the ranch...she just looked forward and made the most of her opportunities.

The language is a bit rough for most of the book, and once Rex enters the picture, it gets even more crude. While I didn't love this aspect of the book, I do think it was somewhat necessary to create each person as they really were/are.

I wrote this review before creating this blog.

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

I have really mixed feelings on this one. When I read Half-Broke Horses, I wished I had read this first. But then, once I started this one, I was glad I read them in the order I did. Besides providing perspective, it gave me the needed incentive to push through some of the difficult parts. And there are a lot of difficult parts. I can't believe what the Walls kids grew up with.

First, there's Rex. An alcoholic (up to 2 QUARTS of liquor a day), he has one foul mouth. Just be warned...even when he's sober, he swears up a storm. He's a dreamer but lazy and irresponsible.

Rose Mary is so selfish and child-like: She won't go to her job as a teacher because she wants to paint; she owns land worth a million dollars, but her children go hungry; she won't swear or drink, but she's married to Rex. She just has a mind-boggling personality.

There are also some scenes with family members (the grandma and the uncle), as well as some random people, that are disturbing.

So I'm torn because I'd have a hard time recommending it to people because of some of the content, and yet, I want to recommend it to everyone because it was so well-written, so engrossing, and it will make you appreciate your own life. It's a true story, and sometimes it's hard to read the truth but reading it changes your life for the better.

The Walls kids are inspiring: they took care of themselves, they developed a strong work ethic in spite of their parents, and they became successful, contributing members of society. And through all of the neglect, Jeannette Walls still paints a picture of family togetherness and love, and not just between the siblings. Jeannette, although critical of and honest about her father's weaknesses, was also his biggest fan. She does a great job with saying more than, "Look at the hard, terrible childhood we had," but also, "These events and people helped me make the decisions that shaped my life into what it is today."

This is a book that I debated reading for a long time, but in the end, I'm glad I did. Who needs fiction when there are real stories like this?

I wrote this review before creating this blog.

The Chosen by Chaim Potok

I should have been taking notes while I was reading this book so I could remember all I wanted to say about it. It was a very thought-provoking read, and I wish I had a book group to discuss it with...you could really get into some deep discussion about the various characters' personalities, choices, motives, etc. The main characters (the two boys and their fathers) are very well developed.

Sometimes I really have a difficult time with first person fiction, but this style felt very natural and real, maybe because even though it's Reuven telling the story, sometimes it felt more like the book was actually about Danny.

I will say that it's not a very fast-paced book. There's quite a bit of repetition, and I kept waiting for something really dramatic to happen, but the book really isn't so much about drama as it is about soul-searching and being true to oneself.

Finding out more about Jewish culture was truly fascinating to me. I still can't remember many of the terms (and definitely can't pronounce them), but I feel a little more cultured and well-rounded. :-)

I wrote this review before creating this blog.

Into the Minds of Babes: How Screen Time Affects Children from Birth to Age 5 by Lisa Guernsey

The information in this book empowered me to make smart media choices for my son...and not feel guilty when I turn on a video for 30-minutes. That alone made the book well worth reading.

However, if you're looking for all the answers, they're not here...mainly because the research has not been done, ESPECIALLY for children under two years old. I never realized how frustrating it must be to work in the social sciences...in order for a study to be well done, it needs a lot of people (in this case, kids/babies, not the easiest participants, I'm sure), and it needs to continue over a long period of time. So, results are often far from conclusive.

The research that HAS been done is very well presented in this book. Lisa Guernsey herself did not conduct any of the research; she just gathered and presented it in a format that's easy for parents to read. It is very research heavy, so if you don't like reading about study after study, you might not like this book. However, it's not difficult reading. The last 25% or so is fairly anecdotal...sometimes that's all you have to go on when the research isn't there.

Anyway, it presented a lot of good information, and I'm definitely going to be more careful about what Aaron is viewing, especially when he is at someone else's house.

I wrote this review before creating this blog.

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

WHY didn't I wait to read this book until the final one came out?!?!?! It has been a loooooong time since I've actually looked forward to the next installment in a series.

This book was just as suspenseful, fast-paced, and engaging as the first one. Maybe I'm just easily surprised, but I really felt like there were a lot of twists and turns in the plot that I didn't see coming. (And, unlike some books, I found the surprises to be believable and validated.)

Like the first book, I felt that even though the plot itself was somewhat dark, the main characters were inspiring.

I gave it three stars instead of four or five because I felt like there were a few slightly inappropriate scenes which would keep me from recommending these books to some people. I tend to be fairly picky when it comes to morality, so even though there wasn't anything very explicit or highly descriptive, it was enough to make me worried there was going to be more as I made my way through the book.

I can't deny though, Suzanne Collins' writing style has me hooked, and I definitely enjoyed this book.

I wrote this review before creating this blog.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

I went into this book with some apprehension, simply because it seemed like it might be a little dark and violent for my tastes. I actually talked to quite a few people about the book before picking it up, just so I could hopefully avoid getting halfway into the book and then deciding to put it down.

In short, I loved it. It has been a LONG time since I've read a book that had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I kept thinking I had certain aspects of the plot figured out, only to be completely taken by surprise. (However, to Suzanne Collins' credit, I usually liked her ideas better than mine.) I'm usually not much of a fan of books in a series, just because I usually feel like I need a break after reading the first one, and then I've forgotten everything by the time I'm ready to pick up the second one. But I have to say I'm really excited, and anxious, to read Catching Fire.

So as far as the violence/subject matter goes, here's my take on it: Yes, it is violent, no question, but I don't think it's any more violent than novels about WWII. However, then you take the subject matter (teenagers fighting to the death on reality TV), and it makes the violence a little more gruesome. (To my relief though, there was less face to face combat than I was expecting...although they relived some of the moments too many times for my liking.)

Some people I talked to felt that this book was rather depressing. However, I actually felt somewhat inspired by it. I loved the main character, Katniss. She was such a real and likeable heroine. I felt like the book showed the depth of human love...we just can't escape caring about other people no matter how dark and awful the situation.

Even though it is very gripping and intense, it is also thought-provoking. Perhaps that's what makes it such an enjoyable read. Regardless, any book after this one is going to seem a little slow and dull.

I wrote this review before creating this blog.