tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66047471936448345712024-03-14T00:25:01.762-07:00Watch Katie ReadKatiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17297475981001061940noreply@blogger.comBlogger117125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604747193644834571.post-73419040636045172332014-05-14T20:49:00.000-07:002014-05-14T20:49:20.974-07:00Swimming to Elba by Silvia Avallone<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://entropybook.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/elba.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://entropybook.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/elba.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a></div>
This story centers around two best friends: Anna and Francesca. Each of them have a bad home life, but in different ways; Anna's father goes missing for days/weeks/months at a time and has run ins with law enforcement, while Francesca's father abuses her and her mother. They have grown up together and at the age of 13 (going on 14) they are exploring the power their newfound curves give them. Suddenly, they have a falling out and the girls' lives go in different directions. Anna has her first boyfriend, while Francesca becomes cold and friends with a lonely girl named Lisa, but only to bully her. They see each other around town, but neither are brave enough to reach out to the other until tragic accidents occur.<br />
<br />
I had high hopes for this book. It's set in Italy and the premise of the story was that they were going to go to Elba (which is a ferry ride away from where they live) to leave their lives in Piombino and each pursue their dreams, but it seemed to fall flat and incorporate too much of the other characters' lives.<br />
<br />
Also, I think I am officially waving the white flag for my creative book goals for the year, since I'm now three months behind and do not have time in the foreseeable future to read those books on top of my book club books. The motivation (and time) is just not there.Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17297475981001061940noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604747193644834571.post-65364617926890403192014-05-07T20:41:00.000-07:002014-05-07T20:41:17.675-07:00The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/07/The_Sense_of_an_Ending.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/07/The_Sense_of_an_Ending.jpg" height="200" width="130" /></a></div>
Even though this book is short, weighing in at about ~160 pages, it felt long and took me a week to read. This was another book for a different Meetup group. The book is divided into two parts and the first part centers around the main character, Tony, and his friends in college. Six pages into it, the word pretentious was flashing in my mind because just reading it and seeing these young men act like know-it-alls because they were in college was frustrating. Anyway, Tony dates this girl Veronica, who ends up to be crazy and a tease, and she dumps Tony to go out with his friend Adrian, who is the smartest out of all the friends and is practically revered by everybody. But he then abruptly commits suicide. In part two, Tony some thirty or so years later, receives notice that Veronica's mother had past and left him five hundred pounds and Adrian's diary. However, when he goes to pick up what is willed to him, they do not have the diary because Veronica has it. Tony does not know how to contact her, so he gets in touch with Veronica's brother who gives him the contact information he needs. When he does finally contact Veronica, she plays coy (still playing mind games with him) and tells him that she burned the diary, but gave him a copy of a page of it. He is perplexed and intrigued and continues to pursue contacting her and she finally reveals a long-held secret at the end of the book.<br />
<br />
Talking about this book was more interesting than reading it. I do not consider myself a deep reader, but others in the Meetup are and said how there was so much symbolism and philosophy sprinkled throughout the text. I think I did understand it better after the Meetup, but that still did not make it an enjoyable read.Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17297475981001061940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604747193644834571.post-21606668545911042832014-05-07T20:31:00.000-07:002014-05-07T20:31:29.433-07:00Blame by Michelle Huneven<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1317064699l/6514824.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1317064699l/6514824.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a></div>
<i>Blame </i>was a book for one of my Meetup groups. It's about a lady named Patsy who is a professor at a college and has a drinking problem. One day, she wakes up in jail (again) after having too much to drink (again), but this time, something's different. The police tell her that she hit and killed a woman and her daughter while pulling into her driveway. She goes on to serve four years in prison and talks about her experiences there and finding AA. After she gets out, she struggles to piece her life back together again, but meets Cal, a man many years her senior who woos her (and almost anyone) instantly. Now, the book jacket plainly alludes to the fact that it was not Patsy who killed the people in her driveway, but someone else. The whole time, the reader knows this, and it is admirable to see Patsy change her life so drastically when it is predicated on this murder, but also sad to see how much Patsy tortures herself over their (accidental) death. Overall, I did not enjoy this book and it was frustrating at times to read because Huneven never used quotations marks. Not once! So some dialogue it was hard to follow who was saying what to whom.Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17297475981001061940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604747193644834571.post-66969765167244466242014-04-22T21:16:00.001-07:002014-04-22T21:18:19.425-07:00The Underside of Joy by Sere Prince Halverson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1347754735l/11723817.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1347754735l/11723817.jpg" height="200" width="135" /></a></div>
Joe and Ella have been married for three years with two children from Joe's previous marriage when Joe drowns while taking pictures of the ocean. All this time, Ella thought that Joe's ex-wife, Paige, left him and the children without wanting any more to do with them, but she appears at Joe's funeral and more than one truth comes out. As Ella is dealing with Paige's new presence in her life and reclaiming a presence in her children's lives, she discovers that the store that Joe owned is less solvent than she was led to believe and is near financial ruin. Facing a war on two fronts, she leans on Joe's family to help her make sense of all this news. Along the way, she learns that the story Joe told about Paige isn't the whole truth.<br />
<br />
Recommendations:<br />
If you liked when two women came together for a common goal, like in <i>Love Anthony</i> by Lisa Genova.Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17297475981001061940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604747193644834571.post-61785061780703728792014-04-22T21:08:00.001-07:002014-04-22T21:08:54.197-07:00Lord of the Flies by William Golding<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://media.npr.org/assets/bakertaylor/covers/l/lord-of-the-flies/9780399501487_custom-16f49e664528eec135f04948cd7384b93c063a08-s6-c30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://media.npr.org/assets/bakertaylor/covers/l/lord-of-the-flies/9780399501487_custom-16f49e664528eec135f04948cd7384b93c063a08-s6-c30.jpg" height="200" width="112" /></a></div>
So I never read this book in high school. I think we were supposed to when I was a sophmore or freshman, but we never got to it. The story begins with a group of 6-14 year old boys finding themselves stranded on an island without any adults surviving the plane crash. A leader emerges, Ralph, who declares that a fire must be kept burning while they are on the island so they can be rescued. Piggy, a bespectacled heavy lad, thinks it is important to take down everyone's name and to build shelter, but is extremely supportive of Ralph having a leadership role. But Jack thinks finding meat is more important than anything. Eventually, the boys split into two groups: a group with Ralph and a group with Jack. As time goes on, more and more boys defect to Jack's group because they are able to catch wild pig, and with fewer boys able to keep a fire going, eventually it goes out. This leads to a tete-a-tete between Ralph and Jack. Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17297475981001061940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604747193644834571.post-38555709682932536502014-04-22T20:54:00.001-07:002014-04-22T21:16:38.375-07:00The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything by Ken Robinson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bJZxSc0Q-hQ/TxQleeLrRJI/AAAAAAAACMA/iA6pdtj1y7Y/s1600/the+element.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bJZxSc0Q-hQ/TxQleeLrRJI/AAAAAAAACMA/iA6pdtj1y7Y/s1600/the+element.jpg" height="200" width="136" /></a></div>
Robinson continues with his critique of the American education system in this book. It actually took me quite a while to read this one because I kind of lost interest in it since a lot of it seemed like a rehashing of <i>Out of Our Minds</i>.Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17297475981001061940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604747193644834571.post-87395726375183115682014-03-31T19:05:00.001-07:002014-03-31T19:05:27.889-07:00The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://media.npr.org/assets/bakertaylor/covers/t/the-rosie-project/9781476729084_custom-c00c1c6226f0b73f83d2c1738f4ac7b1334b6ee9-s6-c30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://media.npr.org/assets/bakertaylor/covers/t/the-rosie-project/9781476729084_custom-c00c1c6226f0b73f83d2c1738f4ac7b1334b6ee9-s6-c30.jpg" height="200" width="130" /></a></div>
This book follows Don, a geneticist, who has difficulty meeting women. To combat this, he begins The Wife Project, where he creates a questionnaire for potential mates. Questions are along the lines of when do you arrive at events and how much alcohol do you drink. Don's friend Gene sends Rosie to him after the questionnaire seems to not produce reliable results. Rosie does not know who her father is, so they begin The Father Project together. Immediately, Don decides that Rosie is not Wife Project material, so he focuses his energy on The Father Project. This takes them all the way to New York (the book is based in Australia) and slowly he begins to realize that maybe not all mates can adhere to a checklist.<br />
<br />
Recommendations:<br />
If you liked the adventure of <i>Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore: A Novel</i>.Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17297475981001061940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604747193644834571.post-25427164718695140992014-03-23T15:40:00.000-07:002014-03-23T15:40:42.718-07:00Tell the Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Brunt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1335450415l/12875258.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1335450415l/12875258.jpg" height="200" width="131" /></a></div>
This book was my choice for one of the Meetup groups I am part of. The story is told from the point of view of 14 year old June and is set in 1987. Her beloved uncle Finn dies young and "unexpectedly" and there is a man at the funeral that her family avoids. June has an older sister named Greta who seems to know everything before June does, but doesn't try to explain what is going on to her. Eventually, June finds out that Finn had AIDS and the mystery man is Toby, Finn's longtime boyfriend. June finds out that not all initial perceptions of people or situations is true, and learns more about Toby as they bond together over their shared loss of Finn.<br />
<br />
Recommendations:<br />If you liked <i>Eleanor & Park</i> because of the 80s references.<br />If you liked <i>The Death of Bees </i>or <i>The Silver Star</i> because of the sisters' relationship.Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17297475981001061940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604747193644834571.post-2822198483111834812014-03-10T21:49:00.000-07:002014-03-10T21:49:02.227-07:00American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America by Colin Woodard<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://cache0.bdcdn.net/assets/images/book/medium/9780/6700/9780670022960.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://cache0.bdcdn.net/assets/images/book/medium/9780/6700/9780670022960.jpg" height="200" width="186" /></a></div>
I want to be clear: I am not a big fan of history, but I found this book really informative in a fun way. Granted, I could not read more than two chapters at a time before all the information started falling out of my ears, but it was interesting to learn what European countries settled where and how that culture still impacts America to today. I had no idea so many people died in the earliest settlements since they didn't know what they were doing (necro-canabalism anyone? digging up the dead after you have buried them for food? yum yum?). So fun facts such as that pepper the entire book. If this were required reading for a history class in college, I think it would have been really enjoyable.Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17297475981001061940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604747193644834571.post-73642217452183462742014-03-10T21:44:00.002-07:002014-03-10T21:44:28.877-07:00Champion (Legend #3) by Marie Lu<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1367509358l/14290364.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1367509358l/14290364.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a></div>
Marie Lu finishes up her Legend trilogy with <i>Champion</i>. Day and June are back in the Republic, with June serving as Princeps-Elect and Day keeping to himself and keeping his brain tumor (?) to himself while he cares for his blind brother, Eden. However, a plague originally engineered in the Republic is taking over the Colonies, making the threat of war imminent. While the Republic is desperately trying to find a cure for the plague, Day has to help the Elector plan how to save the Republic against the Colonies if they do attack. I thought it was a really good ending to a series (unlike <i>Mockingjay</i>...huff).Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17297475981001061940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604747193644834571.post-45675584732226916202014-03-10T21:33:00.001-07:002014-03-10T21:33:35.911-07:00Out of Our Minds: Learning to be Creative by Ken Robinson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.bookblog.ro/wp-content/uploads/out-of-our-minds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.bookblog.ro/wp-content/uploads/out-of-our-minds.jpg" height="200" width="122" /></a></div>
This is my first book as part of my "creativity" series for this year, read in conjunction while I (hopefully) make my goal of book binding 40 books this year (I am currently on book #6). On that book binding note, my books will soon be in a brick and mortar store called Eclectic NW in Salem. Back to the book... This book seemed like it was mainly a critique on the American education system and how it fails students and the population as a whole. Robinson emphasizes that creativity and jobs is more than math and science; there are other options that schools are fazing out, like music and art, that certain people respond to better than the hard sciences. I thought it was really interesting and I am currently reading the second book in his series, <i>The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything</i>.Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17297475981001061940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604747193644834571.post-15316520543984501402014-03-10T21:28:00.000-07:002014-03-10T21:28:38.429-07:00Someday, Someday, Maybe by Lauren Graham<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1359062412l/16071745.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1359062412l/16071745.jpg" height="200" width="135" /></a></div>
This was another book for a different Meetup (I am part of two Meetup book groups). This one follows Franny, a wannabe actress in New York who is six months away from her 3 year deadline of making it as an actress or moving on. She lives with two friends who are encouraging of her pursuits. In her acting class, there is a guy that she has a big crush on and is flabbergasted when he shows an interest in her after he breaks up with his girlfriend since he seems completely out of her league. This relationship starts to overwhelm her and distract her from her goal of being an actress until she starts to realize things about herself and her beau. Apparently, a sequel is in the works and this will become a TV show.Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17297475981001061940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604747193644834571.post-3941701959004674042014-03-10T21:20:00.002-07:002014-03-31T19:02:29.113-07:00And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://media.npr.org/assets/bakertaylor/covers/a/and-the-mountains-echoed/9781594631764_custom-8a5404dfbf8b39fc33df300252a468953c522873-s6-c30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://media.npr.org/assets/bakertaylor/covers/a/and-the-mountains-echoed/9781594631764_custom-8a5404dfbf8b39fc33df300252a468953c522873-s6-c30.jpg" height="200" width="131" /></a></div>
<span id="goog_1949333124"></span><span id="goog_1949333125"></span>I read this book for a Meetup that I go to. I had never read anything by Khaled Hosseini before and after this book, I don't think I ever will. That is not to say the book is bad; instead, it is an extremely well-thought out book that keeps to it's title. However, I was very distracted through the whole book because I was trying to figure out what the plot was, and by the end when you actually find out what the plot really is, it was kind of an "oh..." moment. This book involves so many characters and places in the world that is it very hard to describe what it is about since no one single character matters more than the others. If you enjoy books that make you think for days afterwards, this is the book for you.Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17297475981001061940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604747193644834571.post-68234643569456828002014-01-26T20:53:00.000-08:002014-03-10T21:21:34.698-07:00Horde (Razorland #3) by Ann Aguirre<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1362287692l/10596724.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1362287692l/10596724.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a></div>
This book picks up where <em>Outpost</em> left us. Since I read it recently, I cannot accurately judge if Aguirre left me enough "breadcrumbs" to remember where the last book left off. Anyway, the Freaks have destroyed Salvation and seem to be getting smarter with each new generation. Deuce and Company go to a nearby town (Soldier's Pond) to get help to defeat the horde (group of Freaks), but when they return, it is more of a rescue mission than anything. While in Soldier's Pond, Deuce is not allowed to join their military to fight the Freaks, so she decides to make a military of her own by convincing volunteers to fight with her. She travels around the countryside, visiting other small settlements, but is often laughed out of town. Deciding that it is best to prove the worth of her small army, they stake out a forest close to Soldier's Pond and defend it from any Freaks that come into it. Word travels about how well she and her army are doing and eventually towns that originally ignored them need her help. But there are so many Freaks and not enough humans to defeat them. Will Deuce get enough volunteers and outwit the Freaks?Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17297475981001061940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604747193644834571.post-31658903437566479572014-01-01T22:57:00.002-08:002014-01-01T22:57:32.790-08:002014: reading previewLast year, I had a goal of 40 books, which was quite successful as a goal, compared to 2012's goal of 52 (I read 47). So I am keeping the goal the same for this year, but do not have any extra long books on the agenda, unlike 2013's <em>The Stand</em> and <em>11/22/63</em>.<br />
<br />
This year, I want to focus on books about creativity, since I have a parallel goal of making 40 books (this does not mean writing 40 books, but I also book bind...this can be followed on <a href="http://booksandbaubles.tumblr.com/">http://booksandbaubles.tumblr.com/</a>). <br />
<br />
January:<br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://images.betterworldbooks.com/190/Out-of-Our-Minds-9781907312472.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://images.betterworldbooks.com/190/Out-of-Our-Minds-9781907312472.jpg" width="128" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Out of Our Minds <br />
by Ken Robinson</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
February:<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bJZxSc0Q-hQ/TxQleeLrRJI/AAAAAAAACMA/iA6pdtj1y7Y/s1600/the+element.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bJZxSc0Q-hQ/TxQleeLrRJI/AAAAAAAACMA/iA6pdtj1y7Y/s200/the+element.jpg" width="136" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Element <br />
by Ken Robinson</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
March:<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://img1.imagesbn.com/p/9780670022380_p0_v2_s260x420.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://img1.imagesbn.com/p/9780670022380_p0_v2_s260x420.JPG" width="131" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finding Your Element <br />
by Ken Robinson</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
April:<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rT5vroNxi2s/UoPWdJrjqFI/AAAAAAAABD4/pwqU3D40vsQ/s1600/creative+confidence.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rT5vroNxi2s/UoPWdJrjqFI/AAAAAAAABD4/pwqU3D40vsQ/s200/creative+confidence.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Creative Confidence<br />
by Tom Kelley and David Kelley</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
May:<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51Rx2EgirCL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51Rx2EgirCL.jpg" width="130" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Accidental Creative<br />
by Todd Henry</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
June:<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://betsybonnema.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/twylatharp1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://betsybonnema.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/twylatharp1.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Creative Habit<br />
by Twyla Tharp</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
July:<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://media.npr.org/assets/bakertaylor/covers/d/daily-rituals/9780307273604_custom-b0393414440fa19a6b8301f3a6a4855bf6caf661-s6-c30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://media.npr.org/assets/bakertaylor/covers/d/daily-rituals/9780307273604_custom-b0393414440fa19a6b8301f3a6a4855bf6caf661-s6-c30.jpg" width="134" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daily Rituals <br />
by Mason Currey</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
August:<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://encrypted.google.com/books/images/frontcover/ff9QAQAAQBAJ?fife=w300" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://encrypted.google.com/books/images/frontcover/ff9QAQAAQBAJ?fife=w300" width="134" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Myths of Creativity<br />
by David Burkus</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
September:<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.creativeclass.com/_wp/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/The-Rise-of-the-Creative-Class-Revisited.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.creativeclass.com/_wp/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/The-Rise-of-the-Creative-Class-Revisited.gif" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Rise of the Creative Class<br />
by Richard Florida</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
October:<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8343/8289391166_6709fc2836_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8343/8289391166_6709fc2836_b.jpg" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zig Zag<br />
by Keith Sawyer</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
November:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://img1.imagesbn.com/p/9780062283252_p0_v1_s260x420.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://img1.imagesbn.com/p/9780062283252_p0_v1_s260x420.JPG" width="132" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Creativity<br />
by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
December:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://tmm.chicagodistributioncenter.com/IsbnImages/9781783200122.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://tmm.chicagodistributioncenter.com/IsbnImages/9781783200122.jpg" width="147" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Living and Sustaining a Creative Life<br />
by Sharon Louden</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17297475981001061940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604747193644834571.post-74961949333396378562013-12-31T22:23:00.001-08:002013-12-31T22:23:10.046-08:00reading roundup: 2013I read 39* books out of my goal of 40 this year.<br />
<br />
*I wrote a book for Nano and proofread it, which makes this number actually 40, based on this technicality. <br />
<br />
I would have to say my favorite books for this year would be:<br />
1. <em>The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving</em> by Jonathan Evison<br />
2. <em>Reached</em> (Matched #3) by Ally Condie<br />
3. <em>The End of Men and the Rise of Women</em> by Hanna Rosin<br />
<br />
My least favorite books of the year were ones that were actually pretty popular:<br />
1. <em>Beautiful Ruins</em> by Jess Walter<br />
2. <em>The Life of Pi </em>by Yann Martel<br />
3. <em>The Stand</em> by Stephen King<br />
<br />
I love SK, but I did not love that book!<br />
<br />
Looking forward to another year of reading!Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17297475981001061940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604747193644834571.post-72324055491717967512013-12-31T22:09:00.002-08:002013-12-31T22:09:54.357-08:0011/22/63: A Novel by Stephen King<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www-deadline-com.vimg.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/112263__130426225108.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www-deadline-com.vimg.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/112263__130426225108.jpeg" width="131" /></a></div>
I just finished this book last night and read most of it in the last week. It centers around Jake, a schoolteacher in 2011, who finds out through a local diner owner, Al, that there is what is termed a "rabbit hole" in the back of his restaurant that takes people to 1958. Al is dying from lung cancer and has Jake go through the rabbit hole a couple of times to experience it before telling him his idea: Al wants Jake to go and live in the past and prevent JFK's assassination. Initially, Jake doesn't think he's up to it, but eventually agrees to Al's persuasion. Al gives Jake money, a fake ID (Jake becomes "George"), and a notebook he has written on Oswald and his movements in Dallas leading up to the assassination. Jake takes all of this information with him and tries to lead as normal of a life as possible in the past, but doesn't always quite blend in due to some catchphrases that don't exist yet, which makes some people suspicious. I think how King blended everything together worked well, but I will admit I was disappointed by the ending.Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17297475981001061940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604747193644834571.post-49797732848032716912013-12-31T21:54:00.002-08:002013-12-31T21:54:28.621-08:00Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://rainbowrowell.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/EleanorPark_cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://rainbowrowell.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/EleanorPark_cover.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<em>Eleanor and Park</em> is set in the 80s. Sometimes the point of view is from Eleanor, others it is from Park. Eleanor is new at school and stands out because of her hair (she is nicknamed Big Red), size, and men's clothing she wears. Park, on the other hand, is the only Asian in school. They ride together on the bus after Park is the only one who offered Eleanor a seat. She reads his comics over his shoulder and eventually that starts a friendship. However, Eleanor comes from a broken home with an abusive stepfather and four younger siblings. Being in a relationship is essentially not allowed, so she has to hide her budding romance from her family. Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17297475981001061940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604747193644834571.post-74572044654530847752013-11-30T23:40:00.002-08:002013-11-30T23:40:37.209-08:00The Silver Star by Jeannette Walls<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://media.npr.org/assets/bakertaylor/covers/t/the-silver-star/9781451661507_custom-c08fa0017449530fcf21256215de10bd3b3e6eb9-s6-c30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://media.npr.org/assets/bakertaylor/covers/t/the-silver-star/9781451661507_custom-c08fa0017449530fcf21256215de10bd3b3e6eb9-s6-c30.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>
I really enjoyed Walls' <i>Glass Castle </i>and <i>Half-Broke Horses</i> books, so I knew I had to read this as soon as possible. I really enjoyed the story! It centers around Bean and her older sister Liz moving from California to Virginia after their mother abandons them in California when Bean discovers she is lying about a boyfriend. After their move, they take on jobs working for Jerry Maddox, known to most in the town as a bully. He sets up bank accounts for them, but when Liz goes to the bank to withdraw money, she discovers he had moved the money to T-bills without her permission. She goes to him, demanding the money, which leads to an altercation and a court case against Jerry.Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17297475981001061940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604747193644834571.post-91071235710664129992013-11-30T23:30:00.001-08:002013-11-30T23:30:21.991-08:00Into the Wild by John Krakauer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/63/Into_the_Wild_(book)_cover.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/63/Into_the_Wild_(book)_cover.png" width="126" /></a></div>
Krakauer retraces the steps of Chris McCandless, a young man who walked into the Alaskan wilderness and never walked out again. The author speaks to people who took McCandless in and drove him to Alaska and around the west. He also discusses other adventurers who never returned to society and goes over the possible reasons why McCandless perished. To be frank, the book creeped me out, so I would not recommend reading it before bed unless you want to think of dead bodies in sleeping bags.<br />
<br />
This was a book for my Couples Book Club-PDX Meetup group.Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17297475981001061940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604747193644834571.post-68990243296036269572013-11-30T23:23:00.000-08:002013-11-30T23:30:55.439-08:00Love Anthony by Lisa Genova<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1339757265l/13547381.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1339757265l/13547381.jpg" width="129" /></a></div>
<i>Love Anthony </i>revolves around two women in Nantucket. One, Olivia, had an autistic son named Anthony who passed away two years prior. The other, Beth, finds out her husband is cheating on her with a woman he works with. They are drawn together by autism: Olivia by her son, and Beth with her rediscovered creative writing. The intersection of their stories seems entirely unrealistic, but if you can divest yourself of reality, you would be able to enjoy it.<br />
<br />
This book was for my Portland Book Club for 20-Something Women Meetup group.Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17297475981001061940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604747193644834571.post-26271330658872161722013-11-30T23:17:00.001-08:002013-11-30T23:17:10.459-08:00Prodigy (Legend #2) by Marie Lu<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://commondatastorage.googleapis.com/tbpstatic/1/books/large/LNP2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://commondatastorage.googleapis.com/tbpstatic/1/books/large/LNP2.jpg" width="130" /></a></div>
This book picks up where <i>Legend</i> leaves off, if I could only remember where <i>Legend</i> had left me. As I have discussed in previous reviews of sequels of books, this one did not do a good job of connecting this book to the previous one and refreshing my memory of what had occurred. However, I was able to piece it together enough to still enjoy the book. Day and June are trying to escape to the Colonies, who they believe will keep them safe. Meanwhile, the new elector, Anden, is struggling to keep the Republic together and needs Day's endorsement for the people of the Republic to trust him. Will Day choose to endorse Anden or go to the Colonies to be safe with June?Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17297475981001061940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604747193644834571.post-15780874231701152012013-11-30T23:09:00.000-08:002013-11-30T23:09:14.240-08:00The Engagements by J. Courtney Sullivan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1361254904l/16071736.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1361254904l/16071736.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
I had previously read <i>Maine </i>by Sullivan and was mildly impressed by it. When I heard about this book, it sounded like a lot more interesting of a plot line and it did not let me down. The story spans over fifty years, from the beginnings of the tagline "A Diamond Is Forever," to the application to pro-marriage, anti-marriage, affairing, struggling couples. There are four couples featured throughout the book, plus Frances Gerety, who came up with the line. One couple has been married for thirty years and find out that their son has left his wife for another woman. A second couple lives in Europe and she leaves her husband for her lover. The third couple struggles to make ends meet, but love each other dearly. And the final couple doesn't believe in marriage. The story revolves around how diamonds are the connecting thread through all of the couples.Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17297475981001061940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604747193644834571.post-2963810493429311202013-11-30T23:00:00.000-08:002013-11-30T23:00:29.106-08:00The End of Men and the Rise of Women by Hanna Rosin<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://media.npr.org/assets/bakertaylor/covers/t/the-end-of-men/9780670922642_custom-17457e9e0ee128def1b356f2ac5cef452991b6c3-s6-c30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://media.npr.org/assets/bakertaylor/covers/t/the-end-of-men/9780670922642_custom-17457e9e0ee128def1b356f2ac5cef452991b6c3-s6-c30.jpg" width="140" /></a></div>
I really enjoyed this book; it was a lot like <i>The Richer Sex</i>, but more readable/easy to read. Rosin discusses all the ways that women are surpassing men: education, careers, financially. I would recommend this book over <i>The Richer Sex</i>, but both are great reads if you want to learn more about how women are outperforming men.Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17297475981001061940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604747193644834571.post-67796709593952023182013-10-25T22:10:00.000-07:002013-10-25T22:10:49.519-07:00The Dinner by Herman Koch<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://media.npr.org/assets/bakertaylor/covers/t/the-dinner/9780770437855_custom-0fec8d6bec6f0261063ff3be14ce66895270b9a5-s6-c30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://media.npr.org/assets/bakertaylor/covers/t/the-dinner/9780770437855_custom-0fec8d6bec6f0261063ff3be14ce66895270b9a5-s6-c30.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>
This story takes places during the entirety of a dinner between two couples: brothers and their wives to discuss an event that their sons took part in. As dinner goes on, the story unfolds of what happened one night and what can be done to remedy it. Each couple has their own idea for what can be done to solve it, but one couple holds the final say.<br />
<br />
When I put this book on hold, it was mainly out of curiosity to see how far someone could take a book over what can reasonably happen in the course of 90 minutes. Other books, such as <i>Gone with the Wind</i>, take place over years and it was interesting to see someone flesh out a complete story over the course of 300 pages and how Koch wove the story together.Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17297475981001061940noreply@blogger.com0