a dog's purpose

"This is the remarkable story of one endearing dog’s search for his purpose over the course of several lives. More than just another charming dog story, A Dog’s Purpose touches on the universal quest for an answer to life's most basic question: Why are we here?"

Loved this book.  Heartwarming and full of soul.  It made me sad that we think Whit has a dog allergy.  I cannot imagine the rest of my life without a dog :(

feed

According to Amazon, "This brilliantly ironic satire is set in a future world where television and computers are connected directly into people's brains when they are babies. The result is a chillingly recognizable consumer society where empty-headed kids are driven by fashion and shopping and the avid pursuit of silly entertainment--even on trips to Mars and the moon--and by constant customized murmurs in their brains of encouragement to buy, buy, buy.


For Titus and his friends, it started out like any ordinary trip to the moon - a chance to party during spring break and play with some stupid low-grav at the Ricochet Lounge. But that was before the crazy hacker caused all their feeds to malfunction, sending them to the hospital to lie around with nothing inside their heads for days. And it was before Titus met Violet, a beautiful, brainy teenage girl who has decided to fight the feed and its omnipresent ability to categorize human thoughts and desires. Following in the footsteps of George Orwell, Anthony Burgess, and Kurt Vonnegut Jr., M. T. Anderson has created a not-so-brave new world — and a smart, savage satire that has captivated readers with its view of an imagined future that veers unnervingly close to the here and now."


While I agree that this is "smart, savage satire," I did not find it captivating.  I had to really focus to finish reading Feed.  I do enjoy dystopian novels, but this book did not keep my interest like others.  Luckily it's a pretty quick read.

claude and camille

This is an historical fiction book about the life, love, and work of Claude Monet and his fellow Impressionists.  My mom passed this book on to me and said I would really enjoy it, and I did for the first 75 pages.  At that point, I became really annoyed with Monet.  He comes off as a whiny, weak, and unfaithful man who leaves Camille, the supposed love of his life, one too many times.  He is portrayed as a talented, yet absolutely selfish, man.  With 100 pages to go, I really wanted the book to wrap up.

One thing I did find interesting is the camaraderie Monet shared with other painters of the time like Renoir, Cezanne, and Bazille.  I liked learning about the birth of Impressionism, but that was about it for this book.  With an annoying main character, unnatural dialogue, and drawn out rising action, I was happy to finish it up.

steve jobs

Although it took me 3.5 weeks to read this book, it had nothing to do with lack of interest.  600 pages just takes me a lot longer than it used to...thanks to juggling motherhood and work.  I absolutely loved Walter Isaacson's book and looked forward to ending my day with a chapter or two.  I think most people know Steve Jobs was creative yet cruel, but this book reveals a much deeper portrait of his complex character and the innovative company he built.  It is brutally honest, and less than complimentary at points, but this raw truth reveals a very real person.  If you're an Apple fan or just love a good biography, this is a perfect choice. 

moonwalking with einstein

"On average, people squander forty days annually compensating for things they've forgotten. Joshua Foer used to be one of those people. But after a year of memory training, he found himself in the finals of the U.S. Memory Championship. Even more important, Foer found a vital truth we too often forget: In every way that matters, we are the sum of our memories."

Dan gave me this book for Christmas and I really enjoyed it.  Although it was somewhat repetitive at times, and even a little dry, overall it was quite interesting.  I love the quirky mnemonists and memory champions he meets along the way and the self-deprecating humor he employs.

the fault in our stars

Once again, I completely ignored this space for months.  I'm back.  John Green's new book was released without even being on my radar.  I absolutely LOVE John Green, so this must show how busy life has been.  My friend Kate passed it along and I read it in a day.

"Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten."

I enjoyed this book, not as much as Abundance of Katherines, but still a great read.  My only complaints were the somewhat predictable outcome and the bizarre, totally unbelievable author character.  Other than these shortcomings, I was moved by the story and its two main characters.

hotel on the corner of bitter and sweet

Jamie Ford's book about the love that develops between a young Chinese boy, Henry, and a young Japanese girl captured my heart at first but then disappointed.  I loved the idea of a middle-aged man witnessing a Japanese family's belongings being pulled from the basement of an old hotel.  This was 1986.  He looks back to a time forty years earlier when this family was yanked from his life and sent to an internment camp. 

Eighty pages into the book, my disappointment began to grow.  First, there are too many editing errors, blatant ones.  A note to the author: There was no accessible Internet in 1986, and Brandon Lee was not dead in 1986!  Second, the writing was not impressive; it felt like a YA book more than an adult one.  Third, the characters seemed flat and unbelievable.  Twelve-year-olds who speak and act like forty-year-olds are not convincing.  Finally, the book was repetitive and the ending too predictable.

Overall, I'm not bummed I read the book because it did include an interesting look into a sad time in our nation's history, but I wouldn't pass it along to a friend.