All Consuming : EricaAnn

Oprah? (rated 5 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (EricaAnn) — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 21:45:20 GMT

Middlesex: A Novel (Oprah's Book Club)

by Jeffrey Eugenides

Great book. I don’t understand why it’s on Oprah’s list, since it’s not depressing and about a woman being abused.

Consumed "Middlesex: A Novel (Oprah's Book Club)"

nobody@allconsuming.net (EricaAnn) — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 21:45:20 GMT

Middlesex: A Novel (Oprah's Book Club)

by Jeffrey Eugenides

WORTH IT!

Consumed "The Westing Game (Puffin Modern Classics)"

nobody@allconsuming.net (EricaAnn) — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 22:27:35 GMT

The Westing Game (Puffin Modern Classics)

by Ellen Raskin

WORTH IT!

Consumed "Lost in Austen: Create Your Own Jane Austen Adventure"

nobody@allconsuming.net (EricaAnn) — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 22:27:10 GMT

Lost in Austen: Create Your Own Jane Austen Adventure

by Emma Campbell Webster

WORTH IT!

Not great, but good

nobody@allconsuming.net (EricaAnn) — Sun, 04 Nov 2007 20:59:49 GMT

The Secret Apartment

by Natalie Fast

Jillian is new to New York, her mom just married some rich guy with two kids, and she doesn’t like her new stepsister. (The stepbrother is mentioned once and then never again.) But through a cat-sitting job in an old lady’s penthouse, she discovers the location of a kidnapped boy, and she has to get help to rescue him.

The story is compelling and written well, not lagging a bit, but I didn’t like how the kids decided they had to rescue the victim themselves. It’s very unlikely.

Consumed "The Secret Apartment"

nobody@allconsuming.net (EricaAnn) — Sun, 04 Nov 2007 20:59:49 GMT

The Secret Apartment

by Natalie Fast

WORTH IT!

Consumed "A HEARTBREAKING WORK OF STAGGERING GENIUS"

nobody@allconsuming.net (EricaAnn) — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 22:18:08 GMT

A HEARTBREAKING WORK OF STAGGERING GENIUS

by D. Eggers

NOT WORTH IT!

Consumed "Boy in the Striped Pajamas"

nobody@allconsuming.net (EricaAnn) — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 22:05:00 GMT

Boy in the Striped Pajamas

by John Boyne

WORTH IT!

Consumed "Dreams of Peace and Freedom: Utopian Moments in the Twentieth Century"

nobody@allconsuming.net (EricaAnn) — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 21:16:16 GMT

Dreams of Peace and Freedom: Utopian Moments in the Twentieth Century

by Jay Winter

WORTH IT!

Consumed "Crispin: At the Edge of the World"

nobody@allconsuming.net (EricaAnn) — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 21:12:08 GMT

Crispin: At the Edge of the World

by Avi

WORTH IT!

Consumed "Schrodinger's Ball: A Novel"

nobody@allconsuming.net (EricaAnn) — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 14:15:48 GMT

Schrodinger's Ball: A Novel

by Adam Felber

WORTH IT!

Yeah, (rated 3 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (EricaAnn) — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 16:38:28 GMT

The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference

by Malcolm Gladwell

it could have been shorter. However, I did enjoy how the author applied the lessons to various “epidemics”, and then took the study a step further, and asked how to use that information to solve problems.

The most poignant for me, considering current events at Virginia tech, was the afterword, which includes the teenage “epidemic” of school violence, which apparently stemmed from the Columbine shootings. It gives me a new perspective, and the outlook isn’t good.

Eh.

nobody@allconsuming.net (EricaAnn) — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 12:34:33 GMT

Sparrow

by Sherri L. Smith

The story was nothing special, and the writing was at times saturated with saccharin imagery that I had to skim over. It seemed to be trying too hard to be poetic, and failing miserably. The themes of the novel (the importance of family, self-esteem, and setting goals) were clear but not overstated.

A review of "Surviving the Applewhites" (rated 2 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (EricaAnn) — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 19:34:56 GMT

Surviving the Applewhites

by Stephanie S. Tolan

I’m terribly disappointed in the portrayal of the unschooling experience. The whole family is artists who consider creativity an excuse for being distracted and irresponsible. I wouldn’t want these people rearing children, and I don’t find them interesting or endearing.

Excellent (rated 5 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (EricaAnn) — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 14:55:37 GMT

Rosalind Franklin: The Dark Lady of DNA

by Brenda Maddox

This biography was written mostly in response to the mysogynistic treatment of Franklin by Watson in his book, “The Double Helix.” In it, she was portrayed as stubborn, stupid, and unwilling to collaborate. However, as this biography reveals, she was rather a joyful woman, a generous friend, and a brilliant scientist.

This book includes details of her scientific endeavors, but is accessible to the casual reader.

A story about "Hattie Big Sky"

nobody@allconsuming.net (EricaAnn) — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 22:14:10 GMT

Hattie Big Sky

by Kirby Larson

I loved the story. Hattie is an orphan who suddenly inherits a claim in Montana. She has less than a year to “prove up” on it, which means farming 40 acres and building a fence around it (big fence). It’s tough, but she gets help from her neighbors and friends along the way.

A secondary story revolves around the prejudices against German immigrants during the first world war. The crimes enacted are reminiscent of KKK events in their severity. Hattie struggles with the issue and easily sides with the peaceful immigrants.

Why I recommend "The Wanderer (rack)"

nobody@allconsuming.net (EricaAnn) — Sat, 10 Feb 2007 17:30:41 GMT

The Wanderer (rack)

by Sharon Creech

This story made me cry.

Nice little story.

nobody@allconsuming.net (EricaAnn) — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 16:26:53 GMT

Becoming Naomi Leon

by Pam Munoz Ryan

It’s written well, I think. There’s lots of imagery, symbolism, and a touch of poetic language. It’s a good story and it seems like it would definitely be accessible to kids, because of the first person narrative style. It’s also a story about a little girl who finds herself.

Women in science

nobody@allconsuming.net (EricaAnn) — Tue, 23 Jan 2007 16:28:26 GMT

The Green Glass Sea

by Ellen Klages

A scientifically-inclined girl moves to a secret army base in New Mexico, where her father is working on the Manhattan Project. She has little interest in making friends, preferring to make electronic gizmos instead, but soon inspires another outcast and makes friends.

I like the elements of this book. The author often blatantly points out that it’s unusual for a girl to like electronics, and for a woman to be a scientist, but she also pointedly makes these characters likable and real. There’s no sympathizing with the girly girls who tease the not so girly girls. I like women as scientists and I like the story of a kid who doesn’t fit in with the popular kids. I like the treatment of the Manhattan Project.

Left untied

nobody@allconsuming.net (EricaAnn) — Sun, 14 Jan 2007 21:07:42 GMT

Kalpana's Dream (Boston Globe-Horn Book Honors (Awards))

by Judith Clarke

After reading 2/3 of the book, I tried to explain what it was about. It seemed to be about several different characters, but I couldn’t make out a theme among their stories. There was a ton of foreshadowing, so I figures that each story would end up in the same place at the same time, creating a climactic event that would solve all their problems. It didn’t happen. A few problems were solved, but the central problem, the “Who am I?” essay, was left hanging. I would have preferred to have at least one person (ideally, Kalpana) answer that question.

Worth reading

nobody@allconsuming.net (EricaAnn) — Mon, 27 Nov 2006 19:59:21 GMT

Small Steps

by Louis Sachar

After his tenure at Camp Green Lake, Armpit is trying to play it straight. He’s doing pretty well until X-Ray comes along with a plan to make some fast money scalping concert tickets. In “Small Steps” we see how one bad decision and the ensuing occurrances changes Armpit’s life in remarkable ways.

Sachar keeps the style of telling the story from several perspectives, and does it well. This story is less magical and less funny than “Holes”, and more moralistic. In Holes, Stanley was in trouble by accident; he never actually committed any crime. In “Small Steps”, Armpit is well-intentioned, but he did agree to participate in ticket scalping.

It was a good story. It reads easily, and it’s engaging. But there isn’t anything special about it. It’s no “Holes”. But it’s worth a read.