From Barnesandnoble.com :
Synopsis
Fourteen-year-old Trixie Stone is in love for the first time. She's also the light of her father, Daniel's life -- a straight-A student; a pretty, popular freshman in high school; a girl who's always seen her father as a hero. That is, until her world is turned upside down with a single act of violence. Suddenly everything Trixie has believed about her family -- and herself -- seems to be a lie. Could the boyfriend who once made Trixie wild with happiness have been the one to end her childhood forever? She says that he is, and that is all it takes to make Daniel, a seemingly mild-mannered comic book artist with a secret tumultuous past he has hidden even from his family, venture to hell and back to protect his daughter.
With The Tenth Circle, Jodi Picoult offers her most powerful chronicle yet as she explores the unbreakable bond between parent and child, and questions whether you can reinvent yourself in the course of a lifetime -- or if your mistakes are carried forever.
I thought this was another great book from Jodi Picoult. I started it on Friday and finished it up early this morning, dispite having tons of homework and studying to do this weekend. It was just engrossing. While I'll admit this wasn't necessarily her *best* book, it was still really good. She is just an amazing author and is probably my absolute favorite... I could go on and on about how much I love her books, but it just wouldn't do her justice.
Thanks to my friend Maddy for sending me this book!!!!
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
37 out of 101: Stop Whining, Start Living
I had high hopes for this book, as I loved the last book I read by Dr. Laura... but to be honest it was just okay. There were some parts that I found very useful and highlighted, but overall this book sort of let me down. I found myself just reading so that I could finish and move on to something else, which is never a good sign.
From www.barnesandnoble.com:
Dr. Laura Schlessinger agrees that there are things worth whining about! A certain amount of whining allows for some venting of reasonable pain, disappointment, fear, frustration, or frank rage. However, staying stuck in whining mode can become a life-long problem. This is where Dr. Laura steps in with Stop Whining, Start Living to help folks conquer the temptation to retreat from living life to the fullest. As she reveals in her introduction, "No matter what you've suffered or continue to suffer, while you are alive you have the opportunity to get something from this life, and I'm going to do my best to help you with that. . . . I know of what I speak, as this has been my torturous journey also." Building on the principles developed during her long career as a licensed marriage and family therapist, and addressing the chronic struggles of so many of her listeners and readers, Dr. Laura issues an important message in the no-nonsense but compassionate voice that is her trademark: If you don't like your life, quit talking about your unhappiness and try to fix it, no matter how difficult or impossible your situation seems. While it is healthy to vent occasionally, endless rumination on the negative only keeps you paralyzed in misery, reinforces hopelessness, and demoralizes those around you who feel helpless to bring any happiness into your life. Instead, Stop Whining, Start Living encourages "whiners" to reject negative thoughts, emotions, and attitudes; shift perspective; open up to gratitude and goodness; and embrace obligations to loved ones and the world in general. Before long, just doing what you're supposed to be doing -- instead of moaning about why you can't or won't or shouldn't fulfill your responsibilities -- will have you feeling better about yourself and will uplift your interactions with family, friends, colleagues, and even complete strangers in incredible ways.
Sounds like a good book right? But yeah, just didn't live up to my expecations. Hopefully others will be able to get more out of it than I did. But it's not a book that I'd necessarily reccomend to others. Oh well.
On to something better (I hope!)....
From www.barnesandnoble.com:
Dr. Laura Schlessinger agrees that there are things worth whining about! A certain amount of whining allows for some venting of reasonable pain, disappointment, fear, frustration, or frank rage. However, staying stuck in whining mode can become a life-long problem. This is where Dr. Laura steps in with Stop Whining, Start Living to help folks conquer the temptation to retreat from living life to the fullest. As she reveals in her introduction, "No matter what you've suffered or continue to suffer, while you are alive you have the opportunity to get something from this life, and I'm going to do my best to help you with that. . . . I know of what I speak, as this has been my torturous journey also." Building on the principles developed during her long career as a licensed marriage and family therapist, and addressing the chronic struggles of so many of her listeners and readers, Dr. Laura issues an important message in the no-nonsense but compassionate voice that is her trademark: If you don't like your life, quit talking about your unhappiness and try to fix it, no matter how difficult or impossible your situation seems. While it is healthy to vent occasionally, endless rumination on the negative only keeps you paralyzed in misery, reinforces hopelessness, and demoralizes those around you who feel helpless to bring any happiness into your life. Instead, Stop Whining, Start Living encourages "whiners" to reject negative thoughts, emotions, and attitudes; shift perspective; open up to gratitude and goodness; and embrace obligations to loved ones and the world in general. Before long, just doing what you're supposed to be doing -- instead of moaning about why you can't or won't or shouldn't fulfill your responsibilities -- will have you feeling better about yourself and will uplift your interactions with family, friends, colleagues, and even complete strangers in incredible ways.
Sounds like a good book right? But yeah, just didn't live up to my expecations. Hopefully others will be able to get more out of it than I did. But it's not a book that I'd necessarily reccomend to others. Oh well.
On to something better (I hope!)....
Saturday, March 15, 2008
36 out of 101: The Secret Life of Bees
From BarnesandNoble.com ---"Living on a peach farm in South Carolina with her harsh, unyielding father, Lily Owens has shaped her entire life around one devastating, blurred memory - the afternoon her mother was killed, when Lily was four. Since then, her only real companion has been the fierce-hearted, and sometimes just fierce, black woman Rosaleen, who acts as her "stand-in mother."
When Rosaleen insults three of the deepest racists in town, Lily knows it's time to spring them both free. They take off in the only direction Lily can think of, toward a town called Tiburon, South Carolina - a name she found on the back of a picture amid the few possessions left by her mother.
There they are taken in by an eccentric trio of black beekeeping sisters named May, June, and August. Lily thinks of them as the calendar sisters and enters their mesmerizing secret world of bees and honey, and of the Black Madonna who presides over this household of strong, wise women. Maternal loss and betrayal, guilt and forgiveness entwine in a story that leads Lily to the single thing her heart longs for most. "
I loved this book.... it was such a GOOD read! I remember the first day I read it I was a little tired from my long day and before I started reading I flipped through to see how long the first chapter was... when I saw that it was about 30 pages or so I though "okay well I'll get started but probably won't even be able to finish a chapter tonight". But I was wrong! The story immediately sucked me right in. You can't help but fall in love with each of the characters. I also really enjoyed the author's writing style as this whole book just flowed. I'd highly reccommend this book to others!
When Rosaleen insults three of the deepest racists in town, Lily knows it's time to spring them both free. They take off in the only direction Lily can think of, toward a town called Tiburon, South Carolina - a name she found on the back of a picture amid the few possessions left by her mother.
There they are taken in by an eccentric trio of black beekeeping sisters named May, June, and August. Lily thinks of them as the calendar sisters and enters their mesmerizing secret world of bees and honey, and of the Black Madonna who presides over this household of strong, wise women. Maternal loss and betrayal, guilt and forgiveness entwine in a story that leads Lily to the single thing her heart longs for most. "
I loved this book.... it was such a GOOD read! I remember the first day I read it I was a little tired from my long day and before I started reading I flipped through to see how long the first chapter was... when I saw that it was about 30 pages or so I though "okay well I'll get started but probably won't even be able to finish a chapter tonight". But I was wrong! The story immediately sucked me right in. You can't help but fall in love with each of the characters. I also really enjoyed the author's writing style as this whole book just flowed. I'd highly reccommend this book to others!
Saturday, March 8, 2008
35 out of 101: A New Earth
Wow! I really think this book is amazing. Essentially it discusses how the disease of humanity is the ego, and how our ego affects every aspect of our life. I read this book with a highlighter in hand, marking up everything that gave me one of those "aha" moments... Its not a terribly long book. But the content of it makes it a long read, some of the concepts went over my head at first so I found myself having to re-read certain passages. And I found it difficult to read more than a chapter or two at a time.
I signed up to participate in Oprah's A New Earth web event, however I wasn't able to access it last Monday night so I'll be watching it sometime this weekend. I'm hoping I'll be able to get into it this Monday. But regardless I look forward to using the tools on her website to gain a better understanding of this book.
I signed up to participate in Oprah's A New Earth web event, however I wasn't able to access it last Monday night so I'll be watching it sometime this weekend. I'm hoping I'll be able to get into it this Monday. But regardless I look forward to using the tools on her website to gain a better understanding of this book.
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