Sold

This was a very powerful book for me! I read it in one sitting. Granted, I know, it is written for a teenage audience, but that didn't change how much force was behind it. I loved the way it was written in short vignettes, it packs a powerful message. It's hard to believe that this kind of thing is happening, right now, every day in India. It makes me so sad, but also very angry. One thing I wonder about though, is that there must be other countries doing the same type of work as these American's are. Raiding these brothels. It's not JUST America who is helping to change these problems, though the book makes out Americans as the ones who are going to save everyone. Otherwise this was a spectacular book.

The Absintence Teacher

Urgh -- I had high hopes for this book. I started to get a little bored halfway though but presisted because I felt like I needed to know what was going to happen. And the answer was nothing!! Urgh.. what a terrible ending. It made me mad that I even bothered finishing it. What a waste of time in my opinion

Zeitoun -- Dave Eggers

I love, love, love Dave Eggers and again he did not disappoint. Granted I have a certain fascination with American disasters, so the topic was already of interest to me. I adore how Eggers takes a true noteworthy back story and can make it into such an engrossing almost fiction-like novel. (Take What is the What as the other example).
It's hard to believe that something like what the Zeitoun's experienced happened right in here in our own country. We all heard stories coming out of New Orleans and all the shady things that was reported, but this really brought it all home. It's hard to believe that it's not fiction. It made me very sad and even more so, angry. How is this thing possible? It's not something we think of happening here, in this country. Maybe in some other third-world country, but not here. But are we really all that shocked? I tend to think not. Anyhow, Eggers does a fantastic job of bringing this to the surface. I am intrigued enough to some research further.....

Life of Pi

I have mixed feelings about this book. I admit it was a great story, but I have to admit there were stretches of the book were I was bored. I loved the whole first section before the sinking of the ship. I thought everything about the zoos and animals was fascinating. I also liked the story of his family. After he was on the lifeboat, the story seemed to drag for long periods of time. Some of it was interesting and some just went on too long I thought. I felt like it took me forever to finish the book. The ending was just okay for me – I thought it was going to be something different. Not sure what, but not what it was. Somehow though, I have a feeling this book is going to stick with me for a while – I may write more about this book as it sinks in a little more………

Skinny Bitch

This book was a bunch of crap bias. it started off all cute and good and then all of a sudden tells you that you must become a vegan and eat only organic. It also throws in some chapters about how the government is horrible and awful and we can't trust the USDA or EPA. (the chapter is literally called, "Trust No One") Oh and a whole chapter on how they slaughter cows, pigs and chickens in very graphic detail. Common. This is so not realistic for most people. I get the whole vegetarianism thing. I really do. That is one thing... vegan is whole other thing. This book was not at all what I expected. I felt like the authors were just out to push their own personal agenda against the government.

Goat -- Brad Land

This book was interesting, but in all reality I wasn't actually all that surprised by the violence of the fraternity hazing. I had read about it before and heard about it before so I wasn't completely shocked. It's amazing how cruel some people can be to each other. There were some cringes inducing moments -- mostly for me during the first part of the book, not the fraternity part. I think what was the saddest part of this book was the internal struggle Land went through and also the relationship with his brother. That part was harder to take than the actual descriptions of the beatings and hazing. Overall a pretty good memoir. Quick read and kept my attention.

The Joy Luck Club

I had been meaning to read this book (along with other Amy Tan) for a long time. We are going to be reading parts of this book in our Advanced ESL class this summer, so I thought it would be a perfect time to ready it. I loved this book. It was so beautifully written. All of the stories tied together wonderfully. I liked how each story could also be read seperately also and no other context was needed. Usually I am not a huge short story fan, but this was just fantastic. In my copy of the book it has a chart listing the mothers and the daughters and that helped tie everything together for me. I also loved how the first story and the last story just tied the whole book together in such a wonderful way.