Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Light on Snow by Anita Shreve




Light on Snow By Anita Shreve


The book is about a 12 year old girl named Nicky who lives with her father out in the wilderness. Just 2 years earlier she had lost her mother and baby sister in a car accident. Her father not being able to deal with their life, house, and memories in New York moved them out to a little cabin where he wouldnt have to deal with life or people. They snow shoe often and one night they discover an abandoned newborn baby in a sleeping bag in the woods!! They rescue her and get caught up in all the drama that comes along with the baby.


Its a very sad but touching story about a girl who just wants a normal family.


I enjoyed it.. I felt it could have been a little longer.


1-10.. I would say 5.

Monday, April 27, 2009

Kite Runner / Shaley

Well, this is the book club book for April.
To start with- I knew nothing of Afganistan before this book. I didnt even know what a kite runner was. The book is wrote like it could be a memoir but its not.
The book is about a wealthy boy named Amir and his best friend and servent Hassen growing up in Afganistan. Their favorite thing to do was Fight Kites. Amir would fly them and Hassen was a kite runner. One day Amir witnesses something that makes him push Hassen away and they grow apart. Hassen and his father move away right around the time that Afganistan hit the fan. When war brakes out Amir and his father escape to America. By leaving they left the life of the wealth and learned how to live more humble lives. Its a very sad book, with a twist... but the last page makes up for the twist.

I would recommend it...It was a good read and interesting but it wasnt an "OMG I LOVED THAT BOOK" kind of book.
1-10.. i would say maybe 5..

Agincourt by Bernard Cornwell


Agincourt by Bernard Cornwell
What an amazing book!! I had no idea what it was about.. but im one of those people that brakes the rules and judges a book by the cover.. I seen the cover and it looked good so I got it.. Im really glad I did!!
Agincourt is about the Battle of Agincourt (duh). This is a historical novel. The personal story is fake but the facts of the war are real.It takes place in the 1400's when the king of England wanted to claim his throne over France. He took his army there and his troops got sick or died in the battle over a port town.. when they marched on they ended up fighting the entire french army of about 30,000 men with only 6,000!! What the English had that the French didnt were Archers! And what amazing archers they were! The English won!!!
The book is about a man named Nicholas Hook . A wanted man in England, he is driven to fight as a mercenary archer in France, where he finds two things he can love: his instincts as a fighting man, and a girl in trouble (nun). Together they survive the notorious massacre at Soissons, an event that shocks all Christendom. With no options left, Hook heads home to England, where his capture means certain death. Instead he is discovered by the young King of England--Henry V himself--and by royal command he takes up the longbow again and dons the cross of Saint George. Hook returns to France as part of the superb army Henry leads in his quest to claim the French crown. But after the English campaign suffers devastating early losses, everything is left to Nick and his fellow Archers.
If you like historical books READ THIS!!
scale of 1-10 .. I give it an 8 1/2..
Its a very easy read and goes by very fast but its written very well.

Running with Scissors


By Augesten Burroughs


WHO PUT THIS BOOK ON THE BEST SELLER LISTS????? They were nuts.


The book is a memoir about a mans childhood. He had a lunatic mom, alchoholic dad, and an autistic brother. His mom and dad get divorced and his mom basically ends up giving him to her shrink! The book talks about all the discusting living situations he endured thru... ohh and not to mention hes gay!

I wasnt at all entertained reading it. I found it boring and disturbing.


I really cant write more of a review then that cause theres nothing good to say about it.. ecxept that I dont understand why its such a popular / famous book... if anyone can point out anything good about it - let me know..




Saturday, April 4, 2009

Death in Vienna - Daniel Silva

This is the third of three books within the Gabriel Allon series that is focused around activities based off the Holocaust. Being biased with this author and his series I found this again to be an exceptional book. Without giving away the ending, the initial story you think needs to be solved keeps developing in such a way that 1/2 of the book is after you thought it'd be over. I can't remember if I mentioned it in the previous review but the books are written as fiction, however they are focused around real events with some substantial 'theories' being the base for the fiction work of the book. This book is based primarily in Europe focusing around Munchen, Rome, Venice and primariy...Vienna (hence the name of the book) with a detour in Argentina for the characters. It is a really interesting read and I recommend it to anyone.

Sunday, March 29, 2009

The English Assassin - Daniel Silva

Ok, I'm bias, this is the 5th one of Silva's books that I've read. They're not necessarily a series but they all revolve around the same main character, Gabriel Allon. This is the second in the Allon books and it was really good. All his stories are based in Europe with the main character, Allen, a sometime Israeli spy by trade and an art restorer by preference. I enjoy revisiting through the pages some of the places I traveled to and it gives me a feeling of taking a mini-vacation. While this book is fiction it has a suprising amount of knowledge and details that give it the possibility of being a fairly accurate portrayal of historical situations that may have occurred.
This particular book's primary focus was on the current day implications of the art dealings during Nazi Germany out of Zurich Switzerland. It is exceptionally written yet is an easy read.
I look forward to finishing off the books in this series. If you'd prefer to read the first of the Allon books start with 'The Kill Artist' but again, reading them in order is not necessary.

Aprils Book is Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini


Our book club is starting!! Aprils book will be Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini . We will meet at the end of the month to discuss it and have a girls night :) Happy Reading