springdellgirl

 

 One of the beautiful parts of summer is all the extra lazy afternoon reading time. I absolutely love it.
Here are are few new reviews for you:

I really enjoyed this book. That said, if you don't have a healthy dose of curiosity about the Royal Family, you probably won't. It is a long and detailed book. I, for one, DO have a healthy curiosity of about the Royal Family but haven't always had the fondest opinion of Queen Elizabeth. She always seems so dour and grumpy. But this book really made her come alive and I feel like I learned quite bit about English history and the politics of Great Britain. If you are looking for a chatty and gossipy book this isn't for you. It is quite detailed and there are definitely some dry bits and some horsey bits that I found tedious but, all in all, I liked it.  I listened to it rather than read it and I think that was a good way to do it. I had a hard copy from the library so that I could see all the pictures and then I returned it and just listened to the audiobook while I did some projects around the house. It was wonderful that way and rather timely as I was listening to it during the Queens Diamond Jubilee.

From Goodreads:

From the moment of her ascension to the throne in 1952 at the age of twenty-five, Queen Elizabeth II has been the object of unparalleled scrutiny. But through the fog of glamour and gossip, how well do we really know the world’s most famous monarch? Drawing on numerous interviews and never-before-revealed documents, acclaimed biographer Sally Bedell Smith pulls back the curtain to show in intimate detail the public and private lives of Queen Elizabeth II, who has led her country and Commonwealth through the wars and upheavals of the last sixty years with unparalleled composure, intelligence, and grace. 
  
My Rating: Good

From Goodreads:

All decent parents want to do what's best for their children. What Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother reveals is that the Chinese just have a totally different idea of how to do that. Western parents try to respect their children's individuality, encouraging them to pursue their true passions and providing a nurturing environment. The Chinese believe that the best way to protect your children is by preparing them for the future and arming them with skills, strong work habits, and inner confidence. Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother chronicles Chua's iron-willed decision to raise her daughters, Sophia and Lulu, her way-the Chinese way-and the remarkable results her choice inspires.


This book left me with mixed feelings. On one hand, I agree some of what Amy Chua said, but on the other hand, I strongly disagreed with some of what she said. Her method of mothering and what I felt to be a complete lack of nurturing left me cold. I agreed with her opinions about hard work and having high expectations for our children and I also shared her disdain for the entitlement of today's generation.

Some of what she said is what used to be thought of as plain common sense:

"Nothing is fun until you are good at it...to get good at something you have to work."

"Everything valuable and worthwhile is difficult."

I feel like we are totally off track with today's parenting of bribery, low expectations, no chores, constant self-esteem stroking and trying to be our children's best friends. It isn't working. That said I didn't like the author. I found her to be smug, abrasive, and too far to the other extreme. I think one day she may regret how demanding and tyrannical she was to her daughters.

It will definitely give you something to think about and discuss. Perfect for a book club.


My Rating: Okay.

I like Tina Fey and I really wanted a book that would knock it out of the park. It didn't necessarily do that but if you want some light humor. It delivers. Part of my problem was that I constantly compared it to the book Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling which I found to be HILARIOUS and I have to say I enjoyed Kaling's book more. There are parts that will have you laughing out loud and parts that kind of make you cringe but that is usually how these books are. I would think that humorist essay books would be some of the most difficult to write.

Is it funny...yeah.

I loved her "prayer" for her daughter and her anecdotes about her dad. Seriously funny stuff. I enjoyed all the SNL background info. It's a good summer read.

My Rating: Pretty Good for what it is.
 

 Man. This was a disappointment. I love snarky humor but this really missed the mark. I had high hopes as I found her book Stop Dressing Your Six-Year-Old Like a Skank seriously hilarious. This one didn't do it for me and it sure didn't live up to my high hopes. In this collection of essays on the humor of every day life I felt like Rivenbark was trying too hard...with her pop culture references and slang. It felt uncomfortably forced. It was just too...too...much. It left me exhausted and disappointed.

My Rating: Skip it