Fall Book Reviews
1.) Educated by Tara Westover
There has been so much hype about this book. It is on so many lists of books-to-read. Here's the deal, maybe I have just read a few too many religious zealot father books lately but I didn't love it. I can't even put my finger on what exactly bugged me about this book but something did. Perhaps it was because I had just read The Sound of Gravel which is a very well written book and this book in comparison seemed like more of a jumble of memories. Maybe I was hoping for more of the prepper background story. That part was intriguing. I just had a hard time connecting with Tara and her slightly detached story-telling.
From Goodreads:
Tara Westover was 17 the first time she set foot in a classroom. Born to survivalists in the mountains of Idaho, she prepared for the end of the world by stockpiling home-canned peaches and sleeping with her "head-for-the-hills bag". In the summer she stewed herbs for her mother, a midwife and healer, and in the winter she salvaged in her father's junkyard. Her father forbade hospitals, so Tara never saw a doctor or nurse. Gashes and concussions, even burns from explosions, were all treated at home with herbalism. The family was so isolated from mainstream society that there was no one to ensure the children received an education and no one to intervene when one of Tara's older brothers became violent. Then, lacking any formal education, Tara began to educate herself. She taught herself enough mathematics and grammar to be admitted to Brigham Young University, where she studied history, learning for the first time about important world events like the Holocaust and the civil rights movement. Her quest for knowledge transformed her, taking her over oceans and across continents, to Harvard and to Cambridge. Only then would she wonder if she'd traveled too far, if there was still a way home.
Westover's story is interesting. Her abuse...emotional and physical...is upsetting and heartbreaking. Her triumph over her circumstances is inspiring. The apparent luck of her family and their survival of terrible accidents seems to be miraculous... but somewhere in her telling of it all...her story falls flat. So much is frustrating. Maybe it is the odd decisions she makes? Why would you constantly decide to go for drives and to get ice cream and milkshakes and ask to go on camping trips with an abusive brother? Maybe it is her story telling style? Maybe she should've waited to write this book after more time had passed and more perspective had been gained. Her story is complex and her family dysfunction is off the charts. She still seems to be drawn into it or wanting to be drawn into it. This memoir was frustrating to read and she was frustrating as a narrator.
I plan to listen to several interviews and podcasts with her and I hope that I learn/see/hear more about who the *authentic* person is behind the memoir.
**Update: My book club read it in November 2018 and our discussion was one of our very best!!**
My Rating: OK. I didn't love it as much as everyone else seems to.
2.) The Book of Essie by Meghan MacLean Weir
I saw this book on Goodreads and thought that it sounded interesting. A religious reality TV family, secrets, and scandal. Sounded intriguing.
From Goodreads:
Esther Ann Hicks--Essie--is the youngest child on Six for Hicks,a reality television phenomenon. She's grown up in the spotlight, both idolized and despised for her family's fire-and-brimstone brand of faith. When Essie's mother, Celia, discovers that Essie is pregnant, she arranges an emergency meeting with the show's producers: Do they sneak Essie out of the country for an abortion? Do they pass the child off as Celia's? Or do they try to arrange a marriage--and a ratings-blockbuster wedding? Meanwhile, Essie is quietly pairing herself up with Roarke Richards, a senior at her school with a secret of his own to protect. As the newly formed couple attempt to sell their fabricated love story to the media--through exclusive interviews with an infamously conservative reporter named Liberty Bell--Essie finds she has questions of her own: What was the real reason for her older sister leaving home? Who can she trust with the truth about her family? And how much is she willing to sacrifice to win her own freedom?
This was my third religious zealot father book in a row and I was a little over it by this book. But despite that I did enjoy it and it was a quick read. It was also NOT A MEMOIR. Thank goodness. Just good old fiction. That helped with the enjoyment part. That this was not someone's actual life.
The premise is great and the story is compelling. I also liked the characters. One problem for me is that the novel has 3 POVs and I think they were one too many. I don't think we needed Liberty's back story and point of view. I think she still could have been a great character and confident of Essie without her POV which really slowed things down. Although being contemporary fiction the novel has a definite YA vibe and voice. The ending was also a bit anti-climatic for me. But still a fairly good read.
My Rating: Okay
3.) Little Lord Fauntleroy by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Another book written by the beloved France Hodgson Burnett. It should be no surprise that it is wonderful. It is such a cute and sweet story. I loved Little Lord Fauntleroy, his love for his mother, Dearest, and his infectious positivity.
From Goodreads:
Cedric Errol is a generous, kind, and exemplary middle-class American boy who is suddenly found to be the heir of the Earl of Dorincourt. Saying loving goodbyes to his working-class friends, Cedric goes to England together with his mother to embrace his new fortune. His grandfather, the old earl, is a bitter old man ridden with gout and a foul temper, trusting no one. However the angelic boy elicits a profound transformation in the grandfather, which not only benefits the castle household but the whole populace of the earldom. If only the old man's heart would soften toward Cedric's estranged mother, the family would be healed at last. And when another potential heir to the earldom makes a claim, it seems that everything is lost....But all things are possible through a child's innocent trust, true friendship, and unconditional love.
We need more stories of kind children who reach out and lift up those around them. I loved this book of optimism and unconditional love. A great read aloud to children with a great message. This is a wonderful classic childrens novel.
My Rating: Charming!
4.) The Red Queen by Philippa Gregory
I continued on with the Plantagenet and Tudor series by Philippa Gregory. This has been my least favorite book in the series thus far. Margaret Beaufort isn't a likeable or sympathetic protagonist which takes a toll on the reader. Also the author is telling the same story but from different viewpoints in different novels. It has been interesting but I am ready for the story to move forward. Unfortunately the next novel in the series, The King Maker's Daughter, is the same story/time from yet another viewpoint and I really have no interest in reading it. I may just skip forward to the book after that one. The series needs to move forward in time.
From Goodreads:
The second book in Philippa's stunning new trilogy, The Cousins' War, brings to life the story of Margaret Beaufort, a shadowy and mysterious character in the first book of the series - The White Queen - but who now takes centre stage in the bitter struggle of The War of the Roses. The Red Queen tells the story of the child-bride of Edmund Tudor, who, although widowed in her early teens, uses her determination of character and wily plotting to infiltrate the house of York under the guise of loyal friend and servant, undermine the support for Richard III and ultimately ensure that her only son, Henry Tudor, triumphs as King of England. Through collaboration with the dowager Queen Elizabeth Woodville, Margaret agrees to a betrothal between Henry and Elizabeth's daughter, thereby uniting the families and resolving the Cousins War once and for all by founding of the Tudor dynasty.
My Rating: Okay
5.) Girl Waits with Gun by Amy Stewart
This was the 2018 selection for Spokane is Reading. I love this annual event. A book is selected for our community to read and then the author comes to speak at two events. The books are always interesting and usually something that I wouldn't just pick up on my own. I have enjoyed all of the Spokane is Reading selections. This novel sounded unique and intriguing. Very different from previous grittier selections. The description sounded almost quirky. It was! In a very delightful way!!
From Goodreads:
Constance Kopp doesn’t quite fit the mold. She towers over most men, has no interest in marriage or domestic affairs, and has been isolated from the world since a family secret sent her and her sisters into hiding fifteen years ago. One day a belligerent and powerful silk factory owner runs down their buggy, and a dispute over damages turns into a war of bricks, bullets, and threats as he unleashes his gang on their family farm. When the sheriff enlists her help in convicting the men, Constance is forced to confront her past and defend her family — and she does it in a way that few women of 1914 would have dared.
This was a fun, fresh, and even funny historical read. I really enjoyed it. I also thought that it was an interesting glimpse into the lives of single women in the early 1900s. I especially loved that this book is based on the real life and career of Constance Kopp the first female deputy sheriff in the United States. But I have to say that what I loved the most were the three Kopp sisters...Constance, Norma, and Fleurette. Their interaction and sisterly dynamic was hilarious. It made the book for me.
Last night I had the pleasure of hearing the author Amy Stewart speak. It made me love the book even more. There are several more books in the Kopp Sisters series and I look forward to reading them. I especially loved hearing about the real life of Constance Kopp. The author has done extensive research on her life and I loved hearing about how she came to learn about Constance Kopp who was such an incredible pioneer in female law enforcement and her friendship with the incredible Sheriff Heath (also a real person) who saw in her such potential and value. If you ever have the opportunity to hear Amy Stewart speak I would highly recommend it. She was also funny and interesting. I look forward to reading more from her.
My Rating: An unexpected delight.
6.) The Body Keeps the Score by Dr. Bessel Van Der Kolk
This was our book club selection for October 2018. It was an interesting choice. We don't often read nonfiction and especially not clinical books. I liked switching things up a bit and reading a different genre. That said, this book deals with the heavy subject matter of abuse and trauma. It isn't a light read but it is an important read. It is an excellent book on the subject of mental health, neuroscience, and trauma research.
From Goodreads:
Trauma is a fact of life. Veterans and their families deal with the painful aftermath of combat; one in five Americans has been molested; one in four grew up with alcoholics; one in three couples have engaged in physical violence. Such experiences inevitably leave traces on minds, emotions, and even on biology. Sadly, trauma sufferers frequently pass on their stress to their partners and children. Renowned trauma expert Bessel van der Kolk has spent over three decades working with survivors. In The Body Keeps the Score, he transforms our understanding of traumatic stress, revealing how it literally rearranges the brain’s wiring—specifically areas dedicated to pleasure, engagement, control, and trust. He shows how these areas can be reactivated through innovative treatments including neurofeedback, mindfulness techniques, play, yoga, and other therapies. Based on Dr. van der Kolk’s own research and that of other leading specialists, The Body Keeps the Score offers proven alternatives to drugs and talk therapy—and a way to reclaim lives.
This book discusses the long-term physical effects on the brain from trauma. It was eye opening, to say the least, in several different ways, First, how prevalent trauma is...we all have or will experience it. Second, how prevalent abuse is; in all of its varying forms. Third, how despite feeling like you have handled or dealt with your trauma it can continue to affect your health and brain. Fourth, the lack of understanding of trauma and how to treat it. It was fascinating and heart-breaking.
Van Der Kolk presents an interesting history of mental health treatment and trauma research over the years. He gives many detailed case studies on PTSD and child abuse. He discusses the subject matter in an intelligent, compassionate, and insightful way. This is a man who has dedicated his life to helping people learn to face, deal with, and overcome horrific events. He explains in great detail different modes of therapy and why some therapies are more effective than others.
I learned so much from this book. For example, how the brain is literally changed due to adverse events. The body truly does keep the score. No one comes through trauma without it making its mark on the body and its systems. Trauma can often manifest itself in the form of sickness and mental illness long after the abuse stops. Much can be attributed to excess cortisone that is continuously secreted in the brain through stress...stress from abuse or trauma that can have occurred decades ago. The mind/body connection is unbelievably powerful!!
From the book:
“We have learned that trauma is not just an event that took place sometime in the past; it is also the imprint left by that experience on mind, brain, and body. This imprint has ongoing consequences for how the human organism manages to survive in the present. Trauma results in a fundamental reorganization of the way mind and brain manage perceptions. It changes not only how we think and what we think about, but also our very capacity to think.”
“Long after a traumatic experience is over, it may be reactivated at the slightest hint of danger and mobilize disturbed brain circuits and secrete massive amounts of stress hormones."
"When the alarm bell of the emotional brain keeps signaling that you are in danger, no amount of insight will silence it.”
“After trauma the world is experienced with a different nervous system. The survivor’s energy now becomes focused on suppressing inner chaos, at the expense of spontaneous involvement in their lives. These attempts to maintain control over unbearable physiological reactions can result in a whole range of physical symptoms, including fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, and other autoimmune diseases. This explains why it is critical for trauma treatment to engage the entire organism, body, mind, and brain.”
“As the ACE study has shown, child abuse and neglect is the single most preventable cause of mental illness, the single most common cause of drug and alcohol abuse, and a significant contributor to leading causes of death such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer, stroke, and suicide.”
I found this book to be highly readable despite its extremely difficult subject matter. There are case studies that will literally break your heart. This book appealed to me on several levels. First, as a person who has experienced trauma and secondly, as a person who has a background in psychology. It was at times triggering for me and most likely will be for someone who has experienced particular types of trauma. I had to read it and then put it down and then pick it up again later. It is fairly technical and clinical at times. The book is filled with statistics and empirical research. It might be an easier read for someone with a working knowledge of the terminology. But it is still readable and relatable. Our book club really liked it despite all of the above.
It is disheartening to contemplate the lack of understanding that there is about trauma and how to treat it. It is politicized and monetized and humans are being marginalized. Van Der Kolk stated, "We discover the amazing effects of neurofeedback on trauma survivors with complex PTSD--only to then find out that in the US, very little time or research has been devoted to studying neurofeedback because it's nowhere near as profitable as prescription drugs.
"Because drugs have become so profitable, major medical journals rarely publish studies on nondrug treatments of mental health problems. Practitioners who explore treatments are typically marginalized as "alternative." Studies of nondrug treatments are rarely funded unless they involve so-called manualized protocols, where patients and therapists go through narrowly prescribed sequences that allow little fine-tuning to individual patients' needs. Mainstream medicine is firmly committed to a better life through chemistry, and the fact that we can actually change our own physiology and inner equilibrium by means other than drugs is rarely considered."
Van Der Kolk discusses many promising therapeutic treatments...such as EMDR, brain imaging, neurofeedback, yoga, movement, mindfulness training, theater, and other nonpharmacological methods. Something definitely needs to change with drug companies, politicizing healthcare, education, and the way that trauma is diagnosed and treated in our country.
My Rating: Essential reading. If you haven't experienced trauma you will or someone you love will.
7.) Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
I decided to read this children's classic. We all know the story...a girl falls down a rabbit hole and adventures ensue. I had only previously seen various movie adaptations and read children's picture book versions. I had never read the actual novel. I was hoping that I would learn something that I didn't know before. I did. I learned that I don't like this book.
From Goodreads:
After a tumble down the rabbit hole, Alice finds herself far away from home in the absurd world of Wonderland. As mind-bending as it is delightful, Lewis Carroll’s 1865 novel is pure magic for young and old alike.
Goodreads doesn't know what it's talking about! It was tedious and nonsensical. Not the magical romp through Wonderland that I expected and was hoping to experience. I didn't even like Alice. What?! This book was not for me. I'll stick with the Walt Disney movie!!
My Rating: Literary nonsense.
8.) Times Convert by Deborah Harkness
I started reading the All Souls series this year. It is super popular and I am late to the party. It has been a popular trilogy for several years and this year a new companion book came out that is in the same All Souls world. It does kind of continue the story of Matthew and Diana but it focuses on Marcus and Phoebe. I liked the character of Marcus and I had been in a TERRIBLE BOOK SLUMP so I was excited to revisit a world that I enjoy.
From Goodreads:
On the battlefields of the American Revolution, Matthew de Clermont meets Marcus MacNeil, a young surgeon from Massachusetts, during a moment of political awakening when it seems that the world is on the brink of a brighter future. When Matthew offers him a chance at immortality and a new life free from the restraints of his puritanical upbringing, Marcus seizes the opportunity to become a vampire. But his transformation is not an easy one and the ancient traditions and responsibilities of the de Clermont family clash with Marcus's deeply held beliefs in liberty, equality, and brotherhood. Fast-forward to contemporary Paris, where Phoebe Taylor—the young employee at Sotheby's whom Marcus has fallen for—is about to embark on her own journey to immortality. Though the modernized version of the process at first seems uncomplicated, the couple discovers that the challenges facing a human who wishes to be a vampire are no less formidable than they were in the eighteenth century. The shadows that Marcus believed he'd escaped centuries ago may return to haunt them both—forever.
This book did get me out of my reading slump. It was entertaining enough but not fantastic. That's how these books are for me. Some are hits and some are misses. Parts of each of the books drag...and this one was no different. The plot was weak and there was a complete lack of suspense and mystery. It was just an explanation of who Marcus is and where he came from and while interesting some parts didn't hold my attention. But I did enjoy revisiting the characters.
My Rating: Okay. If you like the All Souls books you will like this one about Marcus...even if it does drag a bit.
9.) To All The Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han
I love Bookstagram. I love following book/reading accounts on Instagram. One of my favorites is @anniebjones05. She is an indie bookstore owner in Georgia. She said that she read this YA novel and absolutely loved it! YA is not my thing but she was raving about how good it was and how much she loved the family dynamics. She can also be trusted to give solid book recommendations so I decided that I would give it a try. I also found out that there was a movie version was on Netflix...much beloved by tweens and teen girls and apparently grown women too. Ha ha!
From Goodreads:
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is the story of Lara Jean, who has never openly admitted her crushes, but instead wrote each boy a letter about how she felt, sealed it, and hid it in a box under her bed. But one day Lara Jean discovers that somehow her secret box of letters has been mailed, causing all her crushes from her past to confront her about the letters: her first kiss, the boy from summer camp, even her sister's ex-boyfriend, Josh. As she learns to deal with her past loves face to face, Lara Jean discovers that something good may come out of these letters after all.
You've seen my above book list...so you know that I have been reading some dark books with hard topics. So I was MORE THAN READY for a light fun read. Who knew that I would enjoy a trip back to high school so much?! But I sure did. I loved the character of Lara Jean. I have now finished the three part series and Lara Jean will be a much beloved character forever and don't even get me started on Peter Kavinsky. Loved him! There is just enough fun, whimsy, charm, and something slightly John Hughes-esque about this book that made this mother of four stay up far too late to finish it and INSTANTLY downloaded the next two books in the series. I also promptly watched the Netflix movie which I enjoyed but...you know what I am going to say...THE BOOK IS BETTER! Of course it is!! But the casting of Lara Jean is SPOT ON!
My Rating: LOVED IT!! Absolutely darling.
0 comments:
Post a Comment