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Chris Hooker (419 KP) rated The World Outside in Books
Jan 12, 2018
Growing up in NJ during the 1980's and 90's I recall hearing the news about the incident in Crown Heights. I have some experience with Lubavitch in a community that I worked security in which was a mix with blacks. There was quite some conflict. It was a class of cultures.
[The World Outside] by [Eva Wiseman] was simply written but at times seemed to be like an after school special plot. It seems to be written for a specific community who can not read it. I would have liked to see more about the external conflict mixed with the internal conflict. Given the setting I feel this should have played a bigger role and given those not familiar with the history more background.
[The World Outside] by [Eva Wiseman] was simply written but at times seemed to be like an after school special plot. It seems to be written for a specific community who can not read it. I would have liked to see more about the external conflict mixed with the internal conflict. Given the setting I feel this should have played a bigger role and given those not familiar with the history more background.
Chris Hooker (419 KP) rated What We Left Behind in Books
Jan 12, 2018
The premise behind this book is a sweet high school romance that is tested when they leave for college. The twist come when T meets other genderqueer people and begins to question who she really is. This is all completely normal I was just not impressed with the way the book dealt with it. Too many stereo types. Also I felt that the people around T were pushing for a decision that T was not ready for. Experimenting is part of life but no one should be pushed one way by peers. It is a journey only that person can take. Also, all the labels! We are all just human. I enjoyed this book but it frustrated the heck out of me at the same time.
Alison Pink (7 KP) rated Above in Books
Jan 15, 2018
This is a book quite unlike any book I've read before. In was sucked in from the very first words and I wasn't let go until the very end.
This book tells the story of Blythe who lives in present day Kansas. She is taken by her high school librarian & forced to live underground in an abandoned & repurposed missile silo. Her captor, Dobbs, is a survivalist... he is convinced that a nuclear meltdown is eminent. He intends to repopulate the earth with Blythe.
The book details her life below. The story is well written & honestly quite easy to believe. It seems like it could have been ripped right from the headlines as scary as that seems. Check it out...I don't think you will be disappointed!
This book tells the story of Blythe who lives in present day Kansas. She is taken by her high school librarian & forced to live underground in an abandoned & repurposed missile silo. Her captor, Dobbs, is a survivalist... he is convinced that a nuclear meltdown is eminent. He intends to repopulate the earth with Blythe.
The book details her life below. The story is well written & honestly quite easy to believe. It seems like it could have been ripped right from the headlines as scary as that seems. Check it out...I don't think you will be disappointed!
Alison Pink (7 KP) rated Nightmares! (Nightmares!, #1) in Books
Jan 15, 2018
I wasn't quite sure what to expect with this book. Being a teacher i saw it splashed throughout our book fair & I. The Scholastic book orders so I decided to give it a try. It is definitely aimed at a late elementary early middle school set. It started off a bit slow in my opinion, but the last half hooked me & I flew through it. It tells the story of Charlie & his "stepmonster" who of course, turns out to be not nearly as witchy as he thought. It has great themes for a preteen audience & the story flows nicely. It's supposed to be the first in a series but it ended satisfyingly so we will see. I'd keep reading the, though.
Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated Educated in Books
Apr 5, 2018
Harrowing and inspiring
It seems almost impossible that Tara Westover is an academician from both Harvard and Cambridge given that she had never been to school. Her story is important, revealing how women are treated and subjugated in fundamentalist societies.
Brought up in a survivalist, Mormon family, Westover speaks about a poverty-stricken, difficult childhood where education is seen as secondary and violence is rife. Her relationship with her abusive brother is horrifying, And moreso is her family's acceptance of his behaviour. So gaining scholarships to top universities in the world despite having had no clue about the Holocaust, the civil rights movement, and Napoleon, is no mean feat.
While parts are repetitive, it is engaging and harrowing to hear her inspiring story.
Brought up in a survivalist, Mormon family, Westover speaks about a poverty-stricken, difficult childhood where education is seen as secondary and violence is rife. Her relationship with her abusive brother is horrifying, And moreso is her family's acceptance of his behaviour. So gaining scholarships to top universities in the world despite having had no clue about the Holocaust, the civil rights movement, and Napoleon, is no mean feat.
While parts are repetitive, it is engaging and harrowing to hear her inspiring story.
How do a group of students survive after being trapped in their high school after a huge blizzard that never seems to let up? The story line and characters of the book seemed to react appropriately to the situation at hand with different cliques and personalities. I only had a few issues with how they would react like having your teacher go out in the snow storm and he never returns but nobody seems to be very concerned that he's probably dead? I think the girl's especially would be freaking out about this. Other than that and what seemed to be a slightly rushed ending this is a great book for young adults giving them a mix of suspense and survival.
Mark Halpern (153 KP) rated Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1 (2010) in Movies
Jan 19, 2018
A beginning to an end
The second to last Harry Potter book. We find Harry right after the Death of Dumbledore all distraught along with Hermione and Ron. They take it upon themselves to search for Horocruxtes which a the way Voldemort has made sure his life will live on and destroy them. They leave Hogwarts to begin their journey to only find out it will be much harder than originally believed now that Snape is in charge of the school and has everyone on the look out for enemy number 1.
The first half of this two parter shows us the acts they need to find all of the Horocuthcxtes and leading up to the finale of the battle between good and evil.
The first half of this two parter shows us the acts they need to find all of the Horocuthcxtes and leading up to the finale of the battle between good and evil.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2346 KP) rated Murder Past Due (Cat in the Stacks, #1) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
When Charlie's high school rival, successful novelist Godfrey Priest, comes to down, Charlie isn't too thrilled. Godfrey was always an ego driven jerk, and time and success hasn't changed any of that. But when Godfrey is killed and Charlie finds the body, he starts poking around trying to figure out who did it.
This series debut had lots of twists to the plot, even in the first 100 pages. The characters were real and fresh right out of the gate as well. I truly felt for them. I can't wait to visit them with the next book in the series.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2014/02/book-review-murder-past-due-by-miranda.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
This series debut had lots of twists to the plot, even in the first 100 pages. The characters were real and fresh right out of the gate as well. I truly felt for them. I can't wait to visit them with the next book in the series.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2014/02/book-review-murder-past-due-by-miranda.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2346 KP) rated I Even Funnier (I Funny, #2) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
As Jamie Grimm prepares for the regionals in the Planet's Funniest Kid Contest, he must continue to deal with typical middle school problems like figuring out girls and relationships, his friend's problems, and tutoring his cousin who also happens to be the class bully.
I enjoyed this book more than the first in the series, possibly because I saw the more slice of life nature of the book. Some stories start and end early while others for running threads that last longer. Holding it all together is the comic contest. The fun illustrations help make this book a very fast read.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2014/03/book-review-i-even-funnier-by-james.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
I enjoyed this book more than the first in the series, possibly because I saw the more slice of life nature of the book. Some stories start and end early while others for running threads that last longer. Holding it all together is the comic contest. The fun illustrations help make this book a very fast read.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2014/03/book-review-i-even-funnier-by-james.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated The Signalman in Books
Mar 15, 2018
I've never read a Dicken's novel before, I always felt like I would come out of them dumbfounded... his writing seems too intellectual and educational for my little brain. But, this is just a ghost story, so it was easy enough to get on with!
Yes, I enjoyed this, but it wasn't my favourite short story. A classic old school ghost story, but it could have been so much creepier than it was, so that let me down. There is a slight pang of shock at the tail end of this short, but it's nothing to write home about.
What's most interesting, to me, about this book, is the fact that it's been pulled out of a personal tragedy of Dicken's.
Yes, I enjoyed this, but it wasn't my favourite short story. A classic old school ghost story, but it could have been so much creepier than it was, so that let me down. There is a slight pang of shock at the tail end of this short, but it's nothing to write home about.
What's most interesting, to me, about this book, is the fact that it's been pulled out of a personal tragedy of Dicken's.