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Review Date: 2/11/2006
Eh. In high school I really liked the first Chain Letter but I neer got into the second.
Review Date: 1/22/2006
Slow beginning; the first 100 pages made me seriously consider putting the book down and turning away. Brown's overuse of blatant foreshadowing ("Langley did not know that he would need this information three hours later to survive the night" etc.) is distracting and a terrible way to close each chapter. As the book progresses, the history and descriptions of different art works prove to be quite interesting, but the plot's rather predictable.
Review Date: 3/7/2006
Aquarium is a very poignant story that doesn't resonate quite as strongly with me as I think it would if I lived in Japan, where suicide over poor test results seems to happen much more frequently.
The other two stories in the book are "The Flying Stewardesses" and "The Heart is your Kingdom". "Stewardesses" is amusing and made me giggle; it follows a 'typical' stewardess around as she fulfills her duties for the Japanese airlines. "Heart is your Kingdom," on the other hand, is pretty shallow. A girl's been in love with a boy forever, but can't confess until he starts seeing someone else - yawn! Heard that before!
The other two stories in the book are "The Flying Stewardesses" and "The Heart is your Kingdom". "Stewardesses" is amusing and made me giggle; it follows a 'typical' stewardess around as she fulfills her duties for the Japanese airlines. "Heart is your Kingdom," on the other hand, is pretty shallow. A girl's been in love with a boy forever, but can't confess until he starts seeing someone else - yawn! Heard that before!
Review Date: 2/11/2006
It's OK - I enjoyed it in high school.
Review Date: 2/12/2006
It's everything you expect it to be and more. I love Dave Barry - I have loved him since I was very young, and I was delighted to read this book.
Review Date: 2/11/2006
Helpful Score: 4
I really liked the twists this story take; it held my attention much better than the average Stine book.
Review Date: 3/5/2006
Helpful Score: 2
Oh gosh.
I'm not Bridget Jones yet, but then I'm only twenty-one. That said, I have no doubt that I will be her in five years or less. She's funny but she isn't quite witty, she longs for fun but can never get things to work as she planned (dinner party disasters? I am SO there!) and fat. Oh, the fat. I obsess about it as much as she does; luckily my wobbly bits haven't had a chance to balloon out of control but I put so little effort into maintenance but I'm certain that I will soon aggressively calorie count, measure body parts, and worry over my lack of exercise while consuming cream puffs.
Thank goodness my mother hasn't lost all her marbles for a Portuguese sex god.
Yet.
The book's funny and realistic; I am v. tempted to begin keeping of diary again. I didn't expect it to be so fun, really - I just wanted to check it out because the movie was so popular. But it was really, really enjoyable, a great explorationn of the neurotic thirtysomething. Gotta say, Bridget's a lot more fun than Carrie Bradshaw.
I'm not Bridget Jones yet, but then I'm only twenty-one. That said, I have no doubt that I will be her in five years or less. She's funny but she isn't quite witty, she longs for fun but can never get things to work as she planned (dinner party disasters? I am SO there!) and fat. Oh, the fat. I obsess about it as much as she does; luckily my wobbly bits haven't had a chance to balloon out of control but I put so little effort into maintenance but I'm certain that I will soon aggressively calorie count, measure body parts, and worry over my lack of exercise while consuming cream puffs.
Thank goodness my mother hasn't lost all her marbles for a Portuguese sex god.
Yet.
The book's funny and realistic; I am v. tempted to begin keeping of diary again. I didn't expect it to be so fun, really - I just wanted to check it out because the movie was so popular. But it was really, really enjoyable, a great explorationn of the neurotic thirtysomething. Gotta say, Bridget's a lot more fun than Carrie Bradshaw.
Review Date: 2/11/2006
I didn't much care for this one, but it should appeal to anyone who regularly enjoys the Fear Street series.
Review Date: 3/7/2006
This was a very mediocre manga. There's nothing wrong with it - but it's just following a shoujo formula so completely that it's almost a waste of time to read it, because you can predict every plot 'twist' before you open the book's covers.
The art wasn't great- it was cute, but it didn't really match the story and it was very plain - not at all distinctive.
The art wasn't great- it was cute, but it didn't really match the story and it was very plain - not at all distinctive.
Review Date: 1/21/2006
Interesting book. It's divided into three parts; each taking place many centuries apart from the others. I enjoyed the first third, and found the second third interesting, but the last third of the book did little for me. Very interesting glance into a possible future for the world.
Review Date: 1/21/2006
Review/Synopsis from Amazon.com customer David G. Phillips:
The Greek mythology interspersed throughout this book is a small but seemingly important factor. The protagonist, Caldwell/Chiron is a teacher of high school students in 1940s East Coast. Caldwell is an obsequious and self-hating man that feels totally inadequate in life - however, he is a goodhearted man that means well. Caldwell, like the famous centaur, Chiron, is a noble teacher that lacks the command and respect that a good person deserves. The book starts with Caldwell being shot in the foot with an arrow that one of his students shot into his foot (the same way in which Chiron is killed in Greek mythology.) Caldwell and his son Peter/Prometheus are connected for a three-day period after car trouble and a blizzard. The book is mostly narrated from Peter's viewpoint, and you sense the boy/students frustration with his father/teacher and his lack of self-esteem.
Peter dotes over his father during this bonding period, as his father prepares for death and his lack of will to live. Symbolically I believe that the father figure is immortal in a son's eyes, and just as Chiron prepares for death as an immortal, the father figure must also prepare for a type of death when the son comes of age as a young adult. The story slowly evolves to being a modern day metaphor of the Chiron legend.
I wish I knew more about Greek mythology to truly appreciate this book. Even though my amateurish knowledge limited my understanding of the symbolism, I still truly enjoyed the book and Updike's incredible ability to write. I recommend the book and also recommend having a basic understanding of the Chiron legend to really appreciate the book.
--
I really, really enjoyed this novel. Updike has got such a poetic writing style - I didn't anticipate it being a memorable book while I read it, but now I'll walk around and ask a question and immediately think to myself, "That's the sort of thing George Caldwell would say." The book just gets inside you and takes root, touching you near without even letting you realize it.
The Greek mythology interspersed throughout this book is a small but seemingly important factor. The protagonist, Caldwell/Chiron is a teacher of high school students in 1940s East Coast. Caldwell is an obsequious and self-hating man that feels totally inadequate in life - however, he is a goodhearted man that means well. Caldwell, like the famous centaur, Chiron, is a noble teacher that lacks the command and respect that a good person deserves. The book starts with Caldwell being shot in the foot with an arrow that one of his students shot into his foot (the same way in which Chiron is killed in Greek mythology.) Caldwell and his son Peter/Prometheus are connected for a three-day period after car trouble and a blizzard. The book is mostly narrated from Peter's viewpoint, and you sense the boy/students frustration with his father/teacher and his lack of self-esteem.
Peter dotes over his father during this bonding period, as his father prepares for death and his lack of will to live. Symbolically I believe that the father figure is immortal in a son's eyes, and just as Chiron prepares for death as an immortal, the father figure must also prepare for a type of death when the son comes of age as a young adult. The story slowly evolves to being a modern day metaphor of the Chiron legend.
I wish I knew more about Greek mythology to truly appreciate this book. Even though my amateurish knowledge limited my understanding of the symbolism, I still truly enjoyed the book and Updike's incredible ability to write. I recommend the book and also recommend having a basic understanding of the Chiron legend to really appreciate the book.
--
I really, really enjoyed this novel. Updike has got such a poetic writing style - I didn't anticipate it being a memorable book while I read it, but now I'll walk around and ask a question and immediately think to myself, "That's the sort of thing George Caldwell would say." The book just gets inside you and takes root, touching you near without even letting you realize it.
Review Date: 2/11/2006
Pretty good - I really liked this in high school.
Review Date: 1/21/2006
Helpful Score: 2
If you like the King of Humor Columns, this is a collection of his columns from the late nineties/early 2000's. (What are we calling that anyway?) Enjoy!
I hadn't realized I'd been reading Mr. Barry for so long, but I read most of the columns in this book when they originally ran in the newspaper. Most of 'em are still great, although some of the jokes haven't aged well. Enjoyable regardless :)
I hadn't realized I'd been reading Mr. Barry for so long, but I read most of the columns in this book when they originally ran in the newspaper. Most of 'em are still great, although some of the jokes haven't aged well. Enjoyable regardless :)
Deal with It! A Whole New Approach to Your Body, Brain, and Life as a Gurl
Author:
Book Type: Paperback
12
Author:
Book Type: Paperback
12
Review Date: 2/7/2006
Helpful Score: 2
My father got me this book when I was around 14-15 after it was revealed that I was going to be a difficult teenager. It's a very useful book for girls going through the angst of puberty - there's a slew of information on all sorts of things. It covers a wide variety of topics thoroughly and graphically - I highly recommend it to teenagers everywhere.
Review Date: 6/11/2006
Well, I did like this book better than Angels & Demons, but that isn't saying much. Brown has a definite formula that he follows, making his books extremely formulaic and predictable. I knew who the controller was before the book was half over.
The writing is also of a poor quality. "He was muscular and lithe with eyes as desolate as the topography on which he was stationed." What kind of simile is that? The topography? Brown's frequent reliance on sentences such as "Geologist Charles Brophy had endured the saveage splendor of this terrain for years, and yet nothing could prepare him for a fate as barbarous and unnatural as the one about to befall him." Gee, nothing kills the suspense faster than knowing the guy's fate as he's being introduced!
The story has interesting potential, and the technologies presented are most intriguing although I am highly skeptical of Brown's claims that All technologies described in this novel exist. A massive government deception such as this would not be at all surprising, however.
The writing is also of a poor quality. "He was muscular and lithe with eyes as desolate as the topography on which he was stationed." What kind of simile is that? The topography? Brown's frequent reliance on sentences such as "Geologist Charles Brophy had endured the saveage splendor of this terrain for years, and yet nothing could prepare him for a fate as barbarous and unnatural as the one about to befall him." Gee, nothing kills the suspense faster than knowing the guy's fate as he's being introduced!
The story has interesting potential, and the technologies presented are most intriguing although I am highly skeptical of Brown's claims that All technologies described in this novel exist. A massive government deception such as this would not be at all surprising, however.
Review Date: 3/23/2006
Helpful Score: 10
This is beautifully illustrated - and that's about it. There is very little going for this book otherwise.
With character designs supposedly by Ai Yazawa, one of my favorite manga artists, I had high hopes for the series. But then, it is written - or at least greatly suggested - by Courtney Love, and I'm not sure that I've ever believed she had great creative abilities. But as I'm sure that the majority of the work was done by Misaho Kujiradou, I'm trying to ignore Love's involvement.
But.
What we have here could easily be how Love views her musical career through a drug addicted haze. I suppose that's a horrible thing to say, but it's true. This character seems to come across as Courtney Love, the alter-ego. She has similar dress styles and even physically resembles her.
The storyline itself is rather bland, and can be read in another review. The character just wasn't captivating enough for me, so while the manga is beautifully drawn, the story itself falls flat.
With character designs supposedly by Ai Yazawa, one of my favorite manga artists, I had high hopes for the series. But then, it is written - or at least greatly suggested - by Courtney Love, and I'm not sure that I've ever believed she had great creative abilities. But as I'm sure that the majority of the work was done by Misaho Kujiradou, I'm trying to ignore Love's involvement.
But.
What we have here could easily be how Love views her musical career through a drug addicted haze. I suppose that's a horrible thing to say, but it's true. This character seems to come across as Courtney Love, the alter-ego. She has similar dress styles and even physically resembles her.
The storyline itself is rather bland, and can be read in another review. The character just wasn't captivating enough for me, so while the manga is beautifully drawn, the story itself falls flat.
Review Date: 2/11/2006
I liked this book well enough; it's entertaining and certainly quite interesting.
Review Date: 1/21/2006
A revised and updated text that is self-contained and accessible to a wide range of students, some of whom may never have taken an economics course. It presents a variety of modern issues to which economic analysis can be applied, organized into seven parts: the foundations of economic analysis; supply and demand; market structures; social issues; externalities and the environment; political economy; and the international scene.
Review Date: 4/25/2006
Helpful Score: 1
Louisa May Alcott certainly has her writing style down pat. Each chapter is its own story, and can be read in nearly any order, as they are quite episodic. It's very moralistic - and everyone is so earnest to be so kind and so good and absolutely so unselfish. It honestly makes the story a bit difficult to take at times because of Alcott's lecturing on proper behavior and, to an extent, the 'proper' way to raise children. She's very against the trappings of the 19th century - Uncle Alec rails against corsets, and raising 'little ladies' to flutter about society as delicate butterflies, in preference to running wild, and - to tie it into Little Women - the importance of transforming Megs and Amys into Jos.
I guess we know what sort of girl Alcott was.
I guess we know what sort of girl Alcott was.
Review Date: 2/11/2006
Remember reading Sweet Valley High books as a kid? This is the quick-hit version, with excerpts from the books #55-#70. Formatted in the style of a diary, you get all the plot and important bits from the books without having to actually hunt each one down and read them. (I mean, it's teen fluff. You miss very little with these abridged versions.)
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