Member Profile
| Name : | Marguarite M. |
| Gender : | Female |
| Occupation : | Associate Librarian, Youth Services |
My Reviews
Separate chapters summarize the major issues facing Americans during the Bush Administration and how Bush came to make his decisions. Everything from stem cell research, to the wars in the Middle East, to the financial crisis still impacting the nation today is covered. Some areas are given a considerably larger amount of focus than others. It is George Bush’s view on his life, his presidency, and the world. He admits fault for mistakes (such as the slow response to Katrina) and accepts responsibility. It is candid and blunt. The reader is invited into talks at Camp David, Oval Office discussions, personal moments at the Governor’s Mansion in Texas, and emotional outbursts aboard Air Force One. In sum, an interesting and well-written read for any person regardless of their personal feelings towards the former president.
People of all political parties should read the book. It is a great insight into the presidency as Bush sees it. Regardless of whether or not you like the former president, it is a great account of the daily operations of the Oval Office and how difficult it is to be analyzed for every little thing you do. Essentially, a president is not going to make everyone happy. That comes with freedom of choice. People are allowed to have their own opinions and express them in a constructive way. After reading the book, the reader will come away with a greater appreciation of the daily trials and tribulations a president faces. If nothing else, it will give the reader a deeper understanding of the issues facing the presidency during the Bush administration. Could he have made better decisions? Probably. Could he have made worse decisions? Definitely. Overall, I think a person will come away with more respect for the difficult decisions any president has to make.
Told from the point of view of 15 yr old Bee, this epistolary novel grabs your attention at the beginning and holds you until the end. Through a series of documents, Bee relates the unusual behavior of her mother which ultimately ends up resulting in her mother's disappearance.
This novel is chock-full of emotions. Anger, affection, humor, sadness...it has it all. The characters are well drawn and easy to connect with and it's just believable enough to feel like you might know these people...yet still crazy enough to keep it from being a boring family story. At times it was an "edge of your seat, gotta-know-what-happens next" mystery. At times it was a "I should re-read that paragraph because I can't believe Bernadette just said that" kind of of story. A comedy of errors with a touch of tenderness. Loved it!
This exquisitely written tale chronicles the lives of a family in Afghanistan from the early 1900s through the present. Hosseini is an excellent storyteller. I loved reading a novel about a family with a different culture from my own. In so many ways, our cultures are what set us apart from one another. It can keep us from realizing we're all the same on the inside. This novel breaks down the cultural barrier and shows us that regardless of culture, we are all human, we all love, we all hurt. Loved this book and look forward to reading the author's previous novels.
I didn't care for it because it wasn't enough of an escape from daily life. BUT - the other women in my book club liked it.
A fascinating book about friendship...with a little bit of history thrown in. I can't say much without spoiling it. Everyone should read this little gem of a novel!
Esquivel uses food and rich language to tell the love stories of the women in the de la Garza family. Each of the chapters begins with a Mexican recipe that ties into the theme of the chapter. It takes place near the Mexican-US border, during the Mexican Revolution (1910-1920)on a ranch owned by Mama Elena (the cruel mother of the three de la Garza girls). The novel is divided into 12 chapters and each represents a month in the lives of these women. The pacing is very fast. While it seems, based on the 12 months, that the novel would take place over a year, the women and their children age much more rapidly than that. It is reminiscent of a magical fairy tale. The novel is full of passion, humor, anger, love, and tradition and these emotions drive the story. I enjoyed this immensely. Give to adults who still enjoy a good fairy tale and to fans of foodie books. If you read John Saturnall\\\'s Feast and enjoyed it, this is a MUST read for you!
Sookie, if I met you in real life, here's what I would be thinking: You're 60 years old and still whine about what a boring person you are and about having never done anything with your life. You put yourself down every chance you get just to hear others say how wonderful you are. And, to top it off, you basically spend 80% of the book blaming your mother. Stop complaining and do something...it shouldn't have taken you 290 pages to decide to go see your birth mother. Your indecisiveness drove me batty and I just wanted to smack you every time the smallest amount of stress caused a panic attack and fainting. You are annoying and whiny...your life is what you make it...sometimes you're thrown a curve ball...suck it up and deal.
Lenore...dear, dear Lenore. Why on earth do you think you're so special? I cannot stand characters who act like the world revolves around them and no other person's thoughts/feelings matter. In addition to thinking she's the greatest thing since sliced bread, she's a bitch that everyone just thinks is great. Sure, they admit she's difficult but "ha ha" lets laugh and just dismiss how horribly she treats people because she's old and beautiful and set in her ways. No Lenore, there is no excuse for your behavior.
Fritzi...I kind of liked you until the end when you decided to be a liar. Wow...all through the book I liked you and then you turn around and lie to Sookie about how her mother died. Seriously? You were the one character I liked...until that moment. I absolutely hate it when people lie because THEY THINK it's in your best interest. No, it's not...man up and tell your niece the damn truth about what happened to her mother. Or hell, why did you bother to tell her at all?
I did not find this book to be humorous in any way. I thought the author added in way too many side stories that I didn't care about...the bluejays, the murder of Sopie, Carter being gay, the psychiatrist having a crush on her...just plain stupid and unnecessary.
All that being said...I bet this is the type of book that I would enjoy on the big screen, just not reading the story.
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