The Harry Potter Series

Well, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1 came out in the theaters a few weeks ago and we went to see it opening weekend.  As is my tradition, I re-read all the books before seeing the movie.  And I did it in less than 2 weeks.  And then I got a migraine.  Oops. 

Every time I re-read this series, I discover new foreshadowing (intentional or not) and a new love for the characters.  I love seeing how the characters grow into their rolls.  I love the way the stories are told.  I still have to make a conscious effort to read every single word instead of skimming through the parts I know like the back of my hand.

I haven't decided if I'm going to re-read the entire series again in 6 months when Part 2 arrives in theaters or if I'll just re-read the 7th book.  Seems like I should give myself more than 2 weeks to read them all if I decide to do that.

The Bridges of Madison County

The Bridges of Madison County is not really about bridges or Madison County.  It is the story of two people who have a chance encounter that changes their lives.  It is a moving, emotional, romantic story that is told in a kind of matter-of-fact sort of way that made me think it must have been true.  The story is presented as a true one, and that only helps to lend to the validity of the story.  Whether the exact events transpired, the truth of a true love that is passionate, strong, enduring and serious is there.

Definitely a 5 tissue box book.  Highly recommend it.

Till We Have Faces

I really should have written this right after I finished the book when it was fresh in my mind!  I was excited to read something by C.S. Lewis other than the Chronicles of Narnia.  I knew that it wasn't going to be Narnia, however, I didn't realize how different it would be.  Lewis' writing takes on the voice of the main character who is writing down the story of her life.  The ancient and somewhat primitive culture that is created reminded me of bits and pieces of Narnia, but without the magic. 

The magic doesn't exist because the story is being written from the point of view of someone who has always lived in this world and knows nothing else.  The interesting thing is that the "magic" in Till We Have Faces is that of Gods.  The main character struggles with believing in the Gods of her culture, and in the end is forced to come to a resolute decision about their existence. 

About 3/4 of the way through this book I started to lose interest in the story, but I powered through and really enjoyed the ending.  I think the story does start to lag a bit, but the full impact of the final chapters makes up for it.

Sex and the City

Sex and the City was a fun read, but having seen the show and the first movie definitely colored my reading experience.  The characters of the show were derived from this book (and before that, the New York Observer columns), however are drastically different in some cases.  That element really kept pulling me out of the stories when I would be picturing the actor that portrayed a certain character and then they would be described very differently or doing something that would be "out of character" for the TV version of the story.

That being said, I do think that the TV series and this collection of essays have a continuity of tone and subject matter.  It was fun to see a much darker Carrie Bradshaw (drugs being more of the scene than shown in the show), but it also just made me want to watch the show more.  I don't want to say that the TV show has wrecked this book, but it certainly evolved from the book and brought everything to a different level.

The Shack

I have been trying to figure out what to write about The Shack since I finished reading it over 2 weeks ago. 

I don't want to spoil it for anyone who hasn't read it - and really, you should.
But, I also feel like I have so many thoughts about the book buzzing around in my head that I'm not sure where to begin or what to say at all.

The Shack starts out as a mystery novel... and then it takes a turn into... something else.  A something else that is totally worth the ride.  Not to the religious, but to the spiritual.  While there are definitely some Christian overtones, I think there is something different to take away from this book for everyone who reads it. 

I am definitely adding this one to my permanent collection and I will come back to it again.  Highly recommended, 4/5 stars.

If Only That Horse Were A Member Of My Church

If Only That Horse Were a Member of My Church is a book of short stories, jokes, inspirations, and quotes compiled by Charles W. Byrd.  I really enjoyed having this book to pick up when I just had a little bit of time to read each day.  Each story has it's own qualities to bring to the table (touching, hilarious, ironic, blessed, thought-provoking, etc) and they are arranged in a way so that each story is not overwhelmed by the ones around it.  This book only comes in at around 100 pages, but it certainly left me with a lot to think about! 

I also realize about half way through reading my copy that it is signed by the author!  This is my third autographed book find.  Neat-o!

The Secret Life of Bees

I had meant to read The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd BEFORE seeing the movie, but it did not happen that way.  I think I saw the movie on TV or netflix over a year or more ago.  Reading the book helped me to have an even greater appreciation for the film.  The film captured the feeling and atmosphere of the book very well.  I do not specifically remember if the film was true to the book in details, but it was definitely true to the book in heart. 

I also really liked the way that the book tied in facts about bees with every chapter.  The bees of the story were another character that reacted to the events going on in the lives of the Boatwrights, Lily, Rosaleen and the whole of South Carolina as momentous changes are going on in the US as a result of the Civil Rights Act.  I guess that kind of makes this a semi-historical piece with the way the characters are affected by the goings on in the country.  I highly enjoyed this book, but I do wish that I had not watched the movie first as I would have liked to generate my own images of the characters instead of remembering the actors from the movie.

Johnny Tremain

I remember Johnny Tremain by Ester Forbes being talked about in school, but I know that I never read it.  Sometimes our teacher would have us pick one of three books and then we would study that book in groups.  I think Johnny Tremain was one of the books that I didn't not have a chance to choose.  It was only rather recently in my reading career that I became interested in historical fiction, though.

The story of Johnny Tremain is definitely one of historical fiction.  Forbes makes Boston of the late 1700's come alive on the page.  This book definitely made me check the dictionary a few times as it tends towards language of the day. I also ended up doing some research about the Revolutionary War to help me remember why the historical characters were so important.  It was great to have Johnny brushing elbows with Paul Revere himself!

The Lost Symbol

The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown is 509 pages long and I read it in 4 days flat.  Just like Angles and Demons and The Da Vinci Code, The Lost Symbol is definitely a page-turner.  The book focuses on the US this time (Washington, D.C.) which I found to be an intriguing element as his other Robert Langdon books have been set in Europe.  Because the book focuses on the emerging field of Noetic sciences as well as Freemasonery - two things I know nothing about - I found myself sitting in front of the computer poised to do a little research every once in a while as I read.  However, I really don't think it is necessary to do so.  The information provided in the book is plenty to go on as you follow the story - just try not to rip the pages as you turn them quickly!

If Chins Could Kill: Confessions of a B Movie Actor

Mike got If Chins Could Kill: Confessions of a B Movie Actor by Bruce Campbell for Christmas a while back from his sister.  He insisted that it was  "coffee table book" and that he would just look through at the pictures, but he wasn't planning on reading it.  It has been floating around in the living room ever since.

Let me tell you right now: READ THIS BOOK!  Bruce Campbell is definitely a B Movie actor (Army of Darkness and Evil Dead II certainly fall into the B Movie category), but he does an excellent job pulling you into the world of movie making where profits are not the first order of business.  With in depth descriptions of how to raise funds (and how not to raise funds) as well as descriptions of rigged devices they used to "get the shot" this book kept my attention.  He has a great way of telling a specific story about a person that makes you realize that he pays attention to everyone - not just his friends in the business. 

I'd love to see Bruce write another book now that he has more TV work under his belt with Burn Notice!

'Tis by Frank McCourt

I ended up borrowing 'Tis from my aunt, so I was able to go from reading Angela's Ashes straight into 'Tis.  The two books flowed extremely well into each other, but 'Tis also does well as a stand-alone book.  McCourt provides background information flawlessly without boring someone who has read Angela's Ashes. As with Angela's Ashes, the narrative of this book is smattered with dialects, euphemisms, the English of the day as well as the incorrect English of the day.  This approach really draws you in and immerses you in the world that Frank McCourt was faced with during his life.  The dialects come and go as does the slang used by his students indicating the passing of time.  In contrast with Angela's Ashes, most of this book takes place in New York City.  The City becomes a character in the story as it tends to when any story is set there.  The City influences people unlike any other and McCourt does a good job of allowing this to show through without pointing it out.  As I read 'Tis, I found myself drawn to find out more about the passing references to Stuyvesant High School, the schedule of the Staten Island Ferry and other "characters" of the story - thankfully I had Wikipedia to rescue me! 

Another 5/5 stars!

Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt

I really enjoyed Angela's Ashes - McCourt's writing style is easy to follow and really leads you into the streets of Limerick.  He skips through time and focuses on the stories that changed him and molded him and affected him the most.  It is interesting to see the most innocent (or not) small moments that end up meaning the world to little Frankie.  I also enjoyed the way that McCourt set the stage by referencing WWII events indirectly and letting the reader draw their own conclusions.  WWII is certainly not the main focus of the book, but it is something that affected everyone in the world and you can feel through the writing how it affected Frank and his family.  Definitely a well written piece that is also interesting and holds your attention.  Not very many critically acclaimed "instant classics" are also on the New York Times Best Seller list as long as this one was.  It definitely says something for the book.

5/5 stars - a must read.