October 3, 2014

September Books (a post on failure)

This month was not good on the book front.  With school and everything, I haven't had a lot of time to read.  I did read Because of Winn-Dixie for the 3rd time…I always start with that as a read-aloud book for 4th grade, even though I kind of hate it.  I've moved onto The Headless Ghost by R.L. Stine.  They always love that one.  Next is Hide and Shriek by R.L. Stine (I like to start off with suspenseful books to hook them) and then Bunnicula by James Howe.  My favorite.  
However, adult fiction and nonfiction is slim pickings these days…



In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan B+
This was interesting.  A good nonfiction book.  Our country really has fallen apart in the sense of convenience food and this does a nice job of explaining what's happening in the food industry and how we respond to it.  If you're a fan of the Food, Inc. and Forks Over Knives types of things, go for it.

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarity A++
This book is so freaking fantastic.  Please read it.
I try not to jump on trends when it comes to books.  For instance, I still haven't read Gone Girl.
However, I'd been seeing this book everywhere and hearing about it from a number of bloggers.  I downloaded it on Audible when my September credit rolled around before I even knew what it was about.  So I started listening and it was pretty enjoyable.  I like that it took place in Australia. It adds a little something interesting to the story, in my opinion.  Also, I'm fascinated by the fact that the seasons are reversed in the southern hemisphere.  That alone kept me amused.
Anyway, fascinating story.  I love that she doesn't give you all the information at once and it keeps you guessing about what happened.  It's about an elementary school and the intertwined relationships of the parents in the beachside community.  You know, in case you don't know what it's about because I had no idea what I was listening to at first there.
This is a book that needs to be made into a movie.  As soon as possible. I'm picturing Jamie King as Celeste.
In my defense, this was like 17 hours of listening time.  I didn't have time to fit in much else in the audiobook department.


In Fifty Years We'll All Be Chicks by Adam Carolla B+
This book was hilarious.  That's all I have to say about it.  I mean, if you feel like you are a disenfranchised individual who pays too much in taxes and gravitate toward the right, you'll probably get a kick out of it.  I was laughing so hard I was crying.  A sample…
On t.v. shows…You see, at ten in the morning all the smart people are at work, and that leaves The View's audience.
On trying to make it to the airport on time…I drove there like an old man drives through a farmers' market, ignoring all laws of man, nature, and God.
On a tow truck driver who was towing his car even though Adam himself was standing there handing the driver cash…This never would have happened in the past or today in New Jersey.
I really liked his stand on taxes (the more you pay, the more votes you should get in our democracy) and free school lunches (children don't need a hot meal each day if it's full of processed food…they'd be better off with a PB&J).
A lot of it, I can't post here, because I attempt to keep things family-friendly.  I'll just recommend that you give it a read if you want to breeze through a funny book.
You might think, "Oh, he's just a loudmouth.." and I kinda thought that when I first started reading but he actually grew up poor and as a product of the welfare system, so I think that entitles him to his opinions.

We are 9 full months into 2014 and I've read 40 books.
I have 3 months left and 10 more to get to 50.  I don't know if I see this happening…

4 comments:

  1. I felt the same about Big Little Lies.

    Sometimes I also resist the Big Books of the Moment. I typically let a while pass. I was on the Gone Girl train early because I am a big Gillian Flynn fan and had read her two previous books.

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  2. I haven't heard of Big Little Lies...I guess I'm out of the book loop, haha. I haven't read Gone Girl yet, either. I hear mixed reviews on that one so I'm not sure if I want to read it or not.

    That book by Adam Carolla sounds hysterical, though! I'm always up for a quick comedic read.

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  3. I feel like I've heard of Big Little Lies but then I feel like I haven't. But if you and Steph are both praising it, maybe it's worth checking out.

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  4. As always, love your book reviews, we seem to like the same stuff. So I'll add a couple of these!! (Once I finish Landline anyway)

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