![]() ,This is another book that is being made into a movie. My friend gave it to me for my birthday so we could read it and preview it for a potential book read with my group of friends. If I am being fair, I do not have strong feelings either way on this book. It wasn't awful, but I didn't love it. It felt very much like a book I have read before, but I couldn't place what book. It is supposed to be thrilling and suspenseful, but I just wasn't really drawn into the story. I am not sure why exactly. It gets very favorable ratings, so apparently there are lots of people who love the book. It was well-written; but I just never really felt engaged with the characters. The storyline is solid. There are some suspense and psychological thriller pieces to the story, but I just wasn't wowed. There was not moment where I gasped while reading. I am not sure my thoughts on reading as a group and seeing the movie. It is quite dark in places, and I am not sure how that will translate to the screen. If you like suspense and thrillers, give it a read. Maybe it will draw you in, but it gets an eh for me overall.
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![]() A group of my friends and I have started reading books before they are made into movies and then going to see the movies together. We chose The Nightingale for our next read since the movie will be released this January. I have read the book previously and loved it, so I decided to listen to the audiobook this time so I could remind myself of the storyline while I get work and things done around the house. I am not usually an audiobook fan; I much prefer to read it myself, and when I first started with the audiobook, I almost gave up. But, I continued and I ended up actually enjoying it. The book is set during WWII ain France, and many of the names and some of the words used within the writing are French. The audiobook reader did an excellent job pronouncing these terms so I could hear them said correctly instead of how I thought they would be pronounced. If you haven't read The Nightingale, you need to. It is a beautiful story with well-developed characters and is well-written. I hope the movie does it justice! ![]() This is a tough one for me. I really thought I was going to love this book based on the reviews and the summary I read, but I just could not get engaged with it. I enjoyed A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles, but for some reason I could not connect with the characters in this story, or really, the storyline. When I think back to the actual plot of the book, I liked it. I liked the overall premise; It just seemed to drag on and I felt like I was pushing myself to finish the book instead of actually enjoying it or wanting to read it. I don't know specifically what it is about the book that I didn't love. Perhaps the writing style is a little academic. Maybe it was the switching back and forth between the characters, which I usually enjoy. Or maybe it was just the characters themselves. I'm just not sure. I did like parts of the story, but overall it just was not for me. Apparently a ton of people really enjoy this book, so if you are interested in historical fiction, specifically set in America, this might be a great read for you. It just was not amazing to me. ![]() I received Malibu Rising from Goodreads in a book giveaway I won. It had been in my reading queue for awhile and I decided to finally give it a read because I was looking for a light, "beach" read. And although this is not a difficult read, I soon realized it isn't as "light" as I was anticipating. I honestly was not expecting much from this book, but I ended up really enjoying it. The story is set in Malibu in the early 80s and it centers on the Rivas family which includes Mick, June, Nina, Jay Hud, and Kit. Over the course of the book the reader gets an insight into the failed marriage of Mick and June and the consequences that unfold for the family after. I found the writing style very approachable and the characters seemed realistic and relatable. This is the first book I have read by Taylor Jenkins Reid, and I plan to add some of her others to my reading list. One of the reasons I think I enjoyed this book so much is that I can relate to Nina who seems to carry the responsibility of her family and others. I particularly related to this passage from the novel: "She knew it was up to her to say what had to be said. To do what had to be done. When there is only you, you do not get to choose which jobs you want, you do not get to decide you are incapable of anything. There is no room for distaste or weakness. You must do it all. All of the ugliness, the sadness, the things most people can't stand to even think about, all must live inside you. You must be capable of everything." This novel gives a glimpse into the imagined life of a famous family from the 1980s - the burdens they hold, the trials they must overcome, and the bonds they share. ![]() I read this book initially shortly after it was published, and I picked it back up to re-read it before the movie is released in July. I loved it all over again. A group of my friends are all reading it, so we can go see the movie together and their responses have been favorable as well. This is not necessarily a genre that normally appeals to me, but I feel like the author does such an amazing job of developing Kya's character and the storyline that the book just can't help but pull you in. The book has a little of everything - coming of age, survival, romance, family, emotion, science, history, and some mystery... along with some court room drama. If you have yet to read the book and are looking for something to read this summer, I suggest picking it up. I think you will be glad you did. ![]() I had very high hopes for this book. It was in my library queue on hold for a quite awhile before I was able to finally check it out. As an English teacher, a historical fiction novel that centers around Shakespeare's early life and family is in my wheelhouse; however, I just could not get interested in this book. The third-person narration made it difficult for me to really connect with any of the characters, and I do not think there was a strong connection made between Hamnet and the play Hamlet which I thought was going to be the premise of the book. Overall, I just found the writing somewhat dull. O'Farrell develops her story around the scant records that exist about young Shakespeare, his bride Agnes (Anne Hathaway), their children and their life together. Instead of Shakespeare being the star of this story, the focus is more on Agnes and her life raising their children. As the reader, we do get a good glimpse into what her life might have been like; it just was not enough to really draw me in to the storyline. All in all, I didn't dislike this book, but I didn't love it as I had hoped. For those of you who love historical fiction and are interested in Shakespeare and life during the plague, you might as well give it a try. The reviews on Goodreads and Amazon are all overwhelmingly positive, so it might end up being a book you love. ![]() This historical fiction novel gets good reviews on Amazon; however, it just wasn't for me. It took me FOREVER to read because I just could not get invested in the characters and the storyline. I like the premise of the book, and upon finishing the book, actually did some research on "Angelica" a character in the story who is based upon an actual person, but I just could not get into the book. That being said. lots of people love this book, and you may as well. If you are interested in novels that span two time periods (1920ish and 1970ish) and give a view into the life of the New York City art world and the Frick family, you may really enjoy the characters and the storyline. There is a bit of mystery and intrigue involved as well which many people seem to enjoy. It was just eh for me. ![]() This is a pretty thick book. Let me just start with that. :) And although it looks a bit daunting, it is actually very accessible content-wise. The book focuses on contemporary language acquisition, and it includes very detailed activities and ideas for teaching emerging bilingual students. I found the lesson description and graphics to be very interesting and helpful in assisting me with increasing my knowledge of how to better present instruction to students learning the English language. Although you may not sit down and read the book as a whole, it is an excellent resource to add to your professional library. Making Content Comprehensible for English Learners: The SIOP Model by Echevarria, Vogt, and Short4/24/2022 ![]() I can't say that you are going to pick this book up and read it like your favorite novel; it is not that kind of book. It is, however, a helpful text for teachers of emerging bilingual students. The authors do an effective job of explaining the SIOP model and breaking it down into a pretty user-friendly framework for readers to follow. I would recommend it for instructors wanting to learn about the SIOP lesson planning process. It is a good resource for new learners to SIOP as well as a good review for those of us needing to review the SIOP Model. ![]() I have read and enjoyed The Sports Gene by David Epstein, so I thought I would give Range a try. This book does not just center on sports, however. In the book, Epstein looks at how generalists, are often better suited for tasks because they have a wealth of overall knowledge and can view things from a variety of perspectives and through different lenses. He gives examples from sports, business, the medical field, etc. I found the examples shared to be interesting overall. In a world where as a society we strive to "specialize" our children in sports. music, etc. at an early age, I found the examples in the book refreshing. Are there people who specialized in their area that attain greatness? Of course, and several of them are mentioned in the book, but there are also stories of those who did not even choose the field in which they would attain greatness until much later in life after trying multiple other avenues. This book was a little dense in areas and a slow read for me, but overall, I did enjoy the content and ideas presented within it. |
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