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September 04
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Elizabeth
gave
to:
There Is a Bird on Your Head! (An Elephant and Piggie Book)
by Mo Willems
bookshelves:
reading-to-hank
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my rating:
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Elizabeth
gave
to:
Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain (Hardcover)
by John J. Ratey
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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Elizabeth
gave
to:
The Omnivore's Dilemma
by Michael Pollan
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my rating:
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Elizabeth said:
"I was worried that this book would make me even more concerned about food. And it has, in a way. I was a little shocked to learn about how much petroleum is used in (even) organic farming and what "free range" actually means.
But oddly...more
I was worried that this book would make me even more concerned about food. And it has, in a way. I was a little shocked to learn about how much petroleum is used in (even) organic farming and what "free range" actually means.
But oddly, I've actually found that in most ways it is comforting and helpful. It's giving me a better understanding of where some of the ideas currently floating around about healthiness and good agricultural practice come from. I have been able to justify some of my personal beliefs and have found that others ideas should be reinspected.
The book is well written and enjoyable in its own right as well, giving it 5 stars in my world. However, I would imagine that it wouldn't be as satisfying (or could even been off-putting) for those that don't have a similar world view or philosophy as the author. ...less
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March 15
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Elizabeth
gave
to:
Left Behind (Mass Market Paperback)
by Tim LaHaye
bookshelves:
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my rating:
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read in January, 2007
Elizabeth said:
"If you like the onion, this is a great read. It's a Christian action/thriller which has had a lot of press. I found it to be a gripping and ridiculous read (the anti christ is the head of the UN!!!).
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Elizabeth
gave
to:
The Ramona Collection, Vol. 1: Ramona the Brave / Ramona the Pest / Beezus and Ramona / Ramona Quimby, Age 8 (Paperback)
by Beverly Cleary
bookshelves:
all,
reading-to-mara
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my rating:
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read in January, 2008
Elizabeth said:
"We are continuing with the Ramona books. Beverly Cleary is an amazing author. Like Ramona the Pest, this book brought back childhood memories for me. I loved Ramona's emotional blow out when her school report comes home.
Mara is really transfi...more
We are continuing with the Ramona books. Beverly Cleary is an amazing author. Like Ramona the Pest, this book brought back childhood memories for me. I loved Ramona's emotional blow out when her school report comes home.
Mara is really transfixed by Ramona's experiences. From being scared of the dark to playing brick factory with Howie, she seems to find something to relate to. Some of it goes over her head, but much of it seems to resonate. Here are her words "What I liked best about [the book:] was when Ramona got her shoe back, because it's hard to get your shoe back from a dog if a dog steals your shoe." ...less
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Elizabeth
gave
to:
The Portable Atheist: Essential Readings for the Non-believer (Paperback)
by Christopher Hitchens
bookshelves:
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my rating:
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read in September, 2008
Elizabeth said:
"I have found this to be a very inspiring and uplifting book, oddly enough.
It attracted my attention because the list of essays include so many of my favorite authors- Mark Twain, George Elliot, Bertram Russel, Salman Rushdie and so many others.
...more
I have found this to be a very inspiring and uplifting book, oddly enough.
It attracted my attention because the list of essays include so many of my favorite authors- Mark Twain, George Elliot, Bertram Russel, Salman Rushdie and so many others.
You don't need to identify as an atheist to enjoy this book. The essays range from the moral/philosophical to the ironic. I find most to be life affirming. Most make the case that the universe is far more interesting, compelling, moral, just and beautiful without the kinds of beliefs/worldviews which are inherent in the major and minor religions of the world.
Some of the essays are weighty, difficult to read, annoying or are concerned with issues I am not. But there is a lot of variety in this book, so I pick and choose, reading what fits my mood.
Here is an example of an entertaining and somewhat flippant essay I enjoyed: "Atheists for Jesus" by Richard Dawkins. The premise is that a purely and narrowly Darwinistic view of the world is a supremely nasty one. If you take survival of the fittest as your basic principle in life, niceness is dumb and would be weeded out by natural selection. Religion is characterized by this essay as a sort of contagious irrationality. So why not use this human susceptibility to irrationality to promote kindness/niceness? Here's a quote: "Religion motivates people to whip their own backs, set fire to themselves or their daughers, to denounce their own grandmothers as witches, or, in less extreme cases, to stand and kneel, week after week, through ceremonies of stupefying boredom. If people can be infected with such self-harming stupidity, infecting them with niceness should be child's play."
I also enjoyed the essay "If God Is Dead, Is Everything Permitted?" I have always been frustrated by the pairing of religion with morals. However, I am embarrassed to admit that I had never bothered to read actual discussions of the subject. This essay is a nice summary.
This is a good one to keep by my bedside. It's thought provoking as well as reassuring. And no matter what my mood, there is some essay that seems to interest me.
...less
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Elizabeth
gave
to:
The Golden Compass (His Dark Materials, Book 1)
by Philip Pullman
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my rating:
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February 10
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Elizabeth
gave
to:
Ramona the Pest (Paperback)
by Beverly Cleary
bookshelves:
all,
reading-to-mara
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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read in December, 2007
Elizabeth said:
"This was a book Mara and I both enjoyed and will read again.
I had forgotten how well Beverly Cleary captures a child's point of view. Ramona is both sympathetic and annoying. Mara loved every moment she got in trouble. I reveled in all the tim...more
This was a book Mara and I both enjoyed and will read again.
I had forgotten how well Beverly Cleary captures a child's point of view. Ramona is both sympathetic and annoying. Mara loved every moment she got in trouble. I reveled in all the times she annoyed the other more annoying children (such pulling the hair of the girl with the boing-boing curls or bugging Howie and his snotty nosed sister). Mara was dreaming about her glory days of kindergarten to come. I was remembering painful days of Parker Elementary School and tribulations of kindergarten and first grade. One thing I liked about this book is that it made me (as a parent) think about how hard it really is to be five years old.
Both Paul and I were a bit concerned about the fact that Ramona does not behave well and her parents don't maintain limits very well. However, it seemed clear to me that this was something Mara picked up on too. I got some mileage out of the idea of a "pest" (new vocabulary). Now I can say "Mara, don't be a pest," and she understands....less
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Elizabeth
gave
to:
Rainbow Magic #1: Ruby The Red Fairy: Ruby The Red Fairy (Rainbow Magic)
by Daisy Meadows
bookshelves:
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reading-to-mara
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my rating:
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read in October, 2007
Elizabeth said:
"Mara *loves* these books. They annoyed me so much I vented my spleen in an amazon review.
Basically, here are the things I don't like about the books.
1) The dialog, characters and plot are truly insipid. Here is a sample: "I'm Kirsty...more
Mara *loves* these books. They annoyed me so much I vented my spleen in an amazon review.
Basically, here are the things I don't like about the books.
1) The dialog, characters and plot are truly insipid. Here is a sample: "I'm Kirsty" said Kirsty. "I'm Rachael" said Rachael. Some of the plots make absolutely no sense.
2) The heroines (which I can't even keep straight) don't have any particularly admirable characteristics. There is little evidence of ANY of the following: bravery, thoughtfulness, cleverness, etc. The one distinguishing feature of the girls is their belief in magic, which somehow makes everything come out ok (YUCK!!!)
2) The illustrations show anorexic fairies in trendy teenage clothing (such as mini skirts, high heeled boots, etc) and their outfits seem to be as much a part of the story as other aspects of the plot. Rachael and Kirsty are super-thin as well. I can't help but look at the illustrations and think "eating disorder."
3) These books are clearly written, designed and marketed to MAKE MONEY. They are short and can be read quickly. Each book is a cliff hanger, requiring the purchase of the next, which is cleverly market with sticker inserts, excerpts of chapters, etc....less
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Elizabeth
gave
to:
All-of-a-Kind Family (Hardcover)
by Sydney Taylor
bookshelves:
all,
reading-to-mara
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my rating:
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read in February, 2008
Elizabeth said:
"I remembered reading this book in my childhood and bought it on a whim for Mara. I had completely forgotten (or never understood) the childhood described in the story: a 1912 Jewish family of 5 girls living in East Side NYC.
The stories are wo...more
I remembered reading this book in my childhood and bought it on a whim for Mara. I had completely forgotten (or never understood) the childhood described in the story: a 1912 Jewish family of 5 girls living in East Side NYC.
The stories are wonderful to read as an adult. The description of the petticoats, stockings, sleeping arrangements, housework, etc are fascinating, as are the descriptions of Purim celebrations and other aspects of their religious life.
Mara loves the descriptions of the girls. Her eyes glistened when I read the part about Charlotte (6) and Gertie (4) sharing a bag of candy and cookies after bedtime, making up ridiculous rules and games about how to eat the sweets. The author manages to capture some aspects of childhood extremely well.
Parts of the book are over Mara's head. I don't even bother to explain what Yiddish is. Parts of the book seem dated--the descriptions of peddlers in her fathers shop that include nationality, or the focus on housekeeping lessons for the girls.
So this one is a keeper. It's fun for me and interesting for Mara, though we sometimes have to skip a bit....less
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