Book Review: The Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother

This book has been an enjoyable read for me.  I love to read about parenting.  I was eager to read this book to find out exactly what constitutes "Chinese parenting".  I had a vague idea in my mind, having grown up in an area where there were many Asian students.  I don't know how my Asian friends were raised, having never even been in any of their homes, but I'm certain, based on how they fared academically and musically, that it was probably similar to Amy Chua's description.

Much of the book resonated well with me.  I want my kids to be successful and high-achievers.  I want them to learn music and keep up with their studies.  I want them to be obedient and well-disciplined and polite.  I agree with some of her philosophies, in that I believe that parents should be respected and that children should grow up to take care of their parents.  I believe in being strict about many things too, that some of the pleasures our children indulge in these days are not necessary and many should be avoided.

I can agree that Western parents tend to coddle their children too much.  They don't allow for a lot of personal growth; they don't have very high expectations and don't expect much follow-through.  They come to the aide of their children far too quickly.  That I can agree with.

However, I didn't like some of her methods.  I guess that's the Western parent in me since was raised by Western parents.  I don't believe that her methods will necessarily result in adults who are confident enough to choose their own path.  She doesn't want them to choose their path.  That sounds a bit like Satan to me.  "My way or the highway", right?

I think there is probably a way to blend the best of both worlds.  Perhaps parenting with high expectations in addition to remembering Jesus Christ and following his example.  I think there would be less yelling and more loving.  I'd like to find a way to parent like that.

Book Review: Fatherless

Fatherless by James C. Dobson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book came out at an appropriate time.  I had just read about three articles before reading this book about the decline in population and its effects on the economy. 

I enjoyed this book.  The first several chapters were a bit confusing because he switched between the different major characters and I had a hard time following what was going on.  But once I got into it, I just wanted to read it.  I'm looking forward to reading the next two books in this series.

I felt that the issues he touched on--elective suicide of the elderly or disabled (he called it "transitioning"), fertility rates, genetic selection (choosing only embryos with "good" genes to weed out disabilities and chronic diseases), population decline, the disappearance of marriage, etc.--were very real issues, some of which are happening now and some of which I could see happening in the future.  These are some of the exact social issues that concern me, so it was a very interesting read.

The issue of "Fatherlessness", despite that being the book's title, didn't really come up as much as I thought it would.  It was more implied than actually talked about. 

I would definitely recommend "Fatherless" to my friends and family.



View all my reviews

Book Review: Austenland

Austenland by Shannon Hale

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I gave this book five stars because it was an enjoyable read for me.  I can't think of anything I didn't really like.  I don't want to over-analyze it because it was just a fun read, kind of a kick-back, read-in-the-bubble-bath, kind of read that doesn't require a lot of hard thought. 

There were some quotes throughout the book that I really liked, one in particular: "Why was the judgment of the disapproving so valuable?  who said that their good opinions tended to be any more rational than those of generally pleasant people?" (p. 112) That quote resonated with me because I tend to get carried away in seeking approval from others. 

I would recommend this to anybody who likes Jane Austen and also likes a fun, clean, romantic easy read.



View all my reviews

A Family Community

I have been reading the book, The Entitlement Trap, by Richard and Linda Eyre.  Chapter Three, Giving Your Children Ownership and Equity in Your Family, is very enlightening.  In it, they talk about how important it is to give your children a strong identity.  They talk about how this identity comes from their roots, their families.  Kids need to be able to identify with their families and have connections with them.  The Eyres give quite a few ideas on how to instill these connections in your children.  For example, by having strong family traditions (holidays and regular practices), developing a family culture and infrastructure, having weekly family meetings, family laws, and family mission statements, etc. 

I have been watching a weekly show recently called Teen Trouble.  In this reality show, a young man named Josh, who was a troubled teen himself, is now a teen behavior specialist and goes around to troubled teens and their families and helps direct them on the right path again and straighten out their lives.  One common thread I've noticed between the teens who've been highlighted is the fact that their family life failed them somehow.  Their parents clearly love them and have always loved them, but they never built this family "infrastructure", this family identity that the Eyres talk about in their book.

As I've pondered this, I've realized that there are many things about LDS culture that contribute to this family identity and that we can use to our benefit to really strengthen our families.  I always knew that things like Family Home Evening and family scripture study and prayer were infinitely important.  However, I never thought about it quite this deeply before, about how these three things contribute so very greatly to family connectedness and to really strengthening family bonds.  I never thought about how through these family bonds, kids can grow up in such a secure way, really feeling part of something.

I remember having a few Family Home Evening lessons on family unity, but I think I missed the point back then.  I understand it so much better now, even better as I'm reading this book.  Families are so important to the emotional and mental health of children and that is quite evident as we watch the current trend of the breakdown of the family, starting with a sort of anti-marriage sentiment that is sweeping through modern culture.  If Satan can make marriage seem trite, then families will be less important, and then individuals can be more easily torn apart.

We like to have a fancy family meal on Valentine's Day, either breakfast or dinner..

Family is the basic unit of society and a  unit that can be eternal.  It's no wonder why.  Heavenly Father sure knew what He was doing when He organized us into families.

Book Review: Selfish Reasons to Have More Kids

Selfish Reasons to Have More Kids: Why Being a Great Parent is Less Work and More Fun Than You Think by Bryan Caplan

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


I was looking forward to this book, mostly because of the raving recommendation I got for it.  I really thought that, given my view on having kids, it would really jive with me.  However, the nature vs. nurture premise of it really bothered me.  It's not that I don't believe the results of the twin and adoption studies that showed nature was more powerful than nurture--I'm sure there were such results as the author claims.  However, I disagree that parents have little effect on huge things like alcohol and drug use and teenage sex and pregnancy.  Parents have HUGE impacts on things like that and to say they don't, you might as well say, don't bother having rules or teaching morals or training your kids to work hard because nothing you do will count for anything.  That goes against scripture, which says, "Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he shall not depart from it."  In church we are told as parents that what we do teach our kids matters a lot and I tend to believe what the gospel teaches parents over what some economist doing research finds on the subject. 

There isn't a whole lot of detail in his research given about the studies, just that he found that the studies he looked at made it seem that parenting doesn't matter.  And that wasn't what bothered me most--it was the fact that he went on for chapters and pages about nature winning over nurture but then he goes back and says that we should discipline our children.  Why, if the lessons won't stick?  A lot of what he is calling "nature" isn't nature, it IS nurture.  If I was raised by parents who are very pessimistic and also very self-disciplined, and I turn out that way, it's not genetics that caused me to be that way, it's learning from how they acted to act the same way.  Genetics don't cause you to be a pessimist or a perfectionist.  That's learned behavior because it's behavior you CAN change if you put your mind to it.  If it was truly genetics, it couldn't be changed, like eye color or height.

I did like the section where he talked about how the population and the economy have a reciprocal effect on each other and the section on grandparents was interesting.  However, this book was rather a disappointment for me as I thought it would be taken in a completely different direction.

Again, if nature so rules over nurture, then what is the point of me doing the best job I can as a parent to teach my kids right from wrong (something they don't know when they come) and teach them self-discipline and hard work and how to manage money, etc.  If nothing parents do matter, then nothing anyone else does either in the life of a human being and teachers can't affect a student and peers can't influence them either because "they are who they are".  What nonsense!



View all my reviews

You Are Special

We have the board book version of You Are Special which is a more concise version of the Max Lucado book.  Almost every day I read this to my 20-month-old at naptime, and almost every day, I tear up while I'm reading it to him.

The first time I read this book while in college, it really gave me food for thought.  Self-esteem is something I've struggled with my whole life, and I still do.  I don't like how I look, I often feel very incompetent in everything I try to do, and I compare myself to others all the time and always find myself coming up short, no matter what I'm comparing.

Reading this book every day to my child has helped me reflect on this concept.  It's a constant reminder to me that I need to not let what I perceive others to think about me matter so much.  And every day that I read it, I get choked up because of this reminder.

Book Review: Strangling Your Husband is Not an Option

Strangling Your Husband Is Not an Option: A Practical Guide to Dramatically Improving Your Marriage by Merrilee Boyack

My rating: 1 of 5 stars


I was disappointed with this book.  I was expecting so much more, considering how stellar I thought Merrilee Boyack's "The Parenting Breakthrough" was.  The first five chapters she goes on and on about how men are different from women and we just have to live with how they are, blah, blah, blah.  It wasn't until the sixth chapter that she actually gives practical advice at  how to deal with the annoying things he does and how to approach discussing issues with him.  I still am not sure anything she said would be useful in applying to my marriage.  Much of it was the standard advice (go on a date every week, keep up your appearance, etc.) that is all good and nice but not helpful.  I was hoping to find ways to improve the communication so that we can start having those "deep conversations" again and such and got no practical advice on how to do that, other than to "talk like you used to".  Hard to do if your spouse ain't interested!  Overall a really big disappointment.  Just more of the same non-helpful tips that I've been hearing for years.



View all my reviews

Book Review: The Parenting Breakthrough

The Parenting Breakthrough: Real-Life Plan to Teach Your Kids to Work, Save Money, and Be Truly Independent by Merrilee Boyack

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This is a great book to really give your family direction and give you a solid reason and purpose in parenting.  I liked it so much I am going to buy it and get my husband to read it so we can work together to form a plan of our own that will work with our family to get our kids to be independent.

I especially liked the section on finances and teaching your children about money.  I feel my parents did pretty well in this area, but there are some suggestions and ideas that she gives that I had never thought about and even didn't know that I would like to implement to give my kids a real leg up in the matter of finances when they hit the real world.  I also want to implement some of her strategies to get my children saving their own money for missions and college and their futures.  I have always been a firm believer that it is NOT the parents' job to pay for their children's college educations and this book confirmed that for me, but gave me tools and ideas as to how to get them able and ready to fund a college education themselves, or mostly themselves, without having to take out a lot of money of loans and such. 

This book is going to be my new "parenting Bible", so to speak, because it just really resonated with me and how I already am trying to parent.



View all my reviews

Book Review: These Is My Words

These Is My Words by Nancy E. Turner

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This book is currently my favorite book. I really felt like I could relate to the main character on many levels. I loved reading about life in the Arizona Territory as well, having lived in Arizona for some time as a young mother. I always love a book from that time period (end of the 19th century). There are so many things we take for granted in our modern lives that they just dealt with back then. It makes me appreciate what I have. I also feel like we could learn something about hard work, even from fictional books from this period, or at least hard manual labor. I think sometimes, after reading a book like this, that we have it too easy. I would recommend this book to anyone. Even the romance wasn't gushy or overdone like in other books, and it was clean.




View all my reviews

A Favorite Book and Book Group

I haven't reviewed this book on Goodreads yet, and I actually want to post that one when I do it.  So this isn't the actual review I will write on this book.

I recently read the book "These Is My Words" by Nancy Turner.  It one an Arizona Book Award and was nominated for a Willa Cather award.  A friend of mine told me about the book several years ago when I still lived in Arizona.  She had read it for her book club.  I put it on my list of to-reads, and it kept getting pushed to the bottom.  A few times, I tried finding it for fun at the library while I was there, but it was never there.  Finally, I moved it to the top of the list because I felt like reading something from that period of time, late 1800's.  I reserved a copy at the public library and within days I had it in my hand.


This has got to be one of the best books I have read.  I loved it.  I couldn't put it down.  It wasn't exactly a page-turner, but I fell in love with the story and the simplicity with the way it's told.  I have always loved that time period and I think that was one of the factors that drew me to the book.

I was so excited about it that I decided to finally try and organize a book group, something I've been wanting to do for a while now.  So I sent out messages and suggested the book and got quite the response.  Tonight is our first meeting where we will discuss this book and I am quite excited.  In fact, I ordered a copy of the book for myself in the mail and got it on Saturday and have been re-reading it ever since.  It is just as good the second time around, even after only a month of having read it the first time.

I am excited about a book group.  One thing I have really missed about being in school the last 12 years is the discussions about learning.  Admittedly, a book group won't be like learning new things, but I'm looking forward to discussing what I'm reading with other people who've actually read it, not just my husband after I tell him the story of what I've read and then proceed to tell him what I think about it.  This will be much more enlightening and much more rewarding.  I have always wished I could put together a group of ladies who love learning as much as I do and would be willing to research out topics to learn about and then get together periodically to discuss them and share what we've learned.  I'm not sure anyone would want to form such a group, so I figure a book group is second best.  We won't always be learning new things, but we'll be discussing what we've read, and that is something I really look forward to doing.

Book Review: Free-Range Kids

Free-Range Kids: Giving Our Children the Freedom We Had Without Going Nuts with Worry by Lenore Skenazy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Since I am really on board with Lenore Skenazy's Free-Range Kid movement, I thought I would be giving this book five stars. I ended up shorting it a star because there were some parts of her whole concept that I don't agree with.

She set her book up like a set of commandments--the Ten Free-Range Commandments but added four more to them, so there are fourteen commandments. Then she has a section that is about common parental fears A-Z and whether or not they are grounded in reality, or what the statistical probability of the fear happening to your child. I felt it was a very organized approach to the concept and a very easy read.

I loved Commandment Four: Boycott Baby Knee Pads (and the rest of the kiddie safety-industrial complex). She talks about a lot of safety items that are marketed to parents that are just not needed, like baby knee pads for when babies crawl and helmets for when they first start walking. She also talks about "educational toys", you know, the Baby Einstein product line and the LeapFrog product line. I wholeheartedly agree with her that it's only become this competition to raise the smartest baby in recent years and that somehow people think that the things parents did to raise babies before isn't going to make them smart enough so now they have to invest in all these gadgets to make them smarter. In reality, it's the social interaction between them and their caregivers (playing with them, talking with them, working with them alongside, singing to them, reading to them) that makes all the difference and these gadgets aren't really going to change that.

I also loved how in Commandment Five: Don't Think Like a Lawyer, she gives a list of wacky warning labels that are on products now thanks to the onslaught of ridiculous lawsuits: "Remove child before folding" on a baby stroller; "This product moves when used" on a scooter; "Never iron clothes while being worn" on an iron; "Do not use on roof" on a snowblower; and on a box of birthday candles "Do not use soft wax as ear plugs or for any other function that involves insertion into a body cavity."

In Commandment Six: Ignore the Blamers, she points out that only a few states actually have laws stating an age that is appropriate to leave a child home alone for a short period of time, which I found interesting since numerous parenting boards people are always posting that there are laws that don't allow you to leave, say, an 8-year-old home alone for an hour.

In Commandment 7, she dispels the myths surrounding Halloween candy, that there have been no reported incidents ever where children were poisoned by Halloween candy.

I really enjoyed Commandment 8 where she talks about what children were doing throughout history at different ages, which really puts into perspective how over-protective parents have become. Not just of not letting kids play outside unattended but also not allowing them to do things like bake a cake when they're nine or mow the lawn when they're ten.

The part that forced me to give this book four stars instead of five was Commandments Eleven and Twelve. In Commandment Eleven: Relax, she talks about how so much of how kids turn out (intelligence-wise, interests, etc.) is due to nature, not nurture. But she made it sound like parents could sit back and do nothing and their kids would turn out the same as if the parents were always doing something for them. I disagree. I think parents are there for a reason, for guidance, to teach between right and wrong, to help them learn from their mistakes and recognize learning moments. I don't really think she was trying to say that parents aren't needed, but that's how she came off in that chapter. In Commandment Twelve: Fail! the whole point was to let kids learn from their failures. I am all on board with that, but she made it sound like you couldn't ever push them to succeed or set high expectations for them because you'd end up doing the work so they wouldn't ever fail. I don't think it's bad to have expectations and encourage kids to succeed and even give them guidance on how to succeed but then let them do the work.

I totally agreed with everything she said about the importance of creative play both outside and inside and how standardized tests and media frenzy over child abductions and the electronic equipment that has taken place of playing outside have contributed to the obesity epidemic and the whole education problem in America. And she even talks about how so many toys these days take the creativity out of play, like the talking, dancing Elmo where the kid just pushes a button and watches Elmo have all the fun.

I enjoyed this book. It was easy to read, funny, and eye-opening. I already was a "Free-Range Parent" but I recognized some of the baby steps I have already taken in the last couple of years to become one. I would like to see more of a movement back to this type of child-rearing just so my kids aren't the only ones allowed to ride their bikes around the neighborhood or walk to school, wherever we end up. Hopefully this catches on and people start to relax a little about everything and realize that kids are smart and capable.

View all my reviews

Book Reviews: The Secret Life of Bees AND The Lovely Bones

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book held mixed reviews from what I could tell.  I personally enjoyed it.  I felt it was well-written and easy to read but compelling.  The symbolism of the life of bees and life was well-woven throughout the book.  I didn't particularly care for the ideology of the black virgin Mary and what it was used for in the book, although clinging to a religion for a higher purpose in life is clearly something many people do.  I also didn't like some of the graphic description of everyday things, like peeing and chewing/spitting tobacco.  For me, those distracted from the real writing.

There were some passages which I enjoyed in particular or at least gave me food for thought.  The first was when August and Lily are talking and August is telling Lily about some of her life.  Lily asks August if she ever got married.  Lily asks: "But you didn't love him enough to marry him?" August replies: "I loved him enough...I just loved my freedom more." I felt that was kind of a sad notion that unfortunately many people have fallen for.

Another part was when August is telling Lily about the painting of the house.  She talks about how some things in life don't matter much, like painting a house a certain color, but how people are what really matter.  I have to agree with this concept and it made me reflect on how I treat people and how often I distinguish what really matters from what doesn't.

Overall, I feel that if I gained something positive from the book, it was worth the read.  I liked the book, I gained something from it, it made me reflect on life. 


The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I did enjoy this book. The whole book is written from the interesting perspective of the girl who was murdered, Susie Salmon. I felt that was an interesting perspective to take for a whole book. This included the author's idea of the afterlife, which I found somewhat fascinating. Definitely different than my idea of heaven. I found it frustrating that the characters were never able to catch the man who murdered her. It sort of did not give closure. Although I do like how it kind of didn't matter in Sebold's view of heaven, that everything worked itself out and things like that were common knowledge in heaven.

The book was pretty clean, but I have to admit that I despair that authors these days think they have to add the sexual content to make people interested in reading a book. I felt that the book could have been complete without the small amount of sexual content, really only one or two scenes. I felt them unnecessary to the plot entirely, just there for the people who seem to need it.

I don't think I would necessarily recommend this book, but it was, for the most part, enjoyable to read.



View all my reviews

Book Review: Loving the Little Years

Loving the Little Years: Motherhood in the Trenches by Rachel Jankovic

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I was hoping for more from this book than what I got out of it.  It came so highly praised that I thought it would really give me tips and be a heartwarming advice book that would help me appreciate where I am in life.  It did that a little bit but not as much as I was hoping it would. 

The author, Rachel Jankovic, does go on about how hard it is to be a mother of five young children but doesn't give advice on how to cope in every chapter.  She does give some advice, and I will highlight the chapters that I felt were the most helpful, but many of the chapters, she is simply pointing out how it is.

The first part that I enjoyed was "Spirited Riders".  She talks about how little children have all this emotion in their little bodies and they don't always know how to manage the emotions as adults do.  She compares a child's feelings to spirited horses and that the children are the riders.  I quote from the last paragraph of the chapter: "The goal is not to cripple the horse, but to equip the rider.  A well-controlled passionate personality is a powerful thing."  I think I liked this part because I felt that I could see that in my daughter, and also my sons.  They just need to learn how to manage and control their emotions.

She also talks about seeing your children.  You can’t make a watermelon from a tomato plant.  You need to look at your children and see who they really are and let them become the person they’re supposed to be.  That’s not to say you shouldn’t shape them along the way, but she makes a valid point by saying that it would cause unnecessary pain and damage to try and turn a watermelon into a tomato. 

Another point she makes is the issue with sharing and fighting over toys, something that is very common for young children.  She talks about how with her own children, she tries to elicit sharing by reminding them that their relationship with their sibling is more important than the toy they were fighting over.  She gives specific advice on how to do this, which was helpful.

She does give good advice on disciplining and how to use it as a tool to produce a functioning adult who chooses a good path in life.  She talks about limits and boundaries but also about how too much of that can be disastrous. 

I appreciate that she talked about setting up clear and realistic expectations, which will gradually change as the children get older.  I definitely agreed with what she said in that chapter. 

My favorite part was when she talked about “me time”.  I have come to loathe the implications of “me time” by society’s standards.  But the way she defines it is so wonderful.  She says,

We are like characters in a story.  Our essential self is not back in the intro, waiting to be rediscovered.  Who you are is where you are.  When you are married, your essential self is married.  As the story grows, so does your character.  Your children change you into a different person.  If you suddenly panic because it all happened so fast and now you don’t recognize yourself, what you need is not time alone.  What you need is your people.  Look out—look at the people who made you what you are—your husband and your children….Those women who try to find themselves by stripping away the "others" will find that they are a very broken little thing.

I did enjoy the book and would recommend it to anyone with young kids.  I almost wish that I had read it a little sooner, since now my children are in that middle phase of childhood and I have sort of missed the boat on a few things. 




View all my reviews

Book Review: The Memory Keeper's Daughter

The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I really enjoyed this book. It was very thought-provoking and well written. I enjoyed the writing style. It was also clean, something that seems hard to come by these days. I felt that the author got some very good points across through her story. I really loved the symbolism of the photography--of capturing one moment in your life that was life-changing and trying to keep that moment.

One thing I was disappointed in was her use of the "R" word. It seems that it could have been left out. It was only used about five times, maybe less, in the whole book, but when I read it the first time it was used, I was disappointed it was there. I realize that it was probably more common vernacular during the time when the book takes place, but I felt it was unnecessary even in that context.

The other thing that bothered me a little was the amount of grammatical and typographical errors throughout the book. I'm not sure if this is a book that has had multiple publications and this particular publication had a lot of errors, or what. But that was annoying.

All in all, a very good read, a book that I am glad I read and didn't feel like I wasted my time. I would definitely recommend it.



View all my reviews

Book Review: The Help

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I really enjoyed this book. It was thought-provoking and I was completely wrapped up in the story. I felt it was well-written and easy to read. The only part I didn't like was the ending. I was disappointed that things didn't work out for Aibileen to stay with her family because that little girl really needed her. Even though it was fiction, I'm sure there were situations like that for real where the children suffered because of the choices of the parents (as there always are) and those stories always break my heart.

I did feel like I learned more about what it was like during segregation in the south. I learned all that history in school, but always from a very dry perspective (this happened, etc.) without any feeling attached. Reading this, I was able to gain a new perspective and actually think about how it might have felt to have been there. I love well-written historical fiction books that help history come alive!

I did see the movie and thought that it was a good adaptation to the screen. Of course they left out some parts and changed things around, but I think it moved along well and hit the key points of the book.



View all my reviews

Book Review: Memoirs of a Geisha

Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I did not like this book at all.  I gave it three stars only because of how well-written it was--there were a lot of good quotes that came out of it.  But I didn't like the sick feeling I had almost the whole time I was reading it.  I was always told that geishas were not prostitutes, which was why I picked up the book in the first place, but I see very few distinctions between the two groups.  I only kept on reading because I wanted to find out why she ended up leaving Japan, if she ever saw her sister again, how she got through the war, etc.  I do think that once she realized what the life was that lay ahead of her and she made her choice, she did the best she could with what she had.  I was very sorry for the situation she found herself in.  I know it's a book I will never read again.  I'm curious to see the film adaptation, but at the same time, knowing the content, I'm not sure I want to see it. 



View all my reviews

Book Review: Gone With the Wind

Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I quite enjoyed this book. I have loved reading historical fiction, especially from periods of war, as I find them quite fascinating. I have only ever read books from the point of view of the North during the Civil War so this was the first time reading about it from Southern perspective.



I think Margaret Mitchell's book is very well written and mostly easy to read. The hardest parts were the dialogue of the slaves, most of which I had to read out loud in order to understand what they were saying. I have seen the movie many, many times and feel that 1930's Hollywood did a much better job of putting a book to a movie than Hollywood does to most books-to-movies today.



The more I read, the less I liked Scarlett. I was familiar with her character, having seen the movie so many times, but I feel that much is left out of her character in the movie that is there in the book. I find her to be equitable with other loathsome female characters, like Bella Swann in the Twilight series and Catherine in Wuthering Heights. I think the thing I liked the least, though, was how I could relate to her on some of her lower levels. Makes me want to rethink my life and my priorities in life feeling that I am similar to her in any way.



Overall, I enjoyed the read. Not sure if I would ever read it again, just because it's so long and I'm sure I'd skip a LOT of the war and history if I ever did read it again. I definitely agree that it was Pulitzer Prize-worthy. Would recommend that anyone who has not read it to read this book!



View all my reviews

Reading Books Just Because

I joined the website Goodreads not too long ago and it's been great for finding books to read from my friends and also for keeping a list of books to read in a place I can always find it.

However, I'm finding that I'm adding books to my list that I don't really want to read. I'm only adding them because so many other people have read them and they are classic books.

One such set of these books are the books by Tolkien. I realize that he is quite revered in many circles; in fact, many of my own family members love his books. So I decided that I needed to read "The Lord of the Rings". I did some research and decided to read "The Hobbit" first. My husband also read it a few months ago.

This book is complete drudgery to me. I'm not the least bit interested in the characters or the plot. I've never read "The Lord of the Rings" either, but I lost interest about 1/3 of the way through the first movie. It's just not up my alley. I love fantasy and really get into certain types, but this type is just not something I'm interested in.

But I'd still like to try and read the books. Maybe I'll find more to be interested in as I go along, I don't know. Right now, I'm about 1/4 of the way into "The Hobbit" and bored out of my mind every time I pick the dreadful thing up.

I guess some books and some people just don't mesh!

Book Review: Faith of Our Fathers

Faith of Our Fathers: One Nation Under God by Nancy Campbell Allen

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I enjoyed this series, especially reading about that period in history.  I definitely had characters I attached to but some of it was a little too cheesy and unrealistic for my taste.  I have actually read this series before, about ten years ago, and found that certain side subplots were so unnecessary to the main story that I skipped them altogether and didn't miss out on anything.  Overall, though, I did enjoy reading these.



View all my reviews

Book Review: Bringing Up Boys

Bringing Up Boys by James Dobson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I really enjoyed this book and found it to be very helpful, in that I am the mother of five children, four of whom are boys.  I really have to agree with most of what he says about our society and culture in America.  I only disagreed with two things he brought up in the entire book.  I would recommend this book to everyone--it's worth a read, whether or not you are raising boys, just to see all his points about how society is becoming and how it's affecting our parenting.  I give it two thumbs up and five stars.  Going to probably buy a copy for our home library.



View all my reviews