I Love Books!

I like to read. I read all kinds of books, romance, self help, novels, biographies, lots of stuff! I like Steven King, and I like Anne Rice and I try to read their books because I know that I generally like what they put out. Other than that, I pretty much pick and choose. Oprah, has a book club on her show now and I've read a few of her picks, although I don't see the show, so I don't see their reviews on them. You can't miss her picks in the stores though, because they are all labeled as such. I like her picks when I feel like reading a good book, in the sense that they make you think, and they are award winner type books. I once tried to go from one of her picks, to a paperback novel fluff book and couldn't read it! Gads! I was a book snob for a minute there! Once the other one 'wore off' I was able to read it, but what a difference!

I couldn't possibly list all the books I've ever read, but I will list some, with my own personal opinions on them.

The Green Mile by Stephen King

I didn't read this book in intallment format. I read a compilation, with a special comment at the beginning by the author. I always like to read King's books, and I enjoyed this one also. I like the fact that you actually are drawn to pity some of the meanest characters, and he has surprises that you don't even think are possibilities. Somehow, you believe them though.

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

This was written about 150 years ago, so the language is a little bit difficult to decifer at times. Overall, I felt tense the whole time I read it. I wanted to reach right into the pages and shake Heathcliff and Catherine to their senses! I am not generally happy with UNhappy endings, it can ruin the entire book for me. But even though I was bummed, I still loved this book. I suppose that is why it is a classic!

Miss America by Howard Stern

OK, a friend recommended it. He said it was funny. So I read it. Interesting. It gives a different perspective of Howard Stern. Hmmmm.

I Love You As Much by Laura Krauss Melmed, illustrated by Henri Sorensen

My first Christmas as a Mom, by Husband gave me this book. It is a children's book, written as a poem. It is a simple sentimental story about all kinds of moms and how much they love their children. *sniff*

Billions & Billions by Carl Sagan

This was Carl Sagan's last book before he died. He seems to have been an amazing man. I learned a lot from his essays. He made complex concepts easier to understand and made some pretty good points regarding the environment and world relations. I would recommend this book, it really makes you think.

The Dark Tower by Stephen King

This is a series of books, about Roland of Gilead's search for the Dark Tower. So far, there are 4 books in the series. He suspects there are 3 or more to follow.

The Gunslinger (The Dark Tower I)-Roland's Trip through the desert to find the Dark Man, who holds the key to finding the Tower.
The Drawing of the Three (The Dark Tower II)-Roland's struggle to live and search for doors to different worlds to 'draw' helpers on his journey to the Tower.
The Wastelands (The Dark Tower III)-So begins the trip to the tower following the path of the beam. Referances are made to other stories and times, to show that all worlds are intertwined.
Wizard and Glass (The Dark Tower IV)-This one goes back in time to chronicle Rolands life after becoming a gunslinger, and the beginning of his search for the tower.

I've spent the month of February reading these 4 books, and wish that the rest were already finished. I'm left hanging, I guess, waiting for the next one.

Songs In Ordinary Time by Mary McGarry Morris

This is a story about the Fermoyle family and all it's inter-relationships. In general I liked the book, but I felt it was too long, and when I got to the end I didn't feel satisfied with it. There was not a climax and then and end that wrapped everything up. Most, if not all the tensions that are revealed are left open and unresolved. It feels like the end of a particular chapter rather than the end of the story, or worse, a lead-in to a sequel!

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

The tale of Edmund Dantes, who, on the verge of Marriage and becoming the Captain of a ship, is arrested and imprisoned on false charges of treason, then exacts his revenge. At first I was excited to see his revenge taken out on the people responsible, but then I began wondering a bit about it. He refers to his revenge as doing God's will, but I didn't feel that that was right. It was a bit morbid at times. Is the death of an entire family a just reward for 14 years spent in a dungeon? If Edmund Dantes punishes people who weren't even born at the time of his incarceration, isn't that the same as punishing them for crimes they didn't commit? (Exactly as he was?) If anybody should understand the injustice of this, it should've been The Count.

To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

A story about predjudice told through the eyes of a young girl. I remember that I started this book as a kid. But I had given up in the very beginning for some reason. This time, I couldn't put it down! I would strongly recommend this book. Read it, I couldn't do it justice here. By the way, I never saw the movie either, so the whole story was new to me. If you have read the book AND seen the movie, let me know if I should see it. I'm usually disappointed when I see a movie after having read a book. The book is always better (so far, anyway)

Succulent Wild Woman by SARK

An uplifting book that encourages you to be creative, and to live according to your heart. The pages are handwritten, not a typeface, and selected pages are in color, as if Sark had written them in colored markers (and I suspect that she did!) I had actually seen a poster of hers years ago and was intrigued by it. I didn't realize this when I started to read this book, but once she made a reference to it. I think that every neighborhood has it's eccentric old lady, and Sark is probably going to be hers, but she seems so much fun. Of course, if we all lived by her suggestions then it wouldn't be eccentric, would it?

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings Gather Together In My Name Singin'and Swingin' and Gettin' Merry Like Christmas The Heart of a Woman by Maya Angelou

This is a series of books that are about her life. When you actually sit down and read these books, they seem more like the many lives of Maya Angelou. She tells us of all the parts of her life with such openness. Gathering them together in a way that only the twenty twenty vision of hindsight can. Teaching us what she had to live to learn. Amazing books about an Amazing life.
I have to say that "The Heart of a Woman" got to be less like a novel and more like a listing of people and events. I didn't enjoy this one as much as the others.

Firestarter by Stephen King

A government performs unethical tests on college students who later marry and have a child. She has the ability to light fires by force of will. Of course, the government wants to study her, her parents want to protect her, and the chase is on. I never saw the movie, so the story was new to me. I enjoyed it and would like to see the movie now!

Hmmmm, where to next?

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