here's how I see it: a review of A Thousand Splendid Suns

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I think it deserves more of a 4.5.  This book was another tough subject matter, dealing with two women and their ravaged lives during wartime in Afghanistan.  Told from two female perspectives that eventually intersect, this was a sobering look at some really tough things women have to go through.  The worst part is that these things are happening right now, modern day, during my lifetime.  It made me very conscious of the freedoms I have as a woman, and so very thankful that I had the freedom to choose who I married, and I am treated as an equal with respect.  I had no idea just how much is demanded from these women.

The book itself was, in true Hosseini style, a beautiful and haunting tale.  It spans an entire lifetime against the backdrop of war ravaged Kabul, and depicts the lives of two women who end up married to the same man.  It is a story of  friendship born under the worst of circumstances, and I loved the moment when these two women finally open up to each other, becoming allies instead of enemies.  Both Miriam and Liala went through such awful things that it made it that much sweeter when they found their friendship.  I knew one of them would have to kill Rasheed but I thought it was going to be Liala.  I like it better the was it was written, allowing Miriam to give her life, turning it into a life of honor, a life that meant something, and allowing Liala to escape with Tariq.

The love story between Tariq and Liala as best friends in childhood then being separated all those years and finally reunited was beautiful.  A true love story.  I also loved how little Zalmai ends up having a sweet relationship with Tariq, and I adore Tariq for loving him unconditionally.  I loved the ending, where I mourned for Miriam, but also felt her strong spirit live on and through Liala in making the orphanage a better place.

I thought it was a beautifully written book, full of deep and complex characters who will live on in my mind for a long time.  Khaled Hosseini has a beautiful way of writing rich stories that weave themselves into your heart.  I can't wait for his new book.

dizzylittlechatgirl

here's how I see it: a review of Room

Room by Emma Donoghue
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It's really more of a 4.5 but I can't do that on here.  Brilliant in it's delivery of a very hard topic matter, Room is a beautiful read. I was amazed by Emma Donoghue's portrayal of Jack and his thoughts and feelings.  I have no idea how she came up with all of the nuances of a five year old to make him sound so authentic.  My heart breaks for his Ma, and all that she had to go through.  I zipped right through it because I couldn't wait to see what was goign to happen next.  Fabulous!

dizzylittlechatgirl

here's how I see it: a review of The Kite Runner

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book is a heartbreakingly haunting tale that I will never forget.  The characters wrap their way around your heart and don't let up as you watch their lives unfold.  I love books that evoke emotion and this one tugged at my heart the whole way through.  I have no idea how I haven't read this one earlier and I am planning on reading A Thousand Splendid Suns right away.  Khaled Hosseini is brilliant in his delivery and beautiful with his prose.  I almost feel a let down after finishing the book because I want to keep going along with the characters on their life journey.  I recommend this book to anyone, as it delves into human emotion, consequences of living with our decisions, complex family dynamics, deep heartbreak and redemption- all things that make people better for having learned about them.  Everyone should read this book.


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here's how I see it: a review of "Before I Go To Sleep

Before I Go To Sleep by S.J. Watson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Loved this book!!  Gripping, twisty and a fantastic debut book for S.J. Watson.  The premise is that Christine has amnesia, so every day she wakes up with memories starting as if she were in her early 20's, but she's 47.  At the urging of a neuro doctor, she begins keeping a secret journal so she can try to make sense of everything around her, which ends up making her question everything around her, including her husband, Ben.

I couldn't put it down!  I love all the questioning because I was trying to figure everything out along side her.  A huge portion of the book is her journal entries.  So you're never sure if she's a reliable narrator, or if what others are telling her are true or not.  I loved it!  This is one of those books you don't want to say much about because you don't want to spoil the ride for anyone else!  Just read it. :)

dizzylittlechatgirl

here's how I see it: a review of "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks"

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book!  I didn't really know much about it going in, but it's the story of how the author came to learn about Henrietta Lacks.  Henrietta's story is the unfair and tragic tale of a woman who develops cancer and dies- but the cultures taken from her before her death were the first ever immortal cells, known as HeLa.  They are still used all over the world today, but Henrietta was virtually unknown or recognized for her contribution to science.  Rebecca Skloot spent years tracking down Henrietta's family members, and anyone who knew anything about Henrietta or her cells, trying to get correct information to honor Henrietta's memory, in the form of this book.

The book takes on the form of an investigative journalist and I zipped through it really fast because I felt like I was on the hunt with her.  I can't believe all the horrible things Henrietta's family went through and I also can't believe how long the author continued trying to write the story!  I loved the relationship she formed with Henrietta's daughter, Deborah and really enjoyed hearing about how much it meant to Deborah to find out the truth about her mother.

When Deborah dies near the end, before the book has come out, I was totally caught off guard!  I wasn't ready to say goodbye to her and I couldn't believe she never got to see it in print! At least she spent the last years of her life learning the truth about her mother.

This was such an interesting book and I'm really glad I learned about Henrietta Lacks and her contribution to science. I totally recommend this book, and I think it would be a great book to discuss in a book club!



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gotta get outta town!

I've been feeling the need to get out of town!  I'm pretty sure its the time of the year for me- holidays are over, its been cold for a few months now... and I'm ready for SUN and the BEACH and SUMMER.  But, I still have... oh... at least 4 months of winter left here!

My husband found this cool website called Airbnb that features homes all over the place that you can rent out for a day or a few days or whatever, instead of hotels.  You can choose to stay somewhere that the owners of the place live and they will host you, or you can book a place all to yourself.  It looks like a fun alternative to staying at a hotel, and with a young baby, I think it would be much less stressful!  We looked around and there are some pretty cool places in really fun cities.  Hopefully my husband's interest in Airbnb will transfer into a trip!

As a follow up of my vision board for 2013, I really had a good start on it.... but my downfall was that I went with a magnet board... and soon after, my baby decided that magnets are the BEST toy ever.  And he's just so funny playing with it, that it kind of turned into his toy.  BUT I still have a picture of it in my mind and I WILL be reaching my goals this year!

I've been "reading" a lot lately... and by "reading" I mean listening to audiobooks!  How have I never thought of this before??  I just put in little ear buds in and then I can be cooking, cleaning, doing laundry, running errands, driving, grocery shopping etc.... and it all goes by SO fast!!  That's why I've had so many reviews lately!  I find that reading so constantly is really helping me with my own writing as well.

I finished a full edit on my book and I'm working on my query letter while my husband and my sister (who has written her own fabulous book!) are editing my book.  Well, my sister is... we will have to see if my husband finds time to do it before the deadline I gave him- which is the end of the month.  I really want him to read it because he's FABULOUS at catching holes in movies or book or any kind of production.  It's always interesting to hear what he thinks about a movie because he like to figure out what he would have done differently, or what character didn't work etc and he has these brilliant ideas.  So, it's both exciting, and very nerve racking to share my book.  Hope he makes his deadline!!!

That's all for now!! Hope everyone has a great day!

dizzylittlechatgirl

here's how I see it: a review of: A Casual Vacancy"

The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

I wanted to like this book, I really did.  But I totally didn't.  In all fairness, I am putting it down before I get to the end, although I'm not far off.  I felt like the storyline had good movement in pieces, but not enough to pull all the good segments together.  There was so many characters and I felt like I kept getting who was related to whom or what their relationships were confused, and normally I'm really good at that.  Which means, I didn't feel enough of a connection to the characters.  I feel like the idea of the plot worked, but the execution didn't.  I feel bad saying that J.K. Rowling, but that's really what I thought.  If anyone thinks I would have a completely different opinion if I just stuck it out til the very end... let me know.


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