Tiff's Book Blog

Tuesday, 10 April 2012

  • Have a Little Faith




    Mitch Albom
    Have a Little Faith
    Rating: 4 Stars

     



    It all started with one question, "Will you do my eulogy?"  It was the question Mitch's Rabbi asked, to do the eulogy at his funeral.  It was a strange request, but Mitch agreed.  It was a project Mitch thought would only take a couple weeks, but instead turned into a journey that spanned several years.  Why?  Well, a eulogy is not just some words on a piece of paper.  A eulogy serves to speak of a person's life.  Their positive attributes and impact they left on the world.  Their legacy, the ultimate message of their life.  And how can someone write a eulogy without first learning about the life of the person that it is about.

    So Mitch learned about his Rabbi, the Rabbi whom he had known his whole life.  The same Rabbi who, as a child, he used to run away from because of his daunting appearance.

    Albom also intertwines the story of Pastor Henry with his recaps of talks with the Rabbi.  Pastor Henry, despite his previous life of selfishness, has decided to turn his life over to God, to spend the rest of his life in his service, almost as a penance for all the wrong he knew he did.

    Why did he put the stories together?  Maybe, and this is just my opinion, maybe to show the readers that it isn't about Religion.  Religion as I have always believed it is how a person chooses to praise their God.  In the end, there is a God, a higher being.  We want to know that there is some guiding force out there.  It is on faith that we believe, and faith that there is a reason for our living on earth.  A life in which we may use to live a life of goodness, so that we may enjoy the fruits of heaven after we die.  It is a driving force in many people's lives.  Faith.

Monday, 02 April 2012

  • Heaven is for Real




    Todd Burpo
    Heaven is for Real
    Rating: 5 Stars

     


    Maybe I am a little biased in writing this review.  I am Christian, to be more specific, Catholic.  I believe in God, have all my life.  I know people find it weird sometimes when I tell them I have regular conversations with God, but it's true.  And yes, He does talk back sometimes.  Yes I believe in an afterlife, and that my life here on earth is spent serving the Lord so that when I die, I may see Him in heaven.  So, is heaven for real?  I sure do hope so, and sometimes, I really do believe I can exchange the word "hope" to "know".  There are just some things in this world that happen that are un-explainable.  Do I believe in coincidences?  No.  Because God meant for each moment in my life to happen, and I read this book at this point of my life for a reason.

    Colton's experience is definitely one to take note.  Children are so very innocent.  They carry the innocence yet un-scarred by the world.  So they are inquisitive and see the world sometimes better than we as adults see it.  Our thoughts instead are filled with judgements and preconceived notions of what should be.  So Colton's experience, to me, is very believeable.

    The book is about a little boy named Colton, who, after an almost fatal bursted appendix took his life, speaks of spending time with Jesus in heaven for a period of three earthly minutes when he left his earthly body on the operating table.  All the things Colton saw and experienced surely makes one wonder what the difference in earthly minutes and heaven minutes really is.  He is able to spend time with Jesus, family members who have died, and was also allowed by Jesus to see the future.  The book is written by his father, a minister, who through a long period of time and series of open-ended questions, is able to find out about his son's experience in heaven.

    I would recommend this book to others.  It filled my heart with warmth, reading this book, and reading about Colton's different experiences in heaven.  And the picture of Jesus in this book is absolutely breath-taking.  I almost could not take my eyes of Him.

Monday, 19 March 2012

  • One for the Money




    Janet Evanovich
    One for the Money
    Rating: 3 Stars



     

    Although not a completely compelling novel, it does get points for an easy read.  It does not fall under the category of a literary work or a book that would give way to any kind of intellectual conversation.  It is what it is, a fun, no frills read.

    In this first installment of the Stephanie Plum series, author, Janet Evanovich, introduces us to our protragonist, Stephanie Plum.  Due to a few unavoidable circumstances on her part, Stephanie must find a way to make money, and make it soon.  She has exhausted almost all her usual ways to make a fast buck, including selling household furniture and appliances.  So much so that she has had her car repossessed, and has had to take temporary, low paying jobs.

    On a chance visit with her cousin, Vinnie, she is offered a job as a bounty hunter.  Despite no experience in persuasive techniques and physical violence (traits one would think a bounty hunter would need to be exquisitely skilled at), Stephanie takes the job.  Her first job is someone she knows from her childhood, Morelli.  If she can catch him, she gets a payout of $10,000.  The book bring us with Stephanie as she learns the ropes of her new occupation, including so many mistakes a newb in the professional would make.

    Surprisingly, I got through the book quite easily.  That could also be because the book was short.  It is a breeze to read.  I will probably try to get through the whole series seeing that I've already started here with the first and didn't hate it.

    Recommendations on this book?  It's not for everyone.  Girls will read this book for fun.  However, its marketability towards the male audience is (most likely) zero to none.

Saturday, 17 March 2012

  • Mockingjay




    Suzanne Collins
    Mockingjay
    Rating: 4 Stars

     



    I was a bit underwhelmed by the final book of the trilogy.  After reading one and two, I was ready for the same adventurous and exciting tone that was delivered in the first two installments.  However, Mockingjay seemed to drag on for me a bit too much.  It got boring.

    Faced with a few circumstances beyond her control, Katniss agrees to be the Mockingjay, a symbol of the rebellion against the Capitol of Panem.  Her actions have started a chain reaction that, although she tried to extinguish it, she could not put out the flame.  Instead, the flame grew to enormous lengths, and Katniss finds herself in the middle of it all.  She is trapped with a sense of obligation - to Peeta, her family, and the districts of Panem.  However, her one shining moment, near the end of the book, which makes me greatly like her character in the series, is when she states "For Prim" when deciding whether or not to hold another Hunger Games to end all Hunger Games.  You will have to read it to find out.

    Although it got boring, I have to admit that it at least got interesting near the conclusion of the book.  However, even then, I felt things were rushed.  There was not enough story development, and the finality of the book left me wanting more out of it.  Despite the finality of what happened, there was nothing to back it up, and leave it the reader with a sense that it was all over.  I was disappointed.

Friday, 09 March 2012

  • Catching Fire




    Suzanne Collins
    Catching Fire
    Rating: 5 Stars


     


    Couldn't help but dive right into the second book.  It's a series, and series deserve to be read as close to succession as possible.  I'm glad I didn't start reading this series when it first came out.  A time when I would have had to wait for what it would have seemed entirely too long, for the next book in the series to be published.  Warning, the second book, Catching Fire, leaves you on a cliffhanger.  It would be good to have the third book ready to start before finishing the second as the ending will leave you wanting to know more.

    Katniss is once again plagued by the decisions she made in the 73rd annual Hunger Games.  Now, she must continue the show she put on during the games for the sake of her friends and family.  If she cannot, it can mean not only their lives, but the lives of of everyone in Panem.  

    I couldn't put this book down.  Again read in less than a day, the book keeps you turning the page.  The reader is plunged into the life and thoughts of the protagonist Katniss.  All her thoughts, doubts, and insecurities are brought forward with each page turned, to find out what will happen, and if she is able to succeed.

    I hope the third does not disappoint.

Thursday, 08 March 2012

  • The Hunger Games

     


    Suzanne Collins
    The Hunger Games
    Rating: 5 Stars


     

    Let the obsession begin.  Yes, I'm going to call it an obsession, although I have yet to start to delve into book 2.

     

    The story takes us into a different world, many, many years from now.  It has been destroyed by war and greed.  A new world order is established.  There are those who live in absolute splendor.  Abundance of everything.  Completely oblivious to the desperation the lies beyond the mountains.  Then there are those who have barely anything.  Living off rations that are not enough to fully feed them.  So many laws are put in place that their freedoms are stripped from them.  And yet, as I think again, this is only a slight exaggeration of the world around us now.  People like me, we're in the 5% of the world's population.  The other 95% live in poverty.  Everyday, despite the fact that we create enough food in this world to make everyone full, there are still people, MANY people, who go hungry.  Maybe, if people really looked at this book, they would realize that this world is not too different from the world we live in now.  It may even help to open people's minds to how horribly that 95% is treated.

     

    But I digress.  It is a wonderful book.  It is filled with action, and even a love story.  If you don't know by now, I love a love story.  And I bet it will get even better as I get into books two and three.  The action and plot of the book drives the reader deeper and deeper into the book.  I was almost unable to put this down as I was able to read this in only one day.  It was a very fast read, and it doesn't leave you bored for information at any point in the book.

     

    Great read, looking forward to starting the other two!

Sunday, 04 March 2012

  • The Lost Symbol



    Dan Brown
    The Lost Symbol
    Rating: 5 Stars

     

     

    I've always enjoyed Dan Brown's novels.  I have been meaning to read this book for quite a while now, and thankful that I finally got a chance to sit down with it.  From the rating alone, you know I can't help but give this book rave reviews.  Dan Brown writes in such a compelling way, you can't help but find yourself fighting past droopy eyelids at 2:30am to get through just one more page, one more chapter, one step closer to the mysteries you hope are awaiting at the end of the book.

     

    Again, we are introduced to Robert Langdon, the same protagonist from his previous books Angels & Demons and The Da Vinci Code.  How this professor gets himself into and can withstand all the dangerous circumstances he has encountered is beyond me.  Although, he is a fictional character in a fictional book, which does explain a few things.  Robert Langdon is convinced by the assistant of a good friend of his to come to the U.S. Capitol to give a lecture/speech.  After that, a spiral of events occur that leave one with only one option, to keep turning the page to find out what happens next.

     

    The book has a lot of references to Masons and Noetic Science.  It also gives readers a promising message.  Through the series of events that occur and people that are involved, it tries to remind the reader the power in the human mind.  That the human mind is capable of such greatness, and yet we take for granted the power it can possess.  It is said through our lifetime, we only use a small percentage of our brain (approximately 10%).  That leaves 90% of untapped potential that our brain possesses.

     

    One last message the author leaves us with, the last word he leaves us with, is the message of hope.  With hope, so many things are possible.  With hope, our lives have purpose.

Monday, 20 February 2012

  • Dear John



    Nicholas Sparks
    Dear John
    Rating: 3.5 Stars

     

     

    Like a few books I've read recently, I watched the movie for this too.  However, it's been so long that I can't remember how the movie ended.  So, being the big cry baby I am, I'll admit, I cried.  Without giving up the book (or the movie for that matter), she was stupid.  And that is all I'm going to say about that.

    The book takes you through the romance between John and Savannah, two individuals who met and had love at first sight.  It's something all of us hopeless romantics dream about.  A guy helping out a damsel in distress, and from there the story is full of magic.  Their love is cut short, however, because John is in the army, their love is tested by time and distance as he is stationed in a different country, and ultimately has to fight in Iraq.  Can their love stand the test of time?  That information is only for those who read the book to know.

    It's a Nicholas Sparks book.  Of course it's predictable. But in a way, it wasn't. It was a great read.  Really easy to get through. It's a genre of books that I like to read.  A book about love, romance, and a whole stir of emotions.  The plot and the romance between John and Savannah keep you turning each page.

  • Water for Elephants



    Sara Gruen
    Water for Elephants
    Rating: 3 Stars

     

     

    I had higher hopes for this novel.  It being made into a movie with Robert Patinson of Twilight fame, and also Reese Witherspoon. I didn't watch the movie yet, and still have high hopes for the movie.

    It is a movie about the circus.  The transitory life of circus performers and workers.  The spectacle and mundane of a circus.  Having never been to a circus myself, I have only this book to give me reference and depictions of what a circus is really like.

    It's a crazy life.  And yet, one can still see the hierarchy even within a circus atmosphere.  Bosses first, then performers, then workers.  Workers always get the short end of the stick.  Living a life by what you can do, and your worth is measured by skill alone.

    It takes a while for the plot to grow.  I feel like I only got excited about the book near the very end.  Of course, that's what a climax should be.  The rest of the book was mildly plain. It took the whole book for the author to spell out the plot, which makes it very hard to consider the book interesting.  I felt the only driving force for me to read was a hope that it had to get better.

    At least it did.  As I said before, the very end of the novel was good, and that is why I did not rate it even lower.  Looking forward to watching the movie for this.

  • The Help



    Kathryn Stockett
    The Help
    Rating: 4 Stars

     

     


    I watched the movie first.  I hate when I watch the movie first.  When will I learn, because the book is always better than the movie, that is, unless you've watched the movie already.  Then I end up just reading the book waiting for the parts in the movie to happen.

    But I digress.  The movie was good (good enough to win a gang load of Oscars), and the book was great (great enough to make a movie out of it).  The storyline really gives you a chance to look at segregation from many points.  From those who were treated horribly, to the ones who were treated with respect, and so many spectrums in between.

    Told from three different perspectives, I never felt like I was lost trying to figure out who the narrator was.  Although, it was helpful that the beginning of each chapter had the name of the narrator on top. 

    Skeeter acts as the anonymous writer of the book.  She sets aside the negativity she receives from writing the book, looks beyond it because she values what the book is about.  She is shunned by friends for being different, but continues to write despite it all.

    Minnie is a hilarious character, always fighting the urge to talk back, always telling herself to bite her tongue.  She's a feisty one, and adds a lot of laughter and character to the book.  It would have been boring without her.

    My favorite within the entire book was Aibileen, instilling within the children she took care of the value of self and looking beyond color.  It's because of her that the book is able to take life and become what it was for their community.

    Read it.  It's worth it.  To remind ourselves what is important in life.  To remind us of how life was for some people, and how it shouldn't be that way again.

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Blog Purpose

I've always loved to write. And so when I found myself graduated from college with no more papers to write, I knew I needed somewhere to let my creative mind run wild. A place or a forum in which my creative mind could escape my prominent linear self which lives in the world of reality.

And so this blog (and others like it) came to be. Having to live in reality most of the time, please excuse the long periods between reviews in which my creativity remains stifled.

Knowing that my linearity demands some kind of order, this blog is reserved strictly for books. They are my opinions, and my opinions alone. My likes, disklikes, and all the in-betweens. It wouldn't make any sense to sugar coat any of my opinions, because honestly, what does that eer do? So just cut it all out and get to the truth.

Of course remember, these are MY opinions, not yours. If you feel differently, great. That means you are a wonderful unique individual with your own thoughts and opinions.

Any suggestions for some good books? Let me know. If it suits my fancy, it might just appear on this blog. Thanks for your interest.