1. In the Garden with Billy: Lessons About Life, Love & Tomatoes by Renea Winchester.
This is the sweetest book about Dad and Laura's neighbor, Mr. Billy. We've visited Mr. Billy and his goats for many years so when I got this book in my stocking I was tickled! The book is really all about the author and her friendship with Mr. Billy. It's about the lessons that she learns from him (he's a very wise man!) and the lessons that she learns while in the garden. I cannot say enough about how sweet this book is! It's on Amazon for just $10.35 right now and it's worth every penny!
2. Decision Points by George W. Bush
This one is lonnnnng and took me a sweet forever to read, but I thought it was worth it. I don't follow politics closely (I can't keep up and I really think it's a lot of drama) but I do care and am very opinionated (although I'll choose to keep my opinions to myself). I really enjoyed this book from President Bush's perspective. I thought that he was very genuine. If a call was made, he accepted responsibility and ownership regardless of the outcome. He was clear to show where he thought he did great things in his presidency, but also did not shy away from his failures. He outlined the big decisions made during his presidency and backed them up with the reasons he made each one. Good read!
3. Ape House by Sara Gruen
Loved this one! I'm so interested in animals, especially mammals, and this was just fascinating. She takes true stories about bonobos (cousins of chimpanzees but much more like humans) and weaves a fictional story into those true stories. Isabel is a bonobo keeper/translater/caretaker for a university. John interviews Isabel and the bonobos just before the lab is bombed and Isabel is left to die. The bonobos are sold to a filmmaker while Isabel is in the hospital (although since they're owned by the university I'm not sure she could've stopped it anyway). Ken Faulks, the filmmaker, puts the bonobos in a house with cameras and gives them the ability to order anything they want - furniture, food, movies, etc. It reminded me of a "Real World" for apes. The reality show takes the country by storm. Isabel spends the remainder of the story trying to get the apes back, and John spends the remainder trying to get the story (and keep his marriage intact!). I really enjoyed this book! It was a quick read that kept me interested the whole time. (Sara Gruen is also the author of Water for Elephants.)
Loved this one! I'm so interested in animals, especially mammals, and this was just fascinating. She takes true stories about bonobos (cousins of chimpanzees but much more like humans) and weaves a fictional story into those true stories. Isabel is a bonobo keeper/translater/caretaker for a university. John interviews Isabel and the bonobos just before the lab is bombed and Isabel is left to die. The bonobos are sold to a filmmaker while Isabel is in the hospital (although since they're owned by the university I'm not sure she could've stopped it anyway). Ken Faulks, the filmmaker, puts the bonobos in a house with cameras and gives them the ability to order anything they want - furniture, food, movies, etc. It reminded me of a "Real World" for apes. The reality show takes the country by storm. Isabel spends the remainder of the story trying to get the apes back, and John spends the remainder trying to get the story (and keep his marriage intact!). I really enjoyed this book! It was a quick read that kept me interested the whole time. (Sara Gruen is also the author of Water for Elephants.)
4. Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough
I honestly can't decide if I liked The Thorn Birds or not. First of all, it is lonnnnng. As in, almost 700 pages long. I think what made it feel longer was that she dragged out scenes that could've passed quickly and flew through scenes that I felt should've been longer. I don't know. It's about a family living in Australia in the early 1900s. The book moves through three generations of characters. Fiona and Paddy Cleary are the oldest generation of parents and they move their family from New Zealand to Australia in the beginning of the book to work on Paddy's sister's ranch. The second generation is made up of Meggie and her brothers. Meggie is really the central character in the book. She grows up idolizing (and really loving) the priest, Father Ralph. When Ralph leaves Drogheda (the ranch) she rebels and marries a man named Luke. The third generation is made up of Meggie's two children, Justine and Dane. There is lots of drama, lots of love, lots of people who need to open up to one another. (I keep thinking if they would just SAY what they FEEL then this will all work out!) I can't say that I'll ever read the book again, but I'm not sorry that I read it. It just feels sooo lonnnng. I actually rented the movie (an early 80s mini-series) from Netflix just to see if I like that more. (Even that's long! 8 hours! Ha!)
All in all, good books. Right now I'm working on a photography book and Candace Cameron Bure's new book. I'm also about to start The Pioneer Woman's new book (SO excited about it!) and I'm beginning a study that works through Genesis.
What are you reading?
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1 comment:
I'm so sad. I wish I could just have five minutes to read. I feel like the only minute I have I read blogs. However, I've already looked the first three books up on amazon and plan to download them to my phone to read during times in dr.'s offices etc. =)
Have you read The Blind Side? It was amazing. SoOOO much better than the movie too me. There was no way they could make the movie that long I guess. I read it about three years ago I think after Daddy heard the Tuohy's at a conference.
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